The Concordia Stingers lost three straight games in their return to the National Championships, a disappointment considering they entered the tournament with high hopes, seeded third.
They opened the tournament against an inspired Manitoba Bisons team who had been demolished by the eventual champion Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks 6-0 the day before. The Bisons were ranked sixth heading into the tournament, and put out a much better effort in their second ever game at the National Championships.
The Stingers came out flat in the first, and that was a trend that unfortunately continued for the remainder of the tournament. The Stingers were dominated throughout the period, being outshot 15-5. Their only opportunity came 10 minutes into the period from the line of Tawnya Danis, Angela Di Stasi and Isabelle Caron who, for their part, were strong throughout the tournament.
The culmination of the Stingers struggles came with 3:39 remaining in the first period when Amber Sarraillon put the puck past Cecilia Anderson. That would be the only goal scored in the game that, if won by the Stingers, would have guaranteed a spot in at least the bronze medal game. Cecilia Anderson was instrumental in keeping the game at 1-0, making 33 saves in the loss.
“We were friggin’ brutal out there,” said a very disappointed Les Lawton, head coach of the Stingers. “Half our team didn’t show up and it’s disappointing to have this kind of performance at the National Championships. This is when your best players are supposed to play their best, and our best players weren’t there today.”
Concordia had a tough feat ahead of them in their second and final round-robin game. They had to win just to have a play in the bronze medal game against a Wilfred Laurier team that hadn’t allowed a goal since Feb. 8. Laurier goaltender, Cindy Eadie, hadn’t allowed a goal in a little over two months of game action.
The Golden Hawks opened the scoring 6:46 into the first period when Diana Cicchillo scored after her team circled the puck down low. The Stingers came right back after the goal, as the line of Dominique Rancour, Jodi Gosse and Janie Brassard played their best game in the tournament. Eadie had to make two saves on Gosse and Rancour. Laurier quite possibly put the final nail in the Stingers’ coffin when Amanda Joseph scored a shorthanded marker with only 1:24 remaining in the first period.
Early in the second period, the Stingers fought back. Janie Brassard scored her first of two in the game, when she danced around two Laurier defenders and put a backhander over the glove of Eadie, only 53 seconds into the second.
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The momentum was quickly halted. With Sophie Beaudry in the box for holding, Samantha Cully converted a centering pass from Jessica Singh less than three minutes after Brassard’s marker.
The Stingers once again narrowed the gap to one when Brassard tipped Rancour’s point shot through the legs of Eadie on the powerplay. Concordia had a golden opportunity to tie the game when Laurier’s Fiona Aiston was given a five minute penalty for body checking and a game misconduct and Amanda Joseph was given a penalty for roughing 13 seconds later, giving the Lady Bees a powerplay for the remaining, 3:41 of the game. The Stingers took a penalty with 1:44 remaining which foiled their powerplay and their chance to tie the game.
“I thought we showed a lot of character coming back, but they really smothered us in the third period,” said a happier Lawton of the game.
The two losses meant that Concordia was pitted against next year’s host St. F.X. in the consolation game. The X-Women had a little more jump than the Stingers to open the game, which led to a tripping penalty by Roxanne Dupuis two minutes into the game. St. F.X capitalized on the early powerplay when Rebecca Davies walked in untouched and fired the puck over Anderson’s glove.
The Stingers were down 2-0 when Rancour scored on the powerplay to close the gap. Concordia did not tie the game, and finished last in the National Championships.
“It’s hard to play in the fifth-place game when you come into the tournament ranked third.” Lawton said.
Lawton was also upset at the officiating over the course of the weekend at the National Championships.
“It’s been brutal,” Lawton said after the tournament. “It’s not up to the level of the game. It’s unacceptable for us to have to put up with things like that. I’m very disappointed.”
By Jared Book
The Concordia Stingers lost three straight games in their return to the National Championships, a disappointment considering they entered the tournament with high hopes, seeded third.
They opened the tournament against an inspired Manitoba Bisons team who had been demolished by the eventual champion Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks 6-0 the day before. The Bisons were ranked sixth heading into the tournament, and put out a much better effort in their second ever game at the National Championships.
The Stingers came out flat in the first, and that was a trend that unfortunately continued for the remainder of the tournament. The Stingers were dominated throughout the period, being outshot 15-5. Their only opportunity came 10 minutes into the period from the line of Tawnya Danis, Angela Di Stasi and Isabelle Caron who, for their part, were strong throughout the tournament.
The culmination of the Stingers struggles came with 3:39 remaining in the first period when Amber Sarraillon put the puck past Cecilia Anderson. That would be the only goal scored in the game that, if won by the Stingers, would have guaranteed a spot in at least the bronze medal game. Cecilia Anderson was instrumental in keeping the game at 1-0, making 33 saves in the loss.
“We were friggin’ brutal out there,” said a very disappointed Les Lawton, head coach of the Stingers. “Half our team didn’t show up and it’s disappointing to have this kind of performance at the National Championships. This is when your best players are supposed to play their best, and our best players weren’t there today.”
Concordia had a tough feat ahead of them in their second and final round-robin game. They had to win just to have a play in the bronze medal game against a Wilfred Laurier team that hadn’t allowed a goal since Feb. 8. Laurier goaltender, Cindy Eadie, hadn’t allowed a goal in a little over two months of game action.
The Golden Hawks opened the scoring 6:46 into the first period when Diana Cicchillo scored after her team circled the puck down low. The Stingers came right back after the goal, as the line of Dominique Rancour, Jodi Gosse and Janie Brassard played their best game in the tournament. Eadie had to make two saves on Gosse and Rancour. Laurier quite possibly put the final nail in the Stingers’ coffin when Amanda Joseph scored a shorthanded marker with only 1:24 remaining in the first period.
Early in the second period, the Stingers fought back. Janie Brassard scored her first of two in the game, when she danced around two Laurier defenders and put a backhander over the glove of Eadie, only 53 seconds into the second.
The momentum was quickly halted. With Sophie Beaudry in the box for holding, Samantha Cully converted a centering pass from Jessica Singh less than three minutes after Brassard’s marker.
The Stingers once again narrowed the gap to one when Brassard tipped Rancour’s point shot through the legs of Eadie on the powerplay. Concordia had a golden opportunity to tie the game when Laurier’s Fiona Aiston was given a five minute penalty for body checking and a game misconduct and Amanda Joseph was given a penalty for roughing 13 seconds later, giving the Lady Bees a powerplay for the remaining, 3:41 of the game. The Stingers took a penalty with 1:44 remaining which foiled their powerplay and their chance to tie the game.
“I thought we showed a lot of character coming back, but they really smothered us in the third period,” said a happier Lawton of the game.
The two losses meant that Concordia was pitted against next year’s host St. F.X. in the consolation game. The X-Women had a little more jump than the Stingers to open the game, which led to a tripping penalty by Roxanne Dupuis two minutes into the game. St. F.X capitalized on the early powerplay when Rebecca Davies walked in untouched and fired the puck over Anderson’s glove.
The Stingers were down 2-0 when Rancour scored on the powerplay to close the gap. Concordia did not tie the game, and finished last in the National Championships.
“It’s hard to play in the fifth-place game when you come into the tournament ranked third.” Lawton said.
Lawton was also upset at the officiating over the course of the weekend at the National Championships.
“It’s been brutal,” Lawton said after the tournament. “It’s not up to the level of the game. It’s unacceptable for us to have to put up with things like that. I’m very disappointed.”
