Avenged Sevenfold – The Stage (Capitol Records, 2016)
California metal band Avenged Sevenfold’s new studio album, The Stage, is their most ambitious record instrumentally to date. However, ambitious doesn’t always mean good. From top to bottom, this album is a mess. The band was criticized on their last album, Hail to the King, for being too simple. On The Stage, the band completely overcompensates for those criticisms. The majority of the songs on this record are two minutes longer than they need to be, with the extra time used to showcase unnecessary guitar solos and flashy drumming. Lead singer Matt Shadows sounds scratchy on the record and struggled to achieve any harmony with his vocals. Songs like “The Stage” and ballads like “Roman Sky” are decent, but not enough to make the album better. The Stage is a cruel reminder that even the best metal bands from the 2000s are washed up at this point.
D.R.A.M. – Big Baby D.R.A.M. (Atlantic Records, 2016)
Rapper D.R.A.M.’s debut album is by far one of the happiest records of the year. The album’s perfect blend of rap, R&B and soul instantly puts you in a good mood and keeps you coming back for another listen. Besides the smash-hit single on the album, “Broccoli,” featuring Lil Yachty, songs like “Cash Machine,” “Cute” and “Misunderstood” are buttery smooth tracks that showcase D.R.A.M.’s infectious personality. Musically, the album tends to jump around. One moment you could be listening to an upbeat rap tune, and the next, you’re listening to an R&B mood-setter. The record starts off strong, but after the song “Cute,” the hype dies down. Songs become more repetitive and so does the subject matter, which mainly discusses relationships and success in the music industry. Despite its flaws, D.R.A.M.’s debut is a fun record that displays an artist who truly enjoys making music.
Canada’s universities need to step up their game for the U Sports re-brand to work
After weeks of publicizing an announcement on social media, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) announced at a conference in Toronto on Oct. 20 that the entire organization has re-branded, and will now go by the name U Sports.
Included in this re-brand was a simple, sleek new logo, and a new website that will be launching 91 days from now. According to the promotional video that explains the re-brand, the new name and logo will help bridge the gap between French and English, while creating a brand that is more recognizable.
While all of that may be true, and I would definitely agree with the idea, the only way the U Sports re-brand can be successful is if the schools buy into the new philosophy.
For one, part of the new re-brand includes a brand new correspondents program. The premise is simple—student journalists across the country volunteer to write feature stories and profile pieces for the U Sports website. The initiative hopes to give a larger voice to the athletes, while also giving them more exposure on the national stage.
The problem that could potentially arise from this, however, is schools being too selective on what they want getting out to the public. Not every story is positive, and from my own experiences as a student journalist, those negative stories can sometimes be impossible to access.
In order to grow as an organization, you need publicity. We live in a media-driven age, and in order to stay relevant, it is of the utmost importance that schools recognize this. That means understanding that not every story is going to be a fluff piece. Transparency can make schools more respectable, give them more exposure and increase awareness of U Sports teams.
This brings me to a second point. If the U Sports re-brand is going to be successful in making more people care about university sports in Canada, schools need to step up their game when it comes to the fan experience.
The best way to get fans into the stands is to give them an incentive to come. That goes beyond the simple promise of high level competition. Mascots, fan service and contests are all great ways to get students in the door.
One of the best aspects of going to a Montreal Canadiens game is seeing Youppi bobble his way up and down the stairs, greeting fans. The Bell Centre is more than a place to watch hockey games. It has the feeling of a community gathering or a backyard barbecue. It’s what makes fans want to keep coming back. Canadian universities tend to be lacking in that department.
However, I will give credit to two schools in Montreal that have been at the forefront when it comes to fan experience and social media. With the Swarm at Concordia University and the football-crazy fans at the Université de Montréal, the sense of community has been incredible at these two schools.
At Carabins games, you are instantly greeted by some good old tailgating — also known as barbecue, which attracts fans. At Concordia, contests and events put on by the Swarm make game day that much more fun.
Furthermore, since the Stingers re-brand in 2015, their social media has been something to behold. They are one of the few schools that post highlight videos within minutes of the play happening, and are always active on Instagram and Snapchat.
For U Sports to be successful, Canadian universities are going to have to modernize. They may not have to do something drastic, like a re-brand, but they will need to step into the 21st century.
The Swarm is a group hoping to make the fan experience at Stingers games that much more exciting. Photo courtesy of Katherine Purchase.
Antoine Marchand explains the initiative behind the Stingers multi-sport association
If you went to the Concordia Stingers football team’s home-opener on Sept. 10 at Concordia Stadium, you may have noticed some fully-clothed hockey players falling victim to the horrors of a dunk tank. No, it wasn’t part of some bet the team lost—it was the doing of the Swarm.
The Swarm is an organization created by Concordia students in 2011 which hopes to bring a community bond to Stingers games. They hold events during games to bring fans and Concordia athletes from different sports together to help create a sense of family and Stingers pride.
“If I were to describe the Swarm on paper, it would probably be about family over everything,” said Swarm president and men’s hockey goalie Antoine Marchand. “Over the past four years, I have been a part of this family and the Swarm has been able to support that family.”
Marchand inherited the position of president this season from former men’s hockey player Youssef Kabbaj. The Swarm is run by six people, including men’s rugby player Ryan Townes as head of Stingers relations and football player Yamil Slim as head of marketing.
To start the year off, the Swarm’s main event was the football home-opener at Concordia Stadium. The group set up a dunk tank and inflatable slides, where students could get together and have a good time. Since the football home-opener, the group has helped put together pre-game events for rugby doubleheaders and men’s hockey games.
“A fan can expect to come to one of our events and always have a smile on their face, while having a few drinks and getting a lot of free stuff from us,” Marchand said. “It sounds cheesy but when people are getting involved they generally have more fun.”
Marchand said, aside from organizing events, a major part of the Swarm is that athletes from other sports will come out to games in support of their Stingers family. While teams aren’t always available to do so, Marchand said it’s always a fun time when they come.
Last year, the men’s hockey team stopped by Queens on their way to a game against Western University to watch the women’s rugby team play at Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Nationals. For Marchand, gestures like that help create bonds throughout the athletics department and make the Swarm a success.
“One of my favourite moments as a Stinger was [watching] the women’s rugby Nationals,” Marchand said. “Our teams got to bond together in a time when a lot was on the line for the rugby team.”
A big part of Marchand’s approach to the Swarm is to treat all sports equally, and plan events for all of them so all teams get equal exposure.
“My goal this year is to essentially make events for every single sports team to make sure they all get the same attention because that’s the most fair,” Marchand said. “I believe that’s the most fun way to do things, and our events have gotten more attention since we’ve branched out.”
With the basketball regular season starting soon and other sports like soccer, rugby and football winding down, the Swarm’s attention will shift to basketball and hockey until the end of the athletic season in March.
What was once known as the Canadian Interuniversity Sport is now U Sports
The Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) announced at a press conference in Montreal on Oct. 20 that the organization has undergone a rebranding and will now go by the name U Sports.
The rebrand includes a new logo and a new philosophy that, according to U Sports, hopes to draw more attention to and increase the viewership of university sports across Canada.
“I think U Sports will take some adjusting to, just like anything else,” Concordia Stingers athletic director Patrick Boivin said at the event. “[U Sports] has the fundamentals to be a good rallying cry for university sports across Canada. The CIS, I don’t know if that name inspired much.”
U Sports held two separate conferences on Oct. 20 to unveil the new brand. The first was held in Toronto at 11 a.m., while the other was held in Montreal at 2 p.m. At the Montreal conference, student athletes from the city’s three major universities, Concordia University, McGill University and the Université de Montréal attended.
Representing the Stingers were women’s rugby star Frédérique Rajotte, men’s hockey captain Olivier Hinse and men’s hockey forward Philippe Hudon.
“When I learned about the rebrand, I thought it was a great idea,” Hinse said. “It’s nice that I can live it for my last year.”
Hinse also explained how he believes the new name could help legitimize university sports in Canada, particularly hockey.
“Now everyone is going to know what U Sports is, and young kids in junior will think to themselves that they can come to U Sports and have a great career in the league,” Hinse said. “More people are going to get attached to it, and when you say U Sports, everyone is going to know what it means.”
The new logo was created by Hulse & Durrell, a firm that specializes in helping organizations brand themselves. According to U Sports, the firm has helped create logos for other sports organizations such as the Canadian Olympic Committee, Equestrian Canada, Swimming Canada and Curling Canada.
In the promotional video for the new brand, Hulse & Durrell said they wanted to help create a logo and a name that was both simple and bilingual, in order to resonate with the entire country.
New U Sports logo. Courtesy of U Sports.
“Being a French Canadian, I can appreciate the way that it’s bilingual,” Rajotte said. “I think that the U Sports logo with the Canadian flag in the middle is easy to put together. It’s way easier to say than the CIS and trying to figure out the whole meaning of it.”
Boivin said the new direction of U Sports can be compared to the Concordia Stingers rebranding, adding that the new image is a necessary part of staying relevant.
“We and Carleton University were kind of precursors in terms of the way we structured our programs,” Boivin said. “Being a modern school like Concordia, it wasn’t that much of a hard sell when they told us that [the U Sports rebrand] could be valuable for us. It is in line with what we’ve done and will help us grow.”
The rebrand is the organization’s second in 15 years. The first rebrand occurred in 2001 when the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union changed its name to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
The Concordia Stingers lost to the McGill Redmen on Saturday by a score of 28-1. Photos by Alex Hutchins.
Concordia’s football team lost to their crosstown rivals on Saturday
During a cold rainy day at Concordia Stadium on Oct. 22, the Concordia Stingers football team came out flat and lost to their crosstown rivals, the McGill Redmen, by a score of 21-8.
“I’m not going to single anyone out, but overall the performance was not good,” Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan said. “I’m not going to take anything away from McGill, they played hard and won the game but at the end of the day, we didn’t execute.”
The game started off in McGill’s favour, as they managed to get a field goal just three and a half minutes in, on their first possession.
Down 3-0 from the Redmen’s field goal, Stingers quarterback Trenton Miller led his team down the field on their ensuing drive. Miller looked calm and was able to complete passes to receivers Derek Trinh and Justin Julien. The offence made it to McGill’s one-yard line, but weren’t able to run the ball in for a touchdown.
“You know we were down on the one-yard line and we need to be able to push our way into the endzone. There’s no excuses for that,” Donovan said. “It’s been a problem all year. The reason why we pass so much is because we’re not running the ball well at all.”
With the Stingers turning the ball over after the failed scoring attempt, the Redmen picked it up at their own one-yard line and marched all the way down the field for a touchdown. The touchdown was scored by Redmen quarterback Frédéric Paquette-Perrault at the beginning of the second quarter, making the score 10-0.
The rest of the half was dominated by the Redmen. They added two field goals and a safety to take an 18-0 lead at halftime.
The Stingers need to win their next game against Bishop’s if they want to make the playoffs.
In the third quarter, both teams struggled offensively and were unable to get any sustained pressure going, leaving each team trading possessions until the end of the game.
With under four minutes to play, the Redmen added a field goal to make the score 21-3. The Stingers, however, responded with their first touchdown of the game. The score was a 34-yard touchdown pass from Miller to Julien with just 34 seconds left in the match.
After the game, Donovan commented on his team’s inconsistent performance on defence throughout the match.
“The defence has been playing solid all year,” Donovan said. “If you saw the first half, there were a couple of mistakes and that hurts us. But in the second half, they came out and started playing.”
With the loss, the Stingers now have a record of 3-4 in the season, with one game left. The Stingers travel to Bishop’s University next week for a game on Oct. 29 against the Gaiters. If the Stingers win, they earn themselves a spot in the playoffs.
“It’s a must win game. It’s playoffs,” said Donovan.
The Concordia Stingers now have a record of 2-1 after their loss to McGIll. Photo by Alexander Cole
The Stingers almost came back from five goals down to tie the game but lost 6-5
After going down 6-1 at the beginning of the third period on Oct. 14 against the McGill Redmen, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team mounted a late comeback but it was too little, too late, as the team lost 6-5.
“It was a lesson for the guys,” Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement said. “We’re a young team but the guys are going to have to learn that if you want to win in the [Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS)] you have to play a full 60 minutes. We played about 25 minutes.”
The first period was a rough one for the Stingers as they gave up four goals because of bad bounces and defensive miscues. Just five minutes into the game, Redmen defenseman Étienne Boutet scored on a shot from the blue line that floated by the blocker of Stingers goaltender Philippe Cadorette.
Less than a minute later, Redmen forward Samuel Hodhod scored after a scramble in front of the net. Later in the period, Redmen forwards Frédéric Gamelin and Patrick Delisle-Houde each netted a goal to give the home team a 4-0 lead.
“Yeah we got unlucky but you create your own luck also,” Élement said. “I got to give [the Redmen] credit. They were working harder than us so for us it’s a really good wake up call.”
To start the second period Cadorette was replaced by backup goalie Miguel Sullivan after allowing four goals on 12 shots.
The period started in the Stingers’ favour after a quick goal 25 seconds in by rookie forward Anthony Deluca. The Redmen would come back quickly with goals by defensemen Dominic Talbot-Tassi and Redgie Bois. At the end of the second period, the score was 6-1 in favour of the Redmen.
“They went on hard in the first two periods,” Stingers captain Olivier Hinse said. “We were not winning our battles. The first two periods we were not there mentally or physically and they were all over us.”
The third period started off slow and seemed to be a write-off for the Stingers, until a goal by Stingers forward Raphael Lafontaine pumped new life into the team with eight minutes left in the game.
Within two and half minutes of Lafontaine’s goal, Stingers forwards Scott Oke and Dominic Beauchemin each added a goal to bring the score to 6-4 in favour of the Redmen.
With four minutes left, Lafontaine picked up his second goal and lowered the deficit to one goal. Despite taking out Sullivan late to add an extra attacker, the Stingers were unable to tie the game and suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of their McGill rivals.
“The third period was amazing and that’s who we are as the Stingers,” Hinse said.
One high point of the game for the Stingers was the brewing chemistry between the top line of Hinse, Deluca and Sanche. Deluca scored his first goal of the season, and the whole line demonstrated crisp passing and lightning speed.
“We practiced a bit together this summer in three-on-three leagues,” Deluca said. “I think it’s a really good mix. We’re really close on and off the ice, and the chemistry we’ve built has shown and hopefully it helps us all season.”
The Stingers will play their home-opener on Oct. 15 against the University of Carleton at 7:30 p.m. at the Ed Meagher arena.
Rajotte was named RSEQ MVP last season after the team went to nationals. Photo by Brianna Thicke.
Women’s rugby player Frédérique Rajotte talks about her start in rugby and her career with the Stingers
Frédérique Rajotte is a beast out on the rugby field. The fourth-year Concordia Stingers women’s rugby player has become a leader for the established squad, and has picked up a Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) MVP award last year. Her rugby career is impressive—but it’s not the sport that started her athletic career.
“It all started in high school. I played soccer competitively, and then one of my coaches introduced me to rugby,” Rajotte said. “I tried out in grade nine, not knowing what it was all about, and ended up loving it. From that day on, I made the team and decided to quit soccer and take rugby on full-time.”
Rajotte said that she had no idea there were rugby clubs in her hometown of Markham, Ont. when she first got into the sport. After doing some digging, Rajotte, who was 16 at the time, found a club in her area and played during the summer. She played with the Markham Irish junior team, and was invited to try out for their senior team when she turned 17.
The running aspect of rugby came naturally to her, she said, due to her experience with soccer. However, Rajotte admitted that learning the rules of the sport, as well as the physical aspect of rugby, was a difficult transition.
“You really need to study the game to be good at it, and I acquired knowledge as I went along,” Rajotte said. “In terms of physical play, at first it was messy. I was tackling high and dangerous, and when you’re young, you don’t have body awareness. But as you go on, you learn a lot.”
Part of Rajotte’s rugby journey has taken place at Concordia. Rajotte said that, contrary to what many people think, she wasn’t recruited by the school. Her sole reason for coming to Concordia was for its communication studies program.
Rajotte, who is interested in a career in sports broadcasting, applied to journalism schools across the country—when she was accepted at Concordia, she didn’t look back.
Rajotte is hoping to play in the rugby World Cup in the summer of 2017. Photo by Alexander Cole.
“When I got into the communications program, I knew it had taken a lot of work with interviews, the letter of intent and essays,” Rajotte said. “I was super excited and they only took 60 students, so my decision was set.”
Rajotte added that, although she was not recruited directly, she did go on a recruitment trip that convinced her to join the Stingers rugby program. Rajotte now has one year of eligibility left after this season, and said she has every intention of playing out her final year with the squad.
For Rajotte, playing for the Stingers comes with a sense of belonging that, in many ways, feels like a tight-knit family. In her last couple of seasons with the team, Rajotte wants to make the most of the opportunity and make her coaches proud.
“You walk into the complex, and it’s like your second home,” Rajotte said. “I think wearing the jersey and knowing that it’s my last couple of years, I just want to win some games, be a part of the wonderful team we have.”
The Stingers changed their game plan this season, which, according to Rajotte, put pressure on the team. As a result, the team struggled in the first game of the season against the Université de Laval Rouge et Or, losing by a score of 45-26. Despite that, Rajotte said the team has been able to bounce back, which is something she is extremely proud of.
Not only is Rajotte seen as a talented player, she and her teammate, Alex Tessier, are also considered leaders on the team. Rajotte said that her and Tessier, who are also roommates, have discussed their roles with each other, and agree that there can be pressure at times to perform well.
“Yes, there is some pressure because some people on our team look up to us and they want that leadership,” Rajotte said. “There’s definitely been some pressure on our shoulders. We want to perform at games and practices—and we try our best to lead by example.”
Aside from the Stingers, Rajotte plays for Canada’s national women’s 15s rugby team, and this summer, she played in the World Rugby Super Series.
Rajotte played alongside her Stingers teammate Tessier, and the team won the whole tournament after beating England 52-17, the United States 33-5 and France 29-10.
“This summer was huge. A lot of training went into it,” Rajotte said. “Winning it and going undefeated with all of those girls was really the highlight of my career so far.”
During the World Rugby Super Series, Rajotte said that the team gained a lot more media exposure than she expected. In the past, women’s rugby, and rugby in general, has been brushed aside by Canadian media outlets because sports like hockey, football and baseball are a bigger part of Canada’s sports culture. Rajotte said that, to change this mentality, rugby needs to be introduced more frequently at the youth level, which will allow the sport to grow and become part of the public consciousness.
Rajotte added that, while there was good coverage which gave the team better representation, there was still a lack of promotion for the event, which left people unaware that the event was even taking place.
“In my opinion, there still needs to be work done when it comes to talking about the event prior to it happening,” Rajotte said. “It would be cool if [the media] would do profile pieces on the national team athletes, and do them on the bigger platforms like TSN and Sportsnet.”
“People knew we won the Super Series, but some people didn’t even know what it was or what it means,” Rajotte said.
Rajotte hopes to be a part of the 2017 Rugby Women’s World Cup next summer in Ireland. Rajotte said selections for the team will be made on Oct. 17, and if she makes the team, she will be going to Ireland in November for a three-week tour in preparation for the tournament.
She added that balancing rugby and school can be difficult. However, when teachers are on board, it makes it easier.
“I’ve had teachers who think it’s awesome and wish me luck and are super supportive,” Rajotte said. “ Some of my teachers in my other classes don’t understand and are close-minded to sports, which is so hard because that’s who I am.”
While making the World Cup team is a top priority for Rajotte, she hasn’t forgotten about her Stingers. Last year the team made it to nationals, but was defeated in the bronze medal game against their fiercest rivals, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.
Rajotte wants to improve on that performance, and said that doing well at nationals this season would be better than winning the Super Series.
“I’m hoping that the highlight of this year will be making it to nationals and performing well. That’s next on my list,” said Rajotte.
Stingers men’s hockey captain Olivier Hinse has big goals for his final season
Alexander Cole, Sports editor
Stingers men’s hockey captain Olivier Hinse has big goals for his final season
When the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team was eliminated from the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) playoffs last year, team captain Olivier Hinse had a big decision to make. Hinse had one year of eligibility left, but he was also graduating. Some believed he would no longer be a Stinger—this was not the case.
Hinse opted to enroll in a year-long certificate program, allowing him to play out his final year of eligibility with Concordia.
“I think school-wise, it was a great opportunity to get a graduate certificate in business administration,” Hinse said.
One of Hinse’s passions is children. Hinse did his undergrad in child studies, and hopes to use his graduate certificate in business administration to open up a centre for kids. Hinse said he knows how to help kids develop and grow, but learning the business side of things will help him in his career.
“Hockey-wise, I think we’re going to have a great group of guys this year. Knowing we have talent coming up and Concordia being my home, it’s why I came back,” Hinse said.
The Stingers finished last season with a record of 10-12-6, which placed them seventh out of nine teams in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec. Hinse believes the team’s fortune will change this year, and that the Stingers have a great chance of being a top-tier team.
“We have to go all the way,” Hinse said. “We have a great goalie, so I think our hopes are high and we’re going to go all the way.”
Hinse added that the team’s main issue in the past has been finishing on plays. He said the team used to lack consistency, but he hopes that bringing so many new players onto the team this year and introducing them to the system can change that.
This season, Hinse will be without one of his favourite linemates from last year—forward Jessyko Bernard. Last season was Bernard’s final one with the team, and now Hinse will be playing on a brand new line with newcomers Philippe Sanche and Anthony Deluca. Hinse said he is confident in the chemistry he is already building with his new linemates.
“[Bernard] was great and we had a lot of chemistry together,” Hinse said. “Every year, you lose guys and new guys come in. I know that my linemates right now, Deluca and Sanche, will do a great job of getting me the puck, and I can feed them as well, so we’ll all score.”
This season is Hinse’s third as captain of the team, something that he is extremely proud of. Photo by Brianna Thicke.
Beyond this season, Hinse said he would love to keep playing hockey, and if he was ever given the opportunity to go pro, he would. For now, his main priority is hockey.
“I’m almost 26 so I’m thinking of my ‘plan B,’ but right now I’m still focusing on my ‘plan A,’” Hinse said.
Hinse’s final season will also mark his third year as captain of the team. He said his philosophy when it comes to being a captain is simple: create an atmosphere that’s inclusive.
“The key to [being captain] is making sure you create a sense of family and respect,” Hinse said. “Being captain of the Stingers is a great thing, and I’m so proud that it’s my third year.”
According to Hinse, his biggest take-away from his time with the Stingers and the CIS is that players create their own chances. When Hinse joined the team in his first year, he admitted that he was coming off of a disappointing season in the QMJHL. Looking for a fresh start, Hinse said he wanted to go all out with the team and come out of the gate strong.
Hinse added that the CIS doesn’t get as much coverage as it should, and he hopes that, moving forward, people will begin to realize how high the level of hockey is.
“I’m always going to remember that the CIS should be more known around the world. It’s the second greatest league in Canada, right after the NHL,” said Hinse.
Team manager Dominic Labelle is excited about the future of the program
Last year, Concordia’s tennis team had a disappointing season as both their men’s and women’s teams finished last in their respective divisions. This year, however, team manager and women’s coach Dominic Labelle believes both teams can bounce back, and are poised to have a great year.
“My goal for the girls is to not only make the provincial championships, but be on the top of the rankings for the whole season,” Labelle said. “For the guys, the goal is to definitely make the playoffs and remain in the top four in the league. We’re ready to produce some really good results this season.”
Labelle, who coached both teams last year, is getting help from former men’s team player Roger Hernandez, who has stepped up to coach the men for this season. Labelle said Hernandez already has a tight bond with his players, and that everyone is committed to having a successful year.
On Sept. 17, 31 men and 10 women showed up to the open tryouts, vying for a spot on the squad. Labelle said that many of his players from last year were guaranteed spots on the team, which left only a few positions open for those who came to the tryouts.
Labelle is happy with his new players, adding that, on the women’s side, he has recruited three new players. One of those players is Brazilian Rafaela Panizza who has played in professional tournaments.
“Two of the players who joined on the women’s team come from the States. They had scholarships there so it’s great. They increase the level of our team,” Labelle said. “The other player has one [World Tennis Association (WTA)] point so it’s amazing because, for us, it’s great exposure. It helps to grow our level [of competitiveness].”
The tennis season only starts in January, but according to Labelle, both teams are already training as if the season were in full swing. Before the start of the season, the teams train twice a week for 11 weeks straight in order to get in shape.
Labelle said, in addition to practices, the team has added a new component to their training, thanks to a sponsorship with a company called FitLikeQ. The company will provide the team with consultations as well as training plans in order to improve the team’s physical fitness.
Tennis manager and women’s coach Dominic Labelle is excited about the upcoming tennis season. Stock images from Kelsey Litwin.
“They will help us the whole 30 weeks of the season,” Labelle said. “If anybody has questions when it comes to training or needs rehab for an injury, they’ll be there. It’s nice because they will help us stay fit and [get to our] peak during our matches.”
In addition to the new training program, Labelle and his team are excited about the prospect of being part of the Stingers family. Since the team’s inception in March 2011, the program has been self-sufficient, and is not considered a varsity or club team. This means the team pays for their own uniforms and has always had to look for sponsorships outside of the university.
Labelle said that the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) is considering adding tennis to its official list of sports due to more universities sporting their own teams. As a result of this possibility, Labelle will be meeting with Stingers associate director John Bower to discuss the potential of allowing the tennis team to dawn the trademark “C” as well as the maroon and gold Stingers colours.
“Players will get more into it if they feel they represent the school,” Labelle said.
For Labelle, being a Concordia team is nice but being a part of the Stingers would give the team more legitimacy and get them to the next level.
“For me getting that logo would be a box to check off because it’s my fourth year with the team,” Labelle added.
Before the season starts in January, the men’s team will play an exhibition tournament against the École de Technologie Supérieure on Oct. 9. Labelle said the team is also in the midst of scheduling men’s and women’s matches against the Université de Sherbrooke for Oct. 8.
The U.S. women’s hockey team has been treated unfairly by USA hockey. Photo courtesy of the CWHL.
The Canadiennes de Montréal forward has been named a skills and development coach
The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team announced on Sept. 29 that Canadian national team and Canadiennes de Montréal forward Caroline Ouellette will be officially joining the team’s coaching staff as a skills and development coach.
“It’s great to be back,” Ouellette said. “I had the opportunity to coach in 2012 and 2013 with Les Lawton, and I really enjoyed my experience being mentored by him. Now, being able to join [head coach] Julie Chu’s staff is incredible.”
As a skills and development coach, Ouellette is looking to provide players with the confidence to take risks on the ice. Ouellette said in order to do this, it will take repetition and hard work, which is something the team is ready to handle.
“One of our challenges this year is to enable the players to play with confidence and give them a skill set that will allow them to take risks,” Ouellette said. “The girls, they want to learn and work hard so it makes my job easier.”
For Ouellette, the fact that she still plays helps her when it comes to coaching because she is able to demonstrate skills at a high level. Ouellette said that playing the game while being a young coach is an asset, and that her and Chu’s experiences help when breaking down film and teaching the team the finer points of the game.
This isn’t the first time Ouellette and Chu have worked together on the ice as they are teammates on Les Canadiennes. The duo also coached together at the University of Minnesota Duluth during the 2007-08 season.
Ouellette said she and Chu have a great friendship, and spending so much time together will make it easier to coach the team.
“Sometimes you know that you won’t agree with one another but when you respect one another and you love one another, it’s easy to get through,” Ouellette said. “You can also feel confident to speak up and give your opinion, and have it be heard.”
“I know that Julie [Chu] has the final word in the end and you have to be loyal as an assistant coach but when it’s one of your great friends, it’s easy to do,” Ouellette added.
In addition to Ouellette, Canadian Olympic hockey player Lauriane Rougeau has also been added to the coaching staff. Chu believes the new coaches bring something unique to the program, and will help her coach in areas where she doesn’t have as much expertise.
“One of the greatest things about being a coach is when you can surround yourself with people who can compliment you and fill in the areas where they will make me better and the program better,” Chu said. “Caro [Ouellette] definitely has a great eye for the skills development side and knows the game.”
Ouellette said that having the opportunity to help coach the team is a “second passion” that rivals playing the game itself. Ouellette added that she is excited to coach young women and help grow the women’s game.
“Being able to provide young girls with opportunities to engage in women’s hockey and to learn from female coaches that have made it to the highest level is a mission of mine,” said Ouellette.
Concordia’s football team led a second half charge against Bishop’s to pick up their third win of the season
Despite being down by one point at halftime, the Concordia Stingers football team put on an offensive onslaught in the second half, propelling them to a 50-34 win against the Bishop’s Gaiters in the Shrine Bowl on Oct. 1 at Concordia Stadium.
“It felt like we were so close in the first half but in that third quarter we finally broke out,” said Stingers quarterback Trenton Miller. “It’s just really nice to play at the level we know we can. I think [this performance] gives us a lot of confidence going into the last stretch of the year.”
The first quarter started out in Bishop’s favour as the team nabbed a field goal on the first drive of the game. Concordia’s defense looked shaky at times on that first possession, while Gaiters quarterback Jaeden Marwick and running back Trey Millings were in a groove.
Later in the quarter, with the score 3-2 after a Bishop’s safety, Miller led his team down the field for the team’s most impressive offensive possession in the game up to that point. Miller capped off the drive with a 40-yard touchdown pass to running back Jean-Guy Rimpel. The Stingers went for a two-point conversion, but missed, making the score 8-3 in favour of the home team.
In the second quarter, Concordia and Bishop’s both scored touchdowns. After a rushing touchdown by Rimpel, the Stingers were up 15-10. The lead did not last long, however, as Bishop’s ended the half with two field goals by kicker Vincent Dubé, making the score 16-15 in their favour.
According to Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan, the team knew going into halftime they needed to stop taking penalties, and that the only way to win was to play their own game.
The Stingers won the Shrine Bowl despite being down at halftime. Photos by Alex Hutchins.
“We need to stop with the dumb penalties but we still got more of them,” Donovan said. “The guys just have to believe in each other and not lose that trust. They have to come out, fly around and know that the guy next to them is going to do their job. We just have to play our game and we did that in the second half.”
Indeed, the Stingers came out flying in the second half with a touchdown on the first possession of the third quarter. On second down and eleven yards to go, Miller stepped back and threw a long ball to receiver Justin Julien who went 81 yards down the field for a touchdown, giving the Stingers a 22-16 lead.
Late in the third quarter, up 27-19 after trading field goals with Bishop’s, Miller took matters into his own hands deep in the Gaiters zone, running nine yards for a touchdown. Three minutes later, Miller threw another touchdown pass, this time to wide receiver Yanic Lessard, to make the score 41-19 in favor of Concordia.
“Just executing and doing our job is nice. It felt really good,” Miller said. “I think our receivers played excellent, and my offensive line gave me a lot of time to throw, so to get the offense finally going was really nice.”
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Stingers put the game away as Miller gave Julien his second touchdown of the game. With the Stingers up 50-19, Miller was taken out and replaced with Colin Sequeira to avoid injury. With the game out of reach, the Gaiters scored two touchdowns, making the final score 50-34. The win was the Stingers third straight Shrine Bowl victory.
Gaiters head coach Kevin Mackey was disappointed with his team’s performance in the second half.
“If we could play 60 minutes instead of 45, the score would be a lot closer,” Mackey said. “The first half was a good half but the third quarter really hurt us.”
The Stingers will not play next weekend as the league is on its bye week. The team’s next match will be away from home against the Université de Sherbrooke on Oct. 15 at 4 p.m.
