With back to back appearances at nationals, including a U Sports silver medal performance in 2022, as well as a steady stream of “top of the OUA standings” seasons, the Nipissing Lakers women’s hockey team can now rival the likes of the Guelph Gryphons and Toronto Varsity Blues as the standard for the remainder of the league.

And far more often than not, those Lakers’ lineups have not only been dotted with Sudbury talent, but rather featured Sudbury talent in ultra-prominent roles.

The 2023-2024 edition of the Nipissing juggernaut, boasting a current record of 18-3-0-0, is no different, with both Madison Laberge and Katie Chomiak serving as alternate captains, and blueliner Ellie Laberge rounding out the nickel city troika.

Given the litany of success that has followed the locals and their minor hockey careers – all three were members of the Esso Cup silver medal winning Sudbury Midget AA Lady Wolves team in 2019 – should anyone really be surprised they have grown understandingly accustomed to winning?

“I think that we just have really high expectations for our team,” said Madison Laberge, the highest scoring defenseman (and part-time forward) on the Lakers with 12 points (5G-7A) in 19 games. “I think we know that if we play our very best and stick together as a team, that we can achieve the goal of going back to nationals.”

“We really hold ourselves to a high standard,” echoed Chomiak, the leading scorer in the OUA with 12 goals (tied with Leah Herrfort of Waterloo) and 24 points, two ahead of teammate Maggie McKee. “Everything that we do – working out and practicing at high intensity – is geared towards being successful in the playoffs and making it to nationals.”

In 2022, Nipissing upset the UBC Thunderbirds (1-0) and New Brunswick Reds (4-0) before falling to the Concordia Stingers in the U Sports final (4-0). A year ago, they were eliminated at nationals in two straight, following losses to Concordia and St Francis Xavier.

Putting the puck in the net 79 times in their 21 games to date, 17 more than the next closest team, signals a style of play that has worked well for coach Darren Turcotte and company – though the expectation to play both sides of the puck remains.

“This year, our team has been scoring a lot of goals and we have had some games that have been quite high scoring games,” noted Laberge, her team coming off a two-win weekend that included a wild 7-6 affair with the Laurier Golden Hawks followed by a 2-1 shootout win over the Waterloo Warriors.

“It changes the game. You definitely don’t want to give anyone space. As a defender, that’s something you think about.”

Always noted for both her skating ability and willingness to carry the puck with speed, Laberge has seen herself doing double-duty at times more recently. “I’m still an offensive defenseman – but last year and a bit of this year, I help out at forward when we need it,” she said.

“It is difficult, no doubt, when you have a defensive mindset coming into a game, but I think it might be a little easier for me to transition mid-game just because I have that offensive mindset as well as a defensive, always wanting to step up into the play.”

A gifted scorer and all-around athlete during her many years with the Lady Wolves, Katie Chomiak also noted a certain level of year-round dedication that helps give her and her teammates an edge when regular season play kicks off each October.

“Our conditioning kind of separates us from a lot of team – and that really never ends,” said the 21 year-old Nursing major who is competing in her final year this winter, moving on to the work-force, despite having two years of remaining eligibility.

“The summer workouts are very intense,” added Chomiak. “That might be the hardest part of the season, just because you’re not even with the team. But everyone has bought in to doing extra and we know if we do extra, we can make it to nationals.”

But for as much as she found the back of the net with regularity with donning the Blue and White in Sudbury, Chomiak quickly learned that doing likewise another step or two up the ladder would not happen automatically.

“It’s a lot harder to score a goal here, to get points,” she said. “Everyone is bigger and stronger and you can’t be afraid to go to the net. You kind of just have to be tougher because everyone out here is trying to get you.”

The willingness to do so was just one of the many reasons that Chomiak earned a letter, a definite source of pride for the northern woman. “I feel like I was able to make more of an impact the past two years, even helping with the team dynamics and playing more of a leadership role,” she said.

With just seven regular season games to play, including a showdown with Guelph (18-1-1-1) this Saturday, the Lakers have turned their attention to the time of year that really matters to them.

“The second half of the season is kind of like playoff hockey,” said Laberge. “It’s like pre-playoff hockey and everyone is fighting for a spot. The games have gotten really competitive and that’s something that we thrive in. As long as we stick together and work hard on and off the ice, we will succeed and reach our goals.”

“We have a lot of talent, a lot of skill on this team,” added Chomiak. “But that doesn’t matter if we don’t buy-in and we’re not working hard. It doesn’t matter that we’re 18-3 or that we went to nationals the past two years. You just have to want it more than the other team does.”

And that is just the kind of competitiveness that Darren Turcotte likes in his Sudbury recruits.