Basketball is back on the court and Stingers’ hockey winning continues.
The Concordia Stingers winter sports teams were in full swing this week. At Concordia’s John Dore Court, both Stingers basketball teams played in their home openers for the 2024-25 regular season. On the ice, men’s and women’s hockey played big games against the McGill University Redbirds.
Here is what happened this week:
Basketball
Both Stingers basketball teams kicked off their regular season campaigns as they hosted the Bishop’s University Gaiters.
The women’s basketball team had the honours of playing the first official game on the newly renovated John Dore Court. The site underwent major renovations in the offseason that included a new electric scoreboard, expanded seating, and an upgraded ventilation system.
Once the ball tipped off on Nov. 7, the regular season was underway. In a contest that saw the Stingers leading with four minutes remaining in the game, Bishop’s was able to pull off the comeback and win by a score of 61-53.
Concordia eyed revenge as they returned two days later against the McGill Martlets.
Now on the road, the Stingers looked to earn their first victory of the season. After another hard-fought battle, Concordia dropped to 0-2 on the season with a 66-55 loss.
They will play next on Nov. 16 when they travel to face the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins.
The Stingers men’s team also hosted the Gaiters on Nov. 7. It was the first non-preseason game for Concordia since losing the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) final to the Citadins on March 2.
For the Stingers, points were hard to come by and the offense from the Gaiters’ was too much to contain. Concordia dropped its first regular season game of the season by a score of 85-60. Like the women’s team, the Stingers men’s team would have a chance for revenge against McGill.
On Nov. 9, the Stingers came prepared. A full 40-minute effort propelled the Stingers to a 70-60 win against the McGill Redbirds.
Concordia will bring their 1-1 record into their game against the Citadins on Nov. 16.
Hockey
Concordia Stingers men’s and women’s hadn’t lost a single game in regulation coming into this week’s action, meaning they had earned a point in every game. The teams hoped to keep their momentum going when they played McGill in three separate games.
The men’s team was the first in action as they faced the Redbirds on the road on Nov. 8. Concordia had won nine games in a row, owned the top spot in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) east division, and ranked third amongst all Canadian USports teams.
In a tight battle, the Stingers prevailed — winning 3-1 and taking down their rivals on home ice. The two teams were set to face each other a short two days later at Ed Meagher Arena.
Once Nov. 10 rolled around, the teams were ready to face off and fight for the annual Corey Cup. Unlike the previous game, this one was one-sided. Thanks to goals from six different players, the Stingers earned a decisive 7-3 victory in front of the home fans.
Now on an 11-game winning streak, the Stingers will face the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Nov. 14.
The women’s team also faced McGill on Nov. 10. The Stingers, who have given up the least amount of goals in the RSEQ this season, had another outstanding defensive performance. They shut out the Martlets by a score of 2-0, improving to 5-0-0 on the season.
They will try to extend their unbeaten streak further when they play on Nov. 15 against the Gaiters.
