It was game one of the best-of-three playoff series for the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team, its first playoff appearance in three years. Their opponents were their cross-town rivals, the McGill Redmen.
Photo by Brianna Thicke
These two teams put on quite a show for the 279 fans that showed up to McConnell Arena, a 3-1 victory for the Redmen on Wednesday night.
Both teams had a strong offensive showing, despite a low-scoring game. For the Stingers, as head coach Kevin Figsby put it, it was probably one of their strongest games since Christmas.
However, it wasn’t enough. Despite outshooting the Redmen 31-30 and goaltender Antonio Mastropietro making some spectacular saves, the Stingers gave up three goals to a Redmen team that pounced on every single error that they made, despite not making many.
The Stingers were missing three key players in forwards Jessyco Bernard and Taylor Lambke, and defenceman Sean Blunden. According to coach Figsby, this trio could have easily made a difference in the game.
“With them in the lineup, it’s a different outcome tonight,” he said. “To play without these three guys going into the playoffs, I knew it was going to be difficult.”
The Stingers started the game strong and applied some good pressure in the first, but were not rewarded. In the second, the Redmen finally got the first goal of the game, with right-winger David Rose scoring 6:04 into the second period. However, that lead didn’t last long as the Stingers’ centre Olivier Hinse countered just 40 seconds later with a power-play goal.
The Redmen then put this game out of reach for the Stingers in a 63-second span late in the second period, as Rose scored his second goal of the game at 16:40 of the middle frame, and centre Marc-Olivier Vachon scored only 63 seconds later. Despite a furious comeback attempt in the third, all the Stingers could muster was a post and a 3-1 defeat, an outcome that misrepresents the team’s performance and their compete level on this night.
Figsby was happy about his team’s performance but believes there was room for improvement.
“I thought for 45 minutes of tonight’s game, we executed the game plan perfectly, we had a let-down for a minute and three seconds and it cost us two goals tonight,” he said. “I thought there were a couple of guys that let down in the game plan, they didn’t carry out their assignments and the reason is, when you play a team like this, they capitalize when you make mistakes, and all three goals they scored tonight were unforced errors.”
The Stingers entered the post-season having won their last two games before their final home game was delayed due to bad ice conditions They finished the regular season with a 10-13-4 record, good for 24 points, fifth in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA)’s east division.
For Stingers’ captain, George Lovatsis, it was probably not the way he wanted to end his Stingers career, as Saturday’s game between the Stingers and the Ottawa Gee-Gees was cut short, nine minutes and forty-two seconds into the second period, due to unsafe ice conditions at Ed Meagher arena.
At the time, the Stingers were up 2-0 thanks to first-period goals scored in identical fashion from left winger Dany Potvin and centre Olivier Hinse, and were well on their way to winning a third consecutive game to end off their season.
Despite the game being canceled; however, the important part is this: the Concordia Stingers are headed to the playoffs after a three-year absence. The Stingers finished fifth in the standings, 12 points behind the fifth place Gee-Gees. So, this was a big game for the Stingers in terms of building some momentum and making a statement.
Head coach Kevin Figsby was very happy with the way his team played.
“After the game we played last night, we wanted to come out real hard today and play,” said Figsby. “Today was a dress rehearsal for the playoffs and I thought the guys handled themselves very well. I thought our penalty kill did really well, our power play moved the puck really well and we scored two goals based on our forechecking system where we turned pucks over.”
Figsby added that the team followed the game plan to perfection for the part of the game that was actually played.
The termination of the game, however, took everyone by surprise. The referees decided to end the game due to what they felt were unsafe ice conditions, but rink attendant Richard Stoddart provided further details on the issue.
“The ice cracked and then we’d seen cement [which meant] we had to freeze […] and we weren’t able to freeze it fast enough to continue the game, and we stopped because of safety. It’s dangerous because when you have a skate and you hit cement, it’s like stopping with brakes, and it’s right near where the goalie is,” said Stoddart.
He also noted that it would take about an hour to patch up the ice but it would not constitute a long-term hazard.
The Stingers’ first round playoff opponent is not yet determined, but they can face Carleton, McGill or Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières.
About a year ago, downtown Montreal sports bar and restaurant, La Station des Sports, completed its long renovation process. The result: La Station des Sports went from a small sports bar on St. Catherine street to being the biggest sports bar in the area. Today, the place has TVs everywhere you look and the food is reasonably priced. But the question is: is this where people want to watch a game, whether it’s hockey,soccer or football, in this city? Or is it the famous La Cage aux Sports? Or is it somewhere else, maybe?
For Concordia students Frank Racanelli, Matthew Shanahan, and Julian McKenzie, there is no better place than La Station des Sports, especially since its renovation.
Racanelli was quick to identify why he believes it’s the best spot to watch the big game, “Cool atmosphere, good food, competitive prices, newly renovated, and lots of TVs.”
Shanahan echoed Racanelli’s thoughts: “The food and beer are pretty cheap and pretty good and so it’s a good value. It also has a good location and a good atmosphere, which is a key component for sports fans.”
“La Station des Sports has TV screens everywhere, good food, [you] can’t ask for more,” added McKenzie.
But some sports fans disagree. Concordia student Samuel Panarello and Vanier student Kyra Lo Russo still prefer the more traditional La Cage aux Sports.
“[La Cage aux Sports] has a great atmosphere for watching Habs games, in my opinion,” said Panarello. “I’m not really picky to be honest but the goal horn, the wings, the popcorn, [it] all adds up.”
Lo Russo, a long time hockey fanatic, agreed, “La Cage aux Sports. Great food and good environment.”
La Station des Sports and La Cage aux Sports are definitely some of the most franchised sports bars around the city. La Station des Sports has opened many new locations recently and now has six locations in the greater Montreal area (GMA), notably two downtown, two in Brossard, one in St. Leonard and one in Laval.
La Cage aux Sports, however, has been around a lot longer, and has 53 locations in Quebec, notably 12 locations in the GMA and has been a popular spot for Canadiens games and other big sporting events in the province. In fact, they call themselves the official partners of the Montreal Canadiens.
Concordia student Christopher Scott, though, enjoys watching the big game at a less popular location.
“Personally, I prefer Chuck’s in Pointe-Claire,” Scott said. “It’s a small bar inside the golf dome. I prefer going there because it’s not too loud and you can enjoy the game while sharing a drink with your friends without coming out deaf after the game. Also, [it has] good food and drinks.”
McKibbin’s Irish Pub and Les Trois Brasseurs are also popular spots to watch the big game, but at the end of the day so many restaurants, in downtown Montreal especially, show the big game, whether it be the Habs game or another big sporting event, and it’s really up to the sports fans to choose a place based on the atmosphere they prefer. One thing is for certain, to enjoy a sports game, you need good food and beer and an excellent atmosphere, and these Concordia students have confirmed that places like La Station des Sports and La Cage aux Sports, among others, provide just that.
Making the shift from high school, to college, and then university in the span of just three years is a big jump. School becomes more serious and students need to adapt and manage their time accordingly. While in university, students mature from young adult to adult alongside experiencing the transition from being in school to having a career, which leaves the question: to date or not to date?
Many single university students may wonder how students in relationships can find time to devote to their significant other while coping with the stresses of school and work. Being in a relationship does mean that you are going to spend time with your significant other, but that does not mean it has to be detrimental to one’s grades or motivation when it comes to school.
I have been in a relationship for a little over a year, and I am now in my second semester at Concordia.
Before Concordia, I attended Dawson College, and in my first two semesters at Dawson, while I was single, my marks were decent. However, during my final two semesters at Dawson, while I was in a relationship, my marks were actually much better. Even now, at Concordia, I manage my time accordingly so that I can balance school, homework, work, friends and a relationship, (maybe I sacrifice a bit of sleep, but not too much).
How do I do this? Simple. I make sure that two nights a week, usually Friday and Saturday, are strictly devoted to going out and seeing my friends and/or girlfriend — we also happen to have the same friends which is an advantage.
I work weekends during the day, which leaves weekday evenings for homework. I also see my girlfriend during my breaks when I’m at school and whenever I can spare some time. I have a busy schedule, yes, but I’m able to manage it.
In retrospect, if students don’t spend time going to see their partner, chances are they’ll probably spend it going to bars with friends, and for me, I can honestly say that I don’t go out any more now than I did when I was single.
Obviously it depends on the person you’re dating, but in a strong relationship, dating can definitely serve as extra motivation to do well in school and to get your work done on time so you can permit yourself to see your significant other.
Partners work together to try to eliminate each other’s bad tendencies and encourage a healthy and responsible life. This includes helping each other alleviate stress and boost morale.
A study conducted by the Journal of American College Health in 2010 in Cincinnati, OH, looked at single men and women, versus men and women in a committed relationship during their college studies to determine whether being single or being in a relationship correlated with higher rates of depression or alcohol use.
According to the study, being involved in a committed relationship during university reported fewer depressive symptoms for women than men. Men in relationships show slightly more depressive symptoms than single men, but the gap is not substantial. The study also concluded that students involved in relationships have stronger mental health.
For these reasons, dating is not only manageable in university, but an advantage. If you date the right person, your experience will be that much better. Isn’t that what relationships are for? To encourage and motivate each other to be the best that you can be?
Plus, who doesn’t enjoy spending time with someone you really like.
Dating is great, and school is great, but how can we know if they work well together?
Relationships, and everything they entail, are crucial life experiences. Even when they end badly, we learn from them. Dating while in school can be quite tricky, and can bring forth a lot of challenges. Some people can overcome them, while others can’t.
I have been in a relationship with the same person for almost five years now — since my fourth year of high school. Although I am definitely not the same person that I was back then, being in a relationship has worked for me.
I am the happiest when I’m in a relationship; but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any cons to being half of a couple.
During the past two years that I’ve been studying at Concordia, I have noticed that there are many things that aren’t so great about having a boyfriend during school.
First, one must deal with the main part of every relationship: falling in love. For some, this can have a negative impact on one’s education. Whether you’ve experienced it yourself or seen it in the movies, the symptoms of falling in love are always the same: you can’t sleep, can’t eat, constantly daydream about the person you care about, and generally can’t concentrate on anything, least of all your school work. All you want to do is spend time with the person you have met, and everything else comes second. This can, evidently, have a negative impact on your grades and extracurricular activities.
Second, being in a relationship changes your social life — something that is very important to most college students. For example, going out to bars with your single girlfriends. This can become an awkward experience because it means that you can’t hook up with people you meet in bars — something that I am sure most people would consider a bad thing if you’re in a relationship. You may also feel the need to mention to every guy you speak to that you have a boyfriend right off the bat, so as not to accidentally lead them on, which can also be awkward. As the night drags on, you’ll most likely be stuck drinking alone as your friends meet single hotties.
Third, there’s always the possibility that a relationship will end and this is a risk that people have to be willing to take when throwing themselves into the depths of love and lust. When serious relationships end, it doesn’t matter whether you were broken up with or if you decided to end it, at the end of the day, you will both be heartbroken. Just like the beginning of a relationship, the end of one can have a serious impact on your life. The symptoms of heartbreak can make studying, and even going to class, very difficult to accomplish, and can have a negative impact on your grades.
Being in a relationship works well for me, but that doesn’t mean that it is always easy. Relationships mean taking risks, and having to make sacrifices. All people and relationships are different; some may be a little more dramatic than others.
Your priorities may also affect whether a relationship in university would work for you. If you are set on going out every few days, or if you spend all of your time studying, relationships may not be right for you during university.
Still, only you can know for sure. I think that the only way of finding out what makes you happy and successful in your studies is to try it out and see for yourself.
The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team lost their first game of the 2014 season 8-1 to the Montreal Carabins on Sunday. Carabins forward, Ariane Barker, scored four goals and led her team to victory, handing the Stingers their worse loss in over a year.
Disorganization was the killer for the Stingers, as they took eight minor penalties and suffered for it. The Carabins managed five power play goals, notably two to end the first period and one to start the second for a 4-0 lead, putting the game completely out of reach for the Stingers.
“Nothing was working,” Stingers left winger, Audrey Morand, said of the performance. “Our forecheck wasn’t working, our zone coverage wasn’t working. We were all very passive while the other team was really aggressive. We just didn’t show up.”
Stingers head coach, Les Lawton, was quick to echo Morand’s remarks, saying that it was uncharacteristic of his team to put in such a poor effort, since they’re usually the ones outworking the other teams.
“To beat that team we need good goaltending, we need to be disciplined, we need to play well in our end of the ice and we have to establish a forecheck,” he said. “That was our goal going into the game and we didn’t do any of that, so hopefully we learn that when we don’t do the things that we do well, we’re gonna have games like this.”
This marked the third time this season that the Stingers have met the Carabins, the first two meetings both ended with 2-1 result in favour of the Carabins.
The Stingers will host the Carabins this Thursday, once again at the Ed Meagher Arena, and Morand notes that this is a great opportunity for the Stingers to get revenge for the lopsided loss.
“We’re going to put this loss behind us and use it as motivation for Thursday’s game since we’re getting the chance to get revenge in a back-to-back situation,” she said.
Lawton was also looking forward to Thursday’s rematch.
“Going into the third, we wanted to make a bit of a statement towards our game on Thursday, but we’ll be a completely different team on Thursday I can guarantee you that,” said Lawton. “Our players are really disappointed in their performance and hopefully we can bounce back from that and get right back on track.”
Despite the loss, the Stingers still sit in fourth spot in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) standings and are currently en route to making the playoffs after a two-year absence.
“I’m disappointed, we wanted to take a step forward today and we didn’t,” Lawton said. “It’s not the way we wanted to start our second half of the season but I’m still confident we’re going to do some good things and I really like our team character. We’ve got a really good bunch of girls who are working extremely hard both on and off the ice and I’m confident that they’re going to rebound from this.”
The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team fell to 1-5 on the season with a 5-1 loss to the undefeated McGill Martlets on Friday night.
The Martlets dominated the Stingers territorially,holding a 35-15 shot advantage.
Stingers’ head coach Les Lawton said that he wasn’t disappointed with the team’s efforts on this night, saying the loss was due to a 10-minute span in the second period when the Martlets scored three goals. Lawton also singled out goaltender, Carolanne Lavoie-Pilon, and defenseman, Gabrielle Meilleur, for their strong games.
McGill forward Katia Clement-Heydra opened the scoring for the Martlets 30 seconds into the second period. The Stingers were able to tie the game, thanks to a goal by centre Alyssa Sherrard. However that was the closest the Stingers would get, as the Martlets exploded offensively about midway through the second period. Martlets’ forward Gabrielle Davidson scored three goals in six minutes, registering the natural hat-trick and giving her team a 4-1 lead. Clement-Heydra scored her second goal of the night late in the third period to give her team a 5-1 lead.
The Stingers were strong on special teams throughout the first half of the game, and that’s what kept them in it, but it was ultimately their downfall in the second half of the game. The Stingers’ penalty kill was strong in the first period and a huge reason why the game was scoreless after one. Their power play produced the game tying goal early in the second. The Stingers, however, let in the power play goals in the second half of the game and were unable to score on their three following power play opportunities. Lawton noted that he felt the special teams were average on this night and there is room for improvement.
This marked the fifth time in six games that the Stingers failed to score more than one goal, the only exception being in their 6-4 win over the Carleton Ravens earlier this month.
The Stingers have had trouble scoring goals, but Stingers defenseman Carol-Anne-Gagné kept a positive attitude, saying that the team played very well.
“Before the game the girls were all ready and I think playing against a big team like this is a really good challenge for our team,” she said.
Despite the loss, Lawton expressed some optimism going forward. “We’re a very young team and I think we’re going to do very well.”
Gagné added that playing against a team of McGill’s caliber will help the Stingers improve in the future.
“We have really good chemistry,” Gagné said, adding that the team’s 1-5 record does not reflect their performances.
“We’ve lost many games by a score of 2-1 and we’re constantly improving as a team, and we’re just going to continue getting better. I have a good feeling going forward.”
The Stingers next play on Sunday, Nov.24 against the Carleton Ravens in Ottawa.
It was a see-saw game for the Concordia Stingers as they lost a high-scoring game 6-4 to the Laurier Golden Hawks, Friday Nov. 8, in their first game back at Ed Meagher Arena after renovations were completed.
The Stingers were slow out of the gate to start the game, falling behind 2-0 before the game was seven minutes in, but Stingers centre Olivier Hinse was able to finish off a nice passing play with centre Kyle Armstrong to cut the deficit to 2-1 before the first period was over.
The Stingers dominated early in the second, scoring twice with goals by left-wingers Kieran O’Neil and Dany Potvin, taking a 3-2 lead. However, the Golden Hawks scored twice before the period was over and reclaimed the lead.
The Stingers tried furiously to tie up the game in the third, but a controversial goal by Laurier’s left-winger Derek Schoenmakers didn’t help. The Golden Hawks were thought to have gone offside after turning the puck over in the Stingers’ zone, and so the Stingers players all stood around waiting for the referee to blow his whistle, but the whistle never came.
Schoenmakers took advantage by stealing the puck and scoring his fourth goal of the night. The Stingers were up in arms against the referee, but as head coach Kevin Figsby later clarified, the referee hadn’t yelled “offside.”
“The problem is, on a play like that, you can’t stop playing the puck,” said Figsby.
The Stingers’ left-winger Taylor Lambke scored late to reduce the deficit to 5-4, but it wasn’t enough as the Golden Hawks left-winger Greg Cerilli would add an empty net goal to wrap up their first victory of the season.
The Stingers had a difficult time killing penalties on this night, as the Golden Hawks went three for three on the powerplay on three goals by Schoenmakers. The Stingers went two for five, but it wasn’t good enough to win the game.
Stingers goaltender Antonio Mastropietro let in five goals on 29 shots, but coach Figsby said this doesn’t concern him.
“Antonio’s been a mainstay for us since the beginning of the year,” he said. “He knows the way he played tonight and he’ll probably want one of those goals back, but there’s no faulting our goaltender tonight.”
Figsby added that there were several other aspects of the game that were lacking on this night.
“I think we over forechecked and we were giving up too many three on two’s tonight, it’s something we talked about and something we worked on this week and we just didn’t execute.”
The Stingers now have a 2-3-2 record, a point which coach Figsby emphasized, since the two overtime losses constituted two big points for the team.
He said every loss the team has suffered this season has essentially been a one-goal loss and his team has lost three of their top players over their last three games, something that has obviously been having an effect on the team’s performance on the ice.
“It’s a 28-game season and we’re a young team and we’ve got to learn from our mistakes, we’ve made mistakes tonight and we didn’t stop trying, and that’s the key,” said Figsby. “I thought we competed tonight but I think we made some mistakes that were controllable mistakes, and, unfortunately, one mistake too many as one goal too many tonight.”
The Stingers play next against the Lakehead Thunderwolves Friday Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m..
Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team stayed positive in their first preseason game at the McConnell Arena against the McGill Redmen on Thursday night, despite a 6-4 loss which saw the Stingers surrender three goals to McGill’s powerplay.
The Stingers started off the game strong, building an early 2-1 lead in the first period thanks to goals by Anthony Nobili and Jessyko Bernard, but found themselves in penalty trouble near the end of the period and down 3-2 headed into the first intermission after surrendering two shorthanded goals.
The Redmen struck again early in the second period, scoring two quick goals. The score was 5-2 McGill before the halfway mark of the period, which team captain George Lovatsis said was “definitely their worst period of the night.” The two teams exchanged goals in the second half of the period, Lovatsis scoring for the Stingers. The Redmen took a 6-3 lead into the intermission.
The Stingers started the third period with lots of energy, and didn’t let the three-goal deficit intimidate them.
“In the third period, they stuck to the game plan perfectly,” said Stingers head coach Kevin Figsby. He added that with a bit more luck the team may have been able to score a few more goals.
Lovatsis hit the post early in the period while Ben Dubois managed the only goal in the period to bring the Stingers within two, which would be as close as they would get despite putting furious pressure on the Redmen late in the game.
Figsby was also very satisfied with his team’s performance in the first and third period, although Lovatsis, who registered a goal and an assist in this game, was quick to point out the teams’ inconsistencies in the past seasons.
“We have to stay consistent and we can’t just take one period off, since that’s something that’s been a history of ours, where one period loses us the game, and that’s what happened today,” said Lovatsis.
In a team with several new players, veterans Lovatsis and forward Olivier Hinse, say the team has a lot to look forward to this coming season. “I think we have a great attitude,” said Hinse, “We’re working and we have guys that hit, that skate, that never stop working, and we had a little let down in the second, but we came back hard in the third period so that’s what we want and hopefully it’s going to be great this year.”
“I think it’s going to be a great season,” added Hinse. “We’re going to make the playoffs for sure, we have a great attitude and that’s what we need to have success, and I think we’re going to be good.”
Despite the loss, there were many positives to take out of the game. The first and most important one, Figsby said, is that the Stingers played the game without most of their best players. Some of them were injured, like Youssef Kabbaj, while others did not play. Figsby says that the team still has cuts to make and this was an opportunity for him to evaluate his players.
Figsby also pointed out that the Redmen put their best team on the ice, and losing 6-4 against a top team like McGill is something to be proud of.
Figsby was quick to deny any concern about the penalty killing unit, saying that the team’s best penalty killer was not dressed for the game today. Furthermore, Figsby explained that over the past few seasons the Stingers have had one of the best penalty kills in all of Canada, and that there really isn’t anything to worry about there.
