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Tenacious D: Laval is losing its top defensive weapon

Khaleann Caron-Goudreau leaves the Rouge et Or as arguably the best defender in U Sports.

Laval's Khaleann Caron-Goudreau boxes out a UPEI player in the 2020 U Sports bronze medal game. Photo: Ben Forrest
Laval's Khaleann Caron-Goudreau boxes out a UPEI player in the 2020 U Sports bronze medal game. Photo: Ben Forrest

Hours before the final game of her university career, Laval forward and two-time U Sports Defensive Player of the Year Khaleann Caron-Goudreau was literally sick to her stomach.

The 24-year-old master’s of business administration student from Gatineau, Que., was battling indigestion and hydrating as much as possible to stave off its effects. 

“I didn’t feel 100 per cent, so I didn’t provide as much on offence” she said after the Rouge et Or lost 57-50 to the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Panthers in the U Sports women’s bronze medal game at TD Place in Ottawa.

“But at least I was there on defence. I’m proud of what I did on defence.”

Caron-Goudreau had just six points in the bronze medal game but was dominant on the boards, grabbing 18 rebounds and blocking five shots in the loss. 

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Laval led by as many as 18 points and had a 10-point lead with less than four minutes remaining, but the Panthers sprung to life and made several key shots down the stretch. 

UPEI guard Jenna Mae-Ellsworth, the 2020 U Sports Player of the Year, nailed a jumper with 1:49 left in the fourth quarter to put the Panthers ahead 52-50, and they never relinquished the lead. 

Khaleann Caron-Goudreau calls for the ball in Laval's 2020 national bronze medal loss to UPEI. Photo: Ben Forrest Photo
Khaleann Caron-Goudreau calls for the ball in Laval’s 2020 national bronze medal loss to UPEI – Photo: Ben Forest

Ellsworth hit another clutch two-pointer with 18 seconds left, and made a pair of free throws with three seconds on the clock to ice the win.

“Honestly, we lost the game because we were undisciplined,” said Caron-Goudreau, who isn’t known to mince words. “It’s our fault. It’s the whole team. It’s not one person in particular.

“But losing a 10-point lead is really disappointing, and I think I’m not the only one that’s disappointed.”

This was the latest in a series of gut-wrenching setbacks for Caron-Goudreau, a former NCAA Division I player who battled injuries over one season at Vanderbilt and three at the University of Texas.

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She played in just three games at Vanderbilt, which she attended with her twin sister Audrey-Ann, who is also an MBA student at Laval and played professionally in Greece and Germany. 

Caron-Goudreau transferred to Texas as a sophomore and sat out the season due to transfer rules. As a junior she played in 15 games but reportedly suffered a stress injury in her right foot that kept her on the bench for nearly half the season. 

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Texas made it to the NCAA Sweet 16 when Caron-Goudreau was a senior, but she had limited playing time and became openly critical of the U.S. college system. 

“I got a great degree and I played against WNBA players,” she said in an interview with Sportsnet last year.”

Caron-Goudreau leaves Laval as a two-time U Sports Defensive Player of the Year. She helped lead the Rouge et Or to the brink of a national title in 2019
Caron-Goudreau leaves Laval as a two-time U Sports Defensive Player of the Year. She helped lead the Rouge et Or to the brink of a national title in 2019. Photo: Ben Forrest

But then again: “Honestly, I wouldn’t send my children there, ” she said. “It was so intense. I got injured. I was overworked … I didn’t have a life, necessarily, for four years.”

After her final season at Texas, Caron-Goudreau returned to Canada to play for the Rouge et Or, who entered last year’s U Sports Final 8 as the No. 1 seed and title favourite. 

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They lost 70-58 to McMaster in the gold medal game, shooting just 11 per cent from the field in the third quarter. Caron-Goudreau had 12 rebounds, 10 points and four blocks in the loss.

But she also won her first U Sports DPOY award that season, and was a conference first-team all-star as Laval marched to an RESQ conference championship. 

“My first four years in the States were pretty pretty difficult,” she said in an interview with BasketballBuzz. “It was rough — the mental part, and the physical part. 

“When I got back to Quebec City and got to play with the Rouge et Or, those were the best two years of basketball I had in my whole career. 

“I couldn’t be prouder of my team.”

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