Author: Brandon Share-Cohen

Categories
Sports

Stingers eliminated in game three by Queen’s

The Stingers battled hard but couldn’t beat Kevin Bailie, who made 42-saves. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

Captain Olivier Hinse said his goodbyes after his final game with the team

After tying their three-game playoff series against the Queen’s Golden Gaels at one win a piece on Friday, the Concordia Stingers offence was stifled by a hot goaltender who played well all series.

In game one, the Stingers registered 50 shots on net against Golden Gaels goalie Kevin Bailie, of which only one went in. In the third and deciding game of the series, Bailie once again showcased his ability, registering a 42-save shutout, which helped propel his team to a 2-0 win.

Golden Gaels forward Darcy Greenaway scored the first goal of the game halfway through the first period. The only other goal would come with just seven seconds left in the game from Queen’s forward Dylan Anderson, who stuck the final nail in the coffin of the Stingers’ historic season with an empty netter. With this loss, the Stingers’ 2016-17 season was over and the team was set to reflect on their accomplishments in the locker room shortly thereafter.

“I told them to keep their heads up,” Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement said. “I told all the graduating players that I’m proud of them, and that they left a footprint here.”

With captain Olivier Hinse leaving after his fifth season with the Stingers, the leadership group of the Stingers is set to take a big hit next season. Élement acknowledged this and said that, although Hinse is someone who is simply irreplaceable, the process of naming a new captain is something he’s thought about over the course of the season.

“I have someone in mind who showed a lot of leadership [this season] when Hinse was gone, and he’s going to be a great leader too,” Élement said. Still, the feeling throughout the locker room—from players to equipment staff to even the media—was one of sadness. Élement said Hinse was the best. A great person, a great captain, and someone who he was proud of and who would have a lot of success in life.

Fortunately for Concordia, while one era is ending, another is just beginning.

“We’ve got some holes to fill,” said Élement. “We’ll start right away next week on the recruiting part, and we [already] signed some guys who we’re going to announce soon.”

One player who experienced a good rookie season was forward Philippe Sanche, who had mixed feelings after the game. On the one hand, reflecting on the season left a positive feeling—one of accomplishment and optimism. When reflecting on the game the team had just played, however, the feeling couldn’t have been more contrasting.

“[My first season] left me with a pretty good feeling,” Sanche said. “We had a good group, and it’s one of the reasons why I wanted to come to Concordia. [Still], it’s not fun [to lose]. We know we’re going to lose a few guys who are graduating. It’s not a good feeling, but it’s just the beginning.”

While the future is certainly bright for the Stingers men’s hockey team, the emotion surrounding the departure of Hinse lingered. Despite this, the captain was still able to reflect on the season and the moment, in a positive way.

“It’s a great feeling. I’m proud of my boys, and we had a great year,” Hinse said. “We turned things around, and the boys have a huge future here. I’m going to be part of it—in any way [that I can].

When leaving the ice for the final time, Hinse took a little longer than usual. Savouring the moment, saying goodbye to the fans and taking it all in, one final time.

“I’ll be a Stinger forever,” Hinse said.

Categories
Sports

Playing with an Armada of talent

Sanche was a highly sought after recruit during the off-season. Photos by Brianna Thicke.

Rookie forward Philippe Sanche has made an early impact with the men’s hockey team

Big things come in small packages. In the case of Stingers rookie forward Philippe Sanche, that statement has rung true for his entire life. At just five-foot-five, Sanche has never been the biggest guy on his team. What he may lack in size, he’s made up for in spades with his heart and passion for the game of hockey.

“Because I’ve always been smaller, I’ve always had to work harder than [most people],” Sanche said. “All my coaches told me that work ethic is more important than talent.”

Getting into hockey was an interesting journey in itself for Sanche. While he may be in love with the sport now, there was a time when he considered leaving hockey altogether. In his defense, he was only three-years-old at the time.

“I started skating at three years old,” Sanche said. “I watched hockey on TV, my dad liked it and I decided I wanted to play. I actually wanted to quit, though, because I didn’t like to skate. My parents told me that if I started something, I had to finish it. Eventually I would cry because I didn’t want to get off the ice.”

Sanche has never looked back on his decision to continue playing the sport. He went on to play hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

“I played Midget Espoir at 15 and saw a few of my friends play in the QMJHL,” said Sanche. “It looked like fun and I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

Sanche had a successful career in the QMJHL, recording 79 goals and 200 points in 207 games. His best season came in 2014-15 when Sanche recorded career-highs in every statistical category, including 65 games played, 36 goals, 36 assists, 72 points, 55 penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of plus 23.

Although Sanche is no longer an active player in the QMJHL, there’s no denying the impact he left on the league. In 2015, Sanche won the award for the hardest working player in the QMJHL—an award voted on by fans of the league. Even more impressive was the fact that the Armada created the “Philippe Sanche Trophy,” which was given to Sanche to commemorate his work ethic. The award is now given to the hardest working player on the Armada team each season.

“It’s pretty nice [to leave that legacy behind],” Sanche said. “I didn’t score 100 goals in a year, I didn’t break any record, but it’s nice to get rewarded for just working hard. It’s what I’ve done since I was young.”

Going from the QMJHL to university hockey has been an interesting transition for Sanche so far, although he almost didn’t play for Concordia. Growing up, the Mercier, QC native said he always had some interest in attending McGill. When Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement talked with Sanche about recruitment, however, that all changed.

As Sanche put it, Élement didn’t pressure him, he just made it clear that the Stingers really wanted him—more than the McGill Redmen did.

Now 21-year-old Sanche is seven games into his career with the Concordia Stingers and he’s done well to establish himself early. In seven games, he’s scored one goal and seven points while skating alongside forward Scott Oke and captain Olivier Hinse.

Sanche has excelled on a line with Olivier Hinse and Scott Oke.

“It’s [Hinse’s] fifth year here. He knows a lot about this league,” Sanche said. “It’s always tough to transition from league to league, and he made it much easier on me and for everyone else that’s come into this program.”

Sanche grew up playing hockey in Canada and like any other hockey-hungry Canadian growing up, a career in the NHL has always been something he’s thought about. A realistic mindset has kept Sanche grounded, though, and his success and work ethic can be attributed to that realistic perspective.

“I dreamed of playing in the NHL like every kid, but it was never one of my goals,” Sanche said. “I’ve always wanted to play hockey to have fun, and I’d love to make a career out of it, but I’m taking it step by step.”

If not the NHL, a hockey career in Europe is definitely on Sanche’s radar..For now though, he’s more concerned with playing hockey with the Stingers and doing well both on the ice and in the classroom.

Sanche is currently enrolled in independent studies at Concordia, but his ultimate goal is to go into business and study accounting. While he would love to make hockey his career, Sanche is taking the appropriate steps to ensure he has a good foundation to fall back on, or even to transition to after his hockey career is finished.

Right now, Sanche is just enjoying his time playing hockey—something he’s done for the last 18 years of his life.

“The feeling you get when you go to the rink—you play with your friends,” Sanche said. “That’s why I love hockey.”

Categories
Sports

Finding a home with the Stingers

Alessandrini currently leads the Stingers in receptions and receiving yards. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Football wide receiver Vincent Alessandrini talks about leaving McGill to join Concordia

Despite this being his first season with the Concordia Stingers, Vincent Alessandrini has been one of the most exciting players to watch on the men’s football team this year. The 20-year-old Stingers wide receiver currently leads the team, with 49 receptions and 504 yards. The six-foot-one, 193-pound receiver also ranks fourth in the nation and first in the Réseau du sports étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) in receptions.

Yet, football wasn’t Alessandrini’s first choice sport. He pursued soccer from an early age.

“Initially, I transitioned to football because I was getting pretty mad about the fact that I couldn’t hit anybody in soccer,” said Alessandrini, who played double-A soccer from the ages of 10 to 14. “I was really getting frustrated—the higher you go in soccer, the more competitive it is and it just wasn’t my thing anymore.”

After signing up to play football, the difficulties of playing two sports simultaneously became apparent.

“There were times when I was changing in my dad’s car after a soccer game on the way to a football game,” Alessandrini said. “Obviously, we couldn’t do that forever and I had to choose one sport, so I chose football.”

Looking at Alessandrini success as receiver, it’s hard to imagine him playing any other position. However, Alessandrini got his first taste of football in a different position.

He started off as defensive back and then switched over to linebacker in high school because, as Alessandrini described, he was faster than the other guys on defence. In his senior year, Alessandrini asked his coach if could play as a receiver because he felt like his physique was better suited for that position.

For Alessandrini, playing receiver for only one season before joining the Vanier College team wasn’t the easiest transition.

“I felt like I hit a wall in college, having only one year of experience at the position,” Alessandrini said. ”I sat out my first year [due to injury]. I was really just observing [the receivers] to see how they play and how they get off the line. In my second year, I got the hang of it and worked really hard in the offseasons—I think that’s what paid off.”

Alessandrini eventually found his way to the Concordia Stingers, but  Concordia wasn’t his first choice. Prior to committing to play for Concordia, Alessandrini attended McGill University.

“My first language is French. I talk French at home with my mom, but I just wasn’t comfortable studying in French,” Alessandrini said. “McGill and Concordia were my only options, and I figured if I was going to get a degree, I might as well get the word ‘McGill’ written across it.”

With time, however, the pull of the Stingers organization was too strong.

Alessandrini originally committed to McGill, but decided to join Concordia before the season started. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

“After two or three weeks when I was there, I felt really out of place,” said Alessandrini. “[McGill] wanted me to start in night school. Going to class after practice was not the ideal for me—after practice, I’m drained and just want to eat and go to bed.”

The transition to Concordia was easy for Alessandrini. The Stingers organization was welcoming, and the decision was an easy one, he said.

“I felt right at home [at Concordia],” Alessandrini said. “They welcomed me with open arms. It was hard choosing McGill over Concordia because I really liked the coaching staff at Concordia. I just wanted to make sure I had a good life after football. [Eventually], I realized that it’s still a degree, whether it’s from McGill or Concordia.”

In cinematic fashion, the Stingers first game of the season was against the McGill Redmen. Not only was Alessandrini playing against the team he was previously slated to play for, he was set to play in Percival Molson Stadium in front of a crowd that would have been cheering for him. Alessandrini didn’t let that get to him—in fact, he let it fuel him to a nine-catch, 109-yard game, along with a touchdown.

“I had a lot of drive going into that first game,” Alessandrini said. ”It was my first U Sports game and I was up against a school where I was supposed to go. I was very happy with my performance, and I couldn’t ask for a better first performance in U Sports.”

Alessandrini said he is playing with a football team that he feels at home with. Understanding the importance of a support group, Alessandrini’s academic plans reflect a student looking to give back once it’s all said and done.

“I enjoy Concordia. I get a lot of academic support here and I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Alessandrini said. “It’s going really well and I’m very happy. I’m studying human relations and I want to eventually become a counselor, potentially coach a high school football team.”

Categories
Sports

Stingers sweep Lakehead at home

The Concordia Stingers have improved their record this season to 6-1. Photos by Ana Hernandez.

Concordia’s men’s hockey team picked up their fourth win in a row on Saturday

After beating the Lakehead Thunderwolves with a score of 4-3 on Oct. 28 at the Ed Meagher Arena, the Concordia Stingers finished off the sweep of the two-game series with a 4-0 win on Oct. 29.

“We looked at their last three games and we were prepared for them,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement. “Last night we didn’t play very well but tonight we had a better game. The results are there when the team works hard.”

The scoring started when Stingers forward Philippe Sanche scored on the powerplay, with forward Anthony Deluca setting up the play and getting the assist. This goal was Sanche’s first as a member of the Stingers, having already had a successful career as a member of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

“He deserves it,” Élement said. “[He works hard] and it was a nice shot. I’m happy for him.”

Despite averaging one point per game this season in the form of assists, Sanche was looking for his first goal. Fortunately, it came Saturday night in the form of a game-winner.

“It feels pretty good [to score],” Sanche said. “It’s been a good start to the season—I was hoping to get one soon. It’s fun because we’re winning, but it’s always fun when we can help the team [by scoring].”

The Stingers were able to score another goal with a minute and half to go in the first period, when forward Scott Oke found the back of the net on the power play.

The game wasn’t without conflict, but Élement made sure to keep his team calm and composed to grind out the victory.

“I told the guys to be disciplined—to be sure to make them pay on the power play, and we had two power play goals,” Élement said. “When stuff like that happens, you have to keep calm and that’s what I always tell the guys.”

The scoring was closed out when forward Raphael Lafontaine scored an unassisted goal with eight minutes left in the period, and then scored again just three minutes later.

In the third period, no one scored and the game stayed at a score of 4-0 until the final buzzer.

With a strong offense in front of him, Stingers goaltender Miguel Sullivan backstopped the team to a shutout victory—the Stingers’ second of the year.

“It feels pretty good,” Sullivan said. “It’s been awhile since I got one.”

The team has been able to produce offensively all season—a fact that the goaltenders on the team have noticed.

“It takes the pressure off of me [when the team scores as frequently as they do],” Sullivan said. “I know that even if I let in a goal, the guys can easily get it back for me.”

The Stingers next game will be a home game at the Ed Meagher Arena on Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. against the Laurentian Voyageurs.

Categories
Sports

Stingers defeat Patriotes at home

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team defeated UQTR 6-3 on Friday. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

Concordia’s men’s hockey team beat a formidable opponent from UQTR on Friday night

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team defeated the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes by a score of 6-3 on Oct. 21 at the Ed Meagher arena thanks to a complete team effort.

“We started off strong so it really helped us,” said Stingers forward Scott Oke. “We got a couple of quick goals in the first period and it got the boys going—we got a little momentum [early on].”

The scoring started just 42 seconds into the game when Stingers captain Olivier Hinse scored to give the Stingers a 1-0 lead. Oke and Stingers defenseman Matthieu Desautels demonstrated great passing on the play in order to get Hinse the goal.

“It feels great,” Hinse said. “It’s a great way to start a game and it’s the way we wanted to play against them. We had some ups and downs, but we stayed composed and we won the game.”

Following Hinse’s lead, the Stingers were able to score three goals on the first five shots of the game. Stingers forward Charles Guèvremont scored at the two minutes 46 seconds mark of the first period thanks to a pass from forward Antoine Masson. Exactly three minutes later, Stingers forward Julien Rainville-Avon gave the Stingers the 3-0 lead.

Despite being down by three, the Patriotes did not give up easily. Their first goal came with just under two minutes left in first period, thanks to a powerplay goal by defenseman Martin Lefebvre. Just one minute and 30 seconds into the second period, Patriotes forward Marc-Olivier Mimar scored off of a rebound to bring the score to 3-2.

“I told them that there’s no need to panic,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement. “Stick to the game plan. We had success at the beginning because we were putting pucks deep and we were putting pucks on net. I just told the guys to relax and enjoy themselves.”

The Stingers regained their composure late in the second period as forward Dominic Beauchemin scored on the powerplay.

The Stingers have improved their record to 4-1 on the season.

The Stingers held off the Patriotes for the majority of the third period. With six minutes left in the game, the Patriotes scored on the powerplay to bring the score to 4-3. Just three minutes later, the Stingers replied with a goal from Oke. Just over a minute later, with the Patriotes goalie pulled, Hinse scored an empty-net goal to bring the score to 6-3.

Despite not scoring, one notable player for the Stingers was forward Philippe Sanche. Sanche was all over the ice all game, working hard in the corners and on the forecheck. The addition of Sanche to the lineup has made a big impact both on and off the ice for the Stingers, and his coach isn’t shying away from that fact.

“He’s a warrior. That’s why I was after him for all of last year,” Élement said. “I wanted to have a guy like that on my team. He’s probably a future captain here—he’s a future leader. If you want to win a championship, you need those guys.”

The Stingers now hold a record of 4-1 and sit in second place in the east division. The team’s next game will be at home against Lakehead University on Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Categories
Sports

Stingers win home-opener against Carleton

The Stingers now have a record of 3-1 thanks to their 3-2 victory against the Carleton Ravens. Photo by Liam Mahoney

Timely offense and great goaltending propelled Concordia to a win against the Ravens

After losing a tough game to the McGill Redmen on Friday, Oct. 14, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team was able to bounce back with a 3-2 victory over the Carleton Ravens during the team’s home-opener on Oct. 15.

“It was a really important game. We’re a young team, but we competed hard tonight. It was like a playoff game,” Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement said. “This was what we didn’t do last night against McGill, and [we competed] today and I’m very happy about the game tonight.”

The Stingers took a 1-0 lead halfway through the first period while on a power play. Stingers forward Scott Oke found the back of the net after sliding the puck past the Ravens goaltender. The Stingers kept pressing in the first period, as they scored again, this time on a five-on-three power play. The goal was scored by Stingers forward Anthony Deluca and brought the Stingers lead to 2-0.

Stingers forward Dominic Beauchemin briefly left the game in the first period after taking a big hit from behind into the boards by Ravens defender Jeremie Fraser. The hit resulted in a five minute boarding penalty. Beauchemin returned to the game in the second period and participated in the final 40 minutes of action.

There wasn’t a single point in the game when the Stingers trailed the Ravens, which was a good learning experience for the young players and veterans alike.

“It’s important in a season to learn how to play with a lead, and I think we did good—we didn’t make any major mistakes,” Élement said. “The guys, they competed a lot, and it was important that game.”

Carleton was able to find a goal early in the second period, cutting the Stinger’s lead down to one.

Playing in the final season-opener of his Stingers career, captain Olivier Hinse played a large part in the team’s win. In the second period, the Stinger’s captain scored a goal on a breakaway to give his team a 3-1 lead. Carleton added a goal with two minutes left in the period to make the score 3-2.

The Stingers will host UQTR next Friday.

“[My last opening game felt good], and we love when we have a lot of people in the stands. That brings out a lot of emotion on the bench and on the ice,” Hinse said. “We gave them a good game, I think.”

Making his home debut with the Stingers, Philippe Sanche looked right at home on the ice. Sanche fit in alongside Hinse all night.  Chemistry is an important part of any team sport, and Sanche said he clicked with the Stingers captain immediately.

“It’s fun when you have good chemistry off the ice and also on the ice—we have a good team and it helps on the ice,” Sanche said. “I think just to play with [Hinse], it’s a big boost for me and it just helps my game to get on the same level as him.”

Concordia’s power play and penalty kill units were a big part of the win Saturday. Maybe even more important was the play from the team’s penalty kill and goaltending. Stingers goaltender Philippe Cadorette held strong in the final period to keep the score at 3-2 and give his team win.

“The guys played super well in front of me,” Cadorette said. “We blocked a lot of shots today, especially at the end, and that’s a good team effort.”

The victory gives the Stingers a record of 3-1. They will now host the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes on Friday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Exit mobile version