Finishing a St. Lawrence University career last year with 103 points wouldn’t be as remarkable if Annie Guay were a forward. But the Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec native plays defense. And she has a slapshot that knows how to find the net.

That shot is something her Montreal Stars teammates are thankful for. Guay helped the Stars win the first-ever Clarkson Cup national women’s hockey championship last year.

"Annie has a strong slapshot. She is great at supporting the attack," says teammate and Stars captain Lisa-Marie Breton-Lebreux. "I love playing with Annie. She brings intensity to the game and in the room."

Guay’s intensity developed early on. When she was barely out of toddlerhood, she started playing hockey in the streets with her older brother. She played organized hockey at only four years old.

Participating in minor hockey from such a young age and with such talent and intensity led Guay to a spot on Team Quebec in 2001 at the age of 16. She played in the Canadian Championship in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, and again in 2003 at the Canada Winter Games.

"A coach once told me that being confident in my abilities would take me a long way," she says.

He was right. When Guay was 19, she made Team Canada’s Under-22 team and began a scholarship to St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. At St. Lawrence, Guay played with Team Canada teammate Sabrina Harbec and the two managed to transfer their chemistry from one team to the other. The U22s won the MLP Cup in Germany in 2005 and Guay took home honours as the best defensemen of the tournament. In 2007, Guay found herself scoring her first international goal with the senior national team against the USA at the Four Nations Cup in Kitchener, Ontario. She played on Team Canada until 2008.

"Making Team Canada was a great moment — it propelled my career to a whole new level," says Guay. "I started training every day and became a full-time committed player. Wearing the maple leaf on my jersey was very special."

It’s an honour that Guay hopes to have again someday. In the meantime, her main focus is the Montreal Stars. Guay can be counted on to bring an international calibre of play to the team, as well as a unique presence on and off the ice.

"She likes to train and is a great team player," says Breton-Lebreux. "Annie’s a good person, very loving and caring. She likes to laugh."

 
“What’s underneath the equipment” is a weekly profile of a CWHL athlete written by Anne Douglas (www.herhockeyonline.com).