Last week I talked about all the big storylines in professional sports, and now I feel I should do the same with the sports at Concordia, because there isn’t a lack of them.
Let’s start with the football team. The Stingers are 4-1 and coming off their first loss of the season against the Laval Rouge et Or, a team they just can’t seem to beat in Quebec City, at least lately. They have potentially their biggest game of the season this Saturday against the Carabins from the University of Montreal. In a battle for a home playoff game most likely pitting these same two teams, the winner of this game all but clinch second spot in the very tough Quebec conference. I guess the magnitude of the game depends how much importance you put on home field advantage. In my opinion, the Stingers would be much better off playing at home, something that I feel will help them on Saturday. The crowd is expected to be large, and it should be as the Stingers have played well all year long.
While the football team was expected to play as well as they have been, the Concordia soccer teams have to be a bit of a surprise. The women’s team beat UQAM twice this week to move to 6-2 on the season and a solid third in Quebec, two points ahead of fourth-place Laval, who they beat two weeks ago. The Stingers seem locked into a playoff spot and their team defense is looking better and better each game. The men’s team, after disastrous lopsided losses to McGill and Sherbrooke to open their season, have found a new goaltender in Antoine Moreau and he has saved the Stingers season. Moreau has allowed two goals in his last five starts, where the team has two wins, one loss and two draws. The men’s team is on the outside looking into the playoffs, but if they continue their strong play, they have a good chance to sneak into the fourth and final spot.
The Concordia rugby teams have flown under the radar, and there is no reason they should because they have been putting together solid seasons. The men’s team is 2-2-1 so far this season with wins over ETS and McGill. It was McGill’s first defeat of the season. Concordia sits third in the conference and in line for a playoff spot. The men’s team is led offensively by Jason White, who has four tries, Joel McDonald with three tries and Sandy White with four conversions. The Stingers next game is Oct. 11 on the road against ETS. The women’s team is also on a roll. After losing their first two games to Ottawa and Laval, the Stingers won their next two games against Bishop’s in a span of three days. The Stingers are in a tie for second place with Ottawa and Bishop’s in the Quebec conference.
Other storylines include the seasons that are about to start. The hockey and basketball teams have played their first games. The women’s hockey team who lost their first regular season game 3-1 against McGill on Friday night, have some concerns on their back end, but the team seems confident that with game experience, the concerns will become obsolete. The team still has one of the best goaltenders in Canada, Cecilia Anderson, aswell as one of the most talented scorers, Dominique Rancour.
The men’s hockey team takes to the ice this week and is a veteran club that could make some noise on the National scene. They too have lost veteran defensemen, but have most of their players back and should finish better than their third place in Quebec a year ago.
The women’s basketball team was a win away from the National Championships but lost to Laval in the Conference final. Keith Pruden lost a lot of veteran talent from his team a year ago, but the team is playing a lot of preseason games, including tournaments in Alberta and Manitoba. They finished 1-2 in their tournament at the University of Alberta this weekend, defeating Fraser Valley in their final game.
The men’s basketball team lost two key players, Phil Langois and Ben Sormonte, but have key returning players and newcomers who will allow the team to be the team to beat in Quebec once again, and perhaps even dethrone Carleton in the National Championships- something they couldn’t do a year ago.
As a student at Concordia University, you owe it to yourself to check out all of these teams in their push to the playoffs and beyond. There are an abundance of talented student-athletes and they deserve your presence at games. The storylines are there, the excitement is present and the cost is minimal.
You have no excuse to miss out on these great Stinger teams this season.
