Women’s team ranks first in Canada while men’s team ranks fourth.
The Concordia Stingers men’s and women’s hockey regular season has begun, returning to Ed Meagher Arena this past weekend.
Men’s Hockey:
The men’s team began their 2024-25 season’s first homestand against the Carleton University Ravens on Oct. 13. The Stingers returned from a three-game road trip that saw them take five out of six points against three tough matchups.
It was not long until the Stingers got rolling in their matinee against the Ravens.
Concordia put up a four-spot in the first period with two goals from forward Mathieu Bizier. They added four more goals in the second period and two in the third. This effort was en route to a 10-1 routing of the Ravens.
Three days later, the Stingers faced the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes. It was the second time the two rivals had met in seven days.
The Stingers retook the lead with defenceman Simon Lavigne’s fifth goal of the season, giving Concordia a 1-0 advantage. With the goal, Lavigne took the league lead in goals scored. He said that the offence has added a new element to his game.
“If I’m improving offensively, it’s just a bonus for me,” Lavigne said. “It’s just helping [our] team win a game — it’s nice to see, and I will try to do the same thing for the next couple [of] games as well.”
The Stingers would hold their rival Patriotes to limited opportunities for the remainder of the game, en route to a 4-1 victory.
“[UQTR] is a team that has given us some trouble in the last few years, so [to win against them], it’s fun, and it builds our confidence, that is for sure,” Stingers head coach Marc-André Elément said postgame. “We have to keep building our game. I don’t think we played the best game of the season but I’m just proud to get those two points.”
The Stingers had the opportunity to complete a perfect opening week of hockey at home with a win against the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold on Oct. 18.
The game began with scoring again for the Stingers as forward Mikael Huchette tucked a shot inside the goalposts from a sharp angle.
Concordia found themselves on a power play midway through the second period when Bizier buried his sixth goal of the year.
In the third period, the Stingers extended their lead to three when Toronto responded with two of their own in twenty-one seconds. Right on cue, Lavigne scored his sixth goal of the year. An empty netter solidified the victory and the Stingers improved to a record of 5-0-1 on the season.
Women’s Hockey:
It was now the Stingers women’s hockey team’s turn to defend home ice. The team won their first regular season game at McGill University on Oct. 19 and returned home the next day for another matchup against the Martlets.
The Stingers held a pregame ceremony to celebrate their 2023-24 USports National Championship victory. They also welcomed a ceremonial puck drop by Julie Healy, former Stingers women’s hockey player and Team Canada coach.
“Julie has a huge impact on Concordia — as a student-athlete, then as a coach and as a leader in so many capacities,” said Stingers head coach Julie Chu. “What she was able to put into place, I’m very lucky because I’m standing on the foundation that she was able to build.”
Once the puck dropped, the Stingers did not take long before scoring. Forward Émilie Lussier beat the McGill netminder, giving Concordia a 1-0 lead. Seven minutes into the second frame, Lussier added her second goal. The Stingers carried that momentum throughout the rest of the second period, adding a third goal and limiting the Martlets to just two shots on goal.
The third period saw even play between the two teams, but the Stingers prevailed with a 3-0 victory. The Stingers were able to score at even-strength, on the power play, and shorthanded.
“We try to develop and work on a lot of different things because we want complete players,” Chu said. “We spend time on developing a 200-foot game because special teams are momentum shifters, and they’re really key moments.”
As of Oct. 21, the Stingers men’s hockey team ranks fourth amongst USports universities in Canada. Concordia will host their rival, the McGill Redbirds, Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
The women’s team, meanwhile, sits on top of the USports women’s hockey rankings in first place. They will welcome the Bishop’s University Gaiters to town on Friday, Oct. 25. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
