Author: Elias Laradi

Categories
Sports

Redmen capture 2015 Corey Cup

Photo by Evgenia Choros

McGill completed the comeback and defeated the Stingers in double overtime

Every year the Concordia Stingers men’s team finishes off their season with the Corey Cup. The Corey Cup, named after Montreal Canadiens ex-owner Ronald Corey, is always a special night that brings out the best in both teams. This year’s battle brought more than 800 fans to Ed Meagher Arena to cheer on their squad against our cross-town rivals, the McGill Redmen.

The first period was an intense battle of physicality as both teams played hard to get the advantage and score the opening goal. The Redman were looking to seal first place in their division with a win.

The visiting team didn’t get off to a good start, getting into penalty trouble when forward Benoit Lévesque was called for a dangerous hit into the boards and was assessed a two-minute penalty for boarding. Ready to explode, the packed house erupted when Stingers forward Scott Oke took the puck up ice and fired a great shot that fooled Redman goaltender Jacob Gervais-Chouinard.

With the 1-0 lead, Concordia was off to the perfect start. McGill pushed after that to try and get the equalizer, but Stingers netminder Robin Billingham was playing inspired hockey, stopping every shot he faced.

Later on in the period McGill got into some more penalty trouble when Pietro Antonelli got called for goalie interference after running into Billingham. Once again, the Stingers power play unit capitalized when Oke knotted his second goal of the game to hand Concordia a 2-0 lead with five minutes left in the first period. The period would end on that score and the Stingers were on their way to celebrating a Corey Cup victory.

The second period didn’t get off to a good start for Concordia. Defenseman Sean Blunden was given a penalty for slashing on the last play of the first and the Stingers started the second with a disadvantage. McGill quickly cut the lead to one as Jonathan Bonneau received a great feed from Etienne Boutet and found the back of the net. All of a sudden, the crowd got a little more anxious as the Redmen were back in the game.

The Stingers tried to regain their two-goal lead but their undisciplined play continued to hurt them. Forward Domenic Beauchemin got called for holding and the power play scoring continued. McGill got the game level at two when Patrick Delisle-Houde received a pass from Jonathan Brunelle and fired a great shot that flew past Billingham into the back of the net. The game wasn’t tied for long once Beauchemin got out of the box. The Stingers forward quickly redeemed himself and put his team back in the lead and fired a wrist shot that once again surprised Chouinard to regain the lead. The second period ended on 3-2 for Concordia, but the back-and-forth pace set up an exciting third.

Going into the final period the game plan was simple for Concordia: hold McGill off for 20 more minutes and the Corey Cup would be theirs. Unfortunately for everyone’s nerves, the match came down to the last 20 seconds. McGill was pressing in the offensive zone and finally Samuel Labrecque took a shot that squeaked through Billingham to tie the game at 3. The Corey Cup would be going into overtime, and both teams knew only one more goal would decide the victor.

An intense period of extra time proceeded but to no avail. Neither team could solve the opposing goaltender and the game went into double overtime. It didn’t take long as both teams were clearly exhausted and one minute into the double overtime period Labreque once again was the savior for McGill as he took another shot that snuck in past Billingham for the 4-3 win, sealing the Corey Cup for McGill.

After the game, Stingers head coach Kevin Figsby had mixed feelings about the game.

“I thought it was going to come down to one goal, it’s just too bad we led until 21 seconds left in the game,” said Figsby. “They are a very experienced team, we are a young team. I feel we made some mistakes but all in all I was proud with the effort, especially on the power play that got us two goal”.

“We came in ready and confident, and we wanted to win this game. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and now we play them in the playoffs and this game was a stepping stone,” said Stingers Forward Oke.

The Stingers now head into the postseason seeking vengeance for Friday’s home loss. Their next matchup is against the Redman on Wednesday, Feb. 11. The two rivals will begin a best-of-three series at McConnell Arena, before playing game two at Ed Meagher Arena on Friday, Feb. 13

Categories
Sports

Stingers beat Ravens, get back on track

Led by their four power play goals, Concordia’s offence could not be stopped

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team was looking for their first win of 2015 and found it when they rolled over the Carleton Ravens on Friday night, winning 6-1.

The first period began and the Stingers started very strong, throwing everything they had at Ravens goaltender Katelyn Steele. Later in the period, the Ravens got called for a penalty when Charlene Duffett was sent to the box for interference. Concordia quickly capitalized on the advantage when Keriann Schofield gave a pass to the point and Danielle Scarlett fired a quick shot that fooled Steele for the 1-0 lead.

The Stingers continued to dominate and it looked like the Ravens were simply no match. Once again, Carleton got penalized when Kaylie Welk got called for cross checking. Concordia took advantage again as Alexandria D’Onofrio took a shot that was tipped in by Valerie Wade for the 2-0. Quickly, the Stingers were in the driver’s seat and there was no turning back.

The Ravens played very undisciplined hockey as their frustration grew. Near the end of the first period Rebecca Dow got a penalty for yelling at the referee for an offside call.

As the second period started, Concordia went back to work on the power play and put the game out of reach indefinitely. One minute into the man advantage, Marie-Joelle Allard took a shot from the point at the net where Devon Thompson tipped it home for the 3-0 lead.

The Ravens started to attack the net with more success after that, but Concordia’s goalie Katherine Purchase was stopping every shot she faced and refused to let Carleton back in the game. The Ravens finally got on the scoreboard when a Sadie Wegner shot found the back of the net and cut the lead to 3-1.

Having not learned from the first period, Carleton’s undisciplined play cost them again when they were called for a tripping penalty on Olivia Keefe. Like clockwork, the Stingers power play punished the Ravens for the fourth time when Allard took a shot at the net that once again got tipped by Devon Thompson for her second of the game and a 4-1 lead. After Carleton made a switch in net, pulling Steele for Hailey Perreault, the second period ended and the Stingers were one period away from their first win of 2015.

The third period started in similar fashion as Concordia continued to dominate. Five minutes into the period Stingers forward Veronique Boudreau wired the puck past Perreault for her first goal as a Concordia Stinger and gave her team the 5-1 lead. Concordia was not letting up and it looked like the Ravens couldn’t find a solution to solve their opponent’s attack. The Stingers added one more goal to make it 6-1 when forward Valerie Wade made a nifty pass to Ann-Julie Deschenes who tucked the puck past Perreault.

The game would end on that score and Concordia sealed a dominating win. After the game, Concordia’s head coach Les Lawton was proud of his team.

“It was a really solid team effort. Special teams were very good and it was nice that we spread [around] the scoring,” Lawton said.

Thompson had three points for the Stingers and was also very happy with the result.

“We had a couple good weeks of practice and we came off two games where we had slow starts; we wanted to change that. We looked a lot at power plays and it showed today. As long as we work hard as a team, we can be successful.”

 

Categories
Sports

Stingers start second half of season with a win

Concordia’s men’s hockey team earns a hard-fought victory over the University of Toronto

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team was looking to kick off 2015 on a positive note as they hosted the Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday, Jan. 9. The Stingers did just that with an impressive 5-3 win over the strong Toronto squad.

The Stingers started the game fast and just 19 seconds into the game, they jumped on the board with a 1-0 lead. Forward Jessyko Bernard got a great pass from Gabriel Bourret and wired a quick shot past the Blues goaltender for the first goal of the game.

Twenty-two seconds later, the Stingers took to the power play when Blues player Michael Markovic got sent to the box for tripping. Toronto managed to kill the penalty and then started to turn the game around as they started to dominate the tempo.

Toronto tied the game with 12 minutes left in the first period when Dean Klomp fooled Stingers goalie Robin Billingham with a quick release.

Concordia pushed to regain the lead but fell into some penalty trouble when Stefano Momesso got called for roughing. Surprisingly enough, Concordia regained the lead while shorthanded: Bourret sprung Olivier Hinse with a breakaway pass, who tucked the puck past the goal line and restored Concordia’s lead.

Toronto pushed and continued to outshoot Concordia but could not beat Billingham. The Stingers got into more penalty trouble when forward Roberto Mormina got called for roughing. Concordia managed to kill the penalty with more extraordinary play from Billingham and, with 46 seconds left in the period, increased their lead. Phillipe Hudon got his first goal as a Stinger and led the Stingers into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead.

To start the second period, Toronto decided that a change in net was needed, and Garrett Sheehan replaced Michael Nishi. The change didn’t work. Four minutes later Concordia scored a goal on the power play to increase their lead to 4-1. Stingers forward Marc-Olivier Brouillard got a pass from Hinse and beat Sheehan on his first shot of the night.

Toronto finally got another goal on the board and beat Billingham when Christian Finch fired a superb wrist shot past Concordia’s netminder. The period ended 4-2 and, as the Stingers headed into the locker room for the final intermission, the win was within reach.

Photo by Briana Thicke.

The Blues refused to back down and forced the Stingers to earn the victory. Toronto managed to cut the lead to one when Jeff Brown found the back of the net on a quick snap shot. Despite the tense moments late in the game, Concordia would seal the victory with 30 seconds left on an empty net goal by Antoine Houde-Caron.

After the game, Stingers Head Coach Kevin Figsby was proud of his troops.

“I was impressed with our team, with our new guys Phillipe Hudon, Stefano Momesso and Jordan Bernier. They have been great acquisitions [during] Christmas time.”

The best player on the ice throughout the game was undoubtedly Concordia’s goaltender, who took a moment to admire his performance after the game.

“I felt pretty good, I felt refreshed,” said Billingham. “I got some new gear and it’s good because I felt taller out there. I was in Ottawa with my goalie coach training which helped a lot.”

After Friday’s win, the team travelled to Ryerson University on Saturday, Jan. 10. and lost to the Rams 3-2. The Stingers now sit at 7-14 and will try and turn things around on Friday, Jan. 16. when they visit the University of Windsor to play the Lancers.

 

Categories
Sports

Stingers hold off Gryphons for 3-2 victory

Photo by Briana Thicke.

Backed by Concordia’s great goaltending, the Stingers snapped their losing streak

The Concordia Stingers were looking to bounce back from their loss on Friday with a strong performance on Saturday when they faced the Guelph Gryphons in front of a packed house at Ed Meagher arena.

The first period was a tight contest between both clubs as they tried to open the scoring. Four minutes into the period, Concordia got into some penalty trouble when Marc-Olivier Brouillard got into a scrum with Guelph forward Michael Stevens. Both were sent off for roughing, but Brouillard got a double-minor for instigating the fight.

Photo by Briana Thicke.

Guelph pressed during the man advantage but Concordia’s goalie Robin Billingham was up to the task, stopping every shot he faced. Three minutes later, Concordia got a break and capitalized when Olivier Hinse went in on a breakaway and snuck one past Guelph’s goaltender Andrew D’agostini for a 1-0 lead. After that goal, Guelph pushed hard for the equalizer but once again Billingham was unbeatable.

Several minutes later Stingers forward Domenic Beauchemin was sprung for another breakaway and made it 2-0 for Concordia to end the first period.

The second period was the complete opposite of the first with the Gryphons coming out firing on all cylinders. Guelph cut the lead to 2-1 at the eight-minute mark of the second period when Robert De Fulviis fired a shot past Billingham.

After that, Guelph continued to push for the equalizer and Concordia couldn’t match their energy. Concordia got into more penalty trouble late in the second period. The Stingers had back-to-back minor penalties and with a minute left in the period, as Guelph got the equalizer when Andres Kopstals got a pass from Daniel Broussard and snuck one past Billingham.

The third period was an all-out battle as both teams looked for the go-ahead goal. Both teams had multiple chances to score, but both goaltenders refused to break. Six minutes into the period, Scott Oke received a pass from Youssef Kabbaj and sent a shot past D’agostini for the 3-2 lead. The game plan for Concordia was simple for the rest of the game: hold the Gryphons off and maintain the lead. The Stingers managed to do just that and take the win thanks to the stellar play of Billingham. The game finished 3-2 as Concordia avoided another disappointment.

After the game, head coach Kevin Figsby was proud of his troops and the way his team kept their focus.

“I really like the response of our group, a win is a win and we will take it. We simply followed the game plan,” said Figsby.

Stingers captain Hinse reiterated what his coach said and admitted that it was a relief to finally stop the losing skid.

“It’s nice to win. We really needed that, we had a good start, we stayed focused and we used our speed.”

Categories
Sports

Concordia lets game get away

The Stingers squandered a two-goal lead and lost to the Gaels 4-2 

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team was looking to end their losing streak when they hosted the Gaels from Queen’s University on Saturday, Nov.1.

The first period started fast as both teams went on the attack, looking for the opening goal. As the period carried on, the game looked like it was going to be a physical battle, both teams dishing out big hits.

Six minutes into the period, the Gaels got a power play opportunity when Concordia’s Victor Provencher got called for roughing. Although the Gaels pushed hard and took lots of shots, they couldn’t beat Concordia’s starting goalie Robin Billingham. Billingham played extremely well in the first period and stopped every shot he faced. The Stingers killed the penalty and got their own chance on the power play several minutes later. As hard as the Stingers pushed, throwing everything on net, Gaels goalie Chris Clarke stopped every shot he faced on the man advantage. The Gaels managed to kill the penalty and the first period finished 0-0.

Going into the second period, Concordia had the slight edge and opened the scoring right away. Stingers forward Marc-Olivier Brouillard got a great pass from defenceman Alex Macdonald and fired a shot past Clarke for the 1-0 lead.

The Stingers added to their lead shortly after when captain Olivier Hinse went in alone and got the puck past Clarke for the 2-0 lead. It looked like Concordia was on their way to snapping their two-game losing streak, but the Gaels didn’t give up.

Queen’s forward Darcy Greenway to cut the lead to 2-1 halfway through the second and put the Stingers back on their heels. The goal seemed to stun the Stingers and they started to play a rougher, more undisciplined, game. Stingers forward Antoine Houde-Caron got called for roughing and the Gaels quickly capitalized on the man advantage, tying the game 2-2.

For the rest of the period, it was all Queen’s as the Stingers kept getting into penalty trouble. On another power play, Gaels forward Brett Foy tipped a shot past Billingham and gave his team the 3-2 lead.

In the third period, as hard as they tried, the Stingers couldn’t get another puck past Clarke. The Gaels added one more goal early in the period and then their goalie did the rest.

Concordia’s head coach Kevin Figsby was frustrated with his team after the unfortunate outcome.

“Our power play wasn’t working. We got discouraged which is really rare [and] after that third goal, it just seemed like we lost the will to play. It’s disappointing because we were going hard and they’re a really good hockey team,” said Figsby.

Much like his coach, Hinse was dispirited when describing the loss.

“I think we played hard. We got a bad bounce and after we had a bad attitude, which never happens. We are not a team that gives up and it’s not the attitude we want. We will work hard because we want to win again.”

Categories
Sports

On the road with the Stingers

Our reporter hops on the bus with the women’s hockey team to Ottawa

It was 3 p.m on Friday, Oct. 25. The bags were packed, the bus was loaded and we were headed to face the Gee-Gees from the University of Ottawa. Last weekend I had the privilege to join the women’s hockey team on a road trip and got to experience what it was like to ride the bus with Concordia’s athletes.

They spent most of the trip talking, surfing the web with the bus’ built-in wifi and watching movies. After a 20-minute documentary on the Montreal Stars, a local women’s professional team, the team voted on the next movie. They chose to watch 13 Going on 30, an old chick flick starring Jennifer Garner.

By the end of the movie we had arrived in Ottawa, and then team was all business. The Stingers quickly got changed into their warm up clothes and dived into their routine, mostly standard warm up drills of running, jumping and stretching. Following their standard on-ice warm up, last minute tape-jobs and pep talks, the Stingers were ready.

The first period got off to a great start for the Stingers as they pushed the pace of the game. With six minutes left in the period, the Stingers capitalized on a power play when Alyssa Sherrard tucked the puck past the Gee-Gees goalie to give the Stingers the 1-0 lead.

In the second period, after a bunch of penalties by both teams, neither team could take advantage of their power play opportunities. Solid goaltending on both ends of the ice kept the period scoreless until late in the second. Following a cross checking penalty against Ottawa, Concordia padded their lead. Stingers center Cassiel Lalonde-Lajeunesse took a great shot and gave Concordia the 2-0 lead.

The game plan for the third period was simple: preserve the lead. However, it didn’t start out that way. Within 18 seconds, Ottawa had cut Concordia’s lead to 2-1, thanks to a goal by Violaine Houle. After that, the Stingers went back to attacking the Gee-Gees net looking for a third goal to regain their two-goal lead. The Stingers got another power play advantage, but couldn’t beat Ottawa goalie Caitlin Fowler. She stood tall in net and stopped every shot she faced on the power play. The game went back-and-forth as both teams pushed hard to get goals on the board, but this match became the battle of the goaltenders.

Fast-forward to the end of the period with just two minutes left in the game. Stingers player Marie-Joelle Allard got called for a questionable hit to the head. Concordia’s captain Danielle Scarlett contested the call with the referee but the official did not change his mind.

Unfortunately, with just 23 seconds on the clock, the Gee-Gees finally capitalized on a power play. Ottawa forward Carol-Ann Upshall fired a shot that went top-shelf and into the back of the net, tying the game at 2-2.

As the game went into overtime, both teams were looking for that goal that would end the game. Both teams pushed hard and got plenty of shots on net. Near the end of the period Concordia seemed to dominate but, once again, couldn’t beat Fowler.

The game continued into a shootout with best-of-five shooters. No player on either team scored until the third round when Upshall scored again for the Gee-Gees. Sadly, that’s all it took. The shootout finished 1-0 for the Gee-Gees and the final score was 3-2 for Ottawa.

After the game assistant coach Mike Mcgrath was proud of his team for the great effort.

“We played great and we totally deserved better. It was a physical game and I still don’t understand that mystery call, but we kept strong and showed how strong we can be,” said Mcgrath.

Stingers goalie Katherine Purchase was happy with her performance, her first in a Stingers jersey.

“I played pretty good the first two periods and I feel I got cold in the third period. I was a little nervous but it was good to get some experience,” said Purchase.

Despite the loss, the trip back was a positive one. Waiting for us on the bus was some pasta with garlic bread. The mood was upbeat and relaxing. Food makes everything better, even a tough loss.

Categories
Sports

Paladins prove to be no match for Stingers

Concordia complete a perfect weekend, winning both home games

The Concordia Stingers finished off their home-stand this weekend with a convincing 10-4 win over the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Paladins on Saturday, Oct. 11. The Stingers improved to 2-2 on the season.

The first period began as both teams pushed hard to try and get the first goal of the game. Six minutes into the game, RMC got the first penalty of the game when forward Frederic Thouin was called for hooking. The Stingers jumped on the board early when Stingers forward Domenic Beauchemin buried a shot past RMC goaltender Paul Mazzolin to give Concordia a 1-0 lead.

After an intense four minutes, RMC got on the board when forward Alexander Pym got a shot past Stingers netminder Robin Billingham.

Concordia quickly took control of the game late in the first period. With two minutes left, forward Ben Dubois scored on a wrist shot to give Concordia the lead, but the Stingers were nowhere near finished. Fifty seconds later, veteran defenceman Youssef Kabbaj got a pass from forward Jessyko Bernard and scored to give the Stingers a 3-1 lead heading into the second period.

In the second period Concordia continued to dominate the game. Two minutes into the period, captain Olivier Hinse got the puck and went in alone and put it past Mazzolin for a 4-1 lead.

After a Stingers penalty, the Paladins got on the board again when forward Jake Bullen beat Billingham to make it 4-2. However, this game belonged to the Stingers from the get-go.

They quickly responded when Domenic Beauchemin sent a shot past Mazzolin for a 5-2 Stingers lead. After Victor Provencher and Dany Potvin scored late in the second period, the Stingers went into the final period with a 7-2 lead. By then, it was clear that Concordia’s commanding momentum would not be stopped.

The third period was no different as Concordia continued to dominate the game. Four minutes in, the Stingers added to their huge lead when Hinse fired another wrist shot past Mazzolin. The final goal scorers for the Stingers were Kieran O’Neil and Matt Boudreau.

The back-to-back wins this weekend were impressive performances by the home squad. The Stingers outshot the Paladins 37-31 and were successful on two out of the four times that they were on the powerplay.

“We played really well, I could honestly call it solid hockey,” said Concordia’s head coach Kevin Figsby. “Great defense this weekend, [it] was a great building block for the season and a good foundation. We dominated from start to finish and we had stellar goaltending.”

Much like his head coach, Concordia’s leader and captain was pleased with the two wins at home.

“I feel good, it was a great weekend [and] we played really well. Every line produced [today] and it was a great team effort,” said Hinse.

Categories
Sports

Stingers roll over Ravens in home opener

Men’s hockey team was victorious over Carleton on Friday night, earning their first win of the season

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team was looking to extract some revenge against the Carleton Ravens in their home opener. The Ravens had previously beaten Concordia in Ottawa last week in the first game of the season. On Friday night, Oct. 10, the Stingers could not be stopped as they beat the Ravens 5-2.

Stingers forward Antoine Houde-Caron tucks a goal past Carleton’s netminder. Photo by Nikolas Litzenberg.

The game got off to a great start for the Stingers. Off the opening faceoff, Stingers defenceman Youssef Kabbaj fed forward Scott Oke who fired a quick shot past Carleton’s goalie to give Concordia a 1-0 lead, just 20 seconds into the game.

Four minutes later, after Stingers forward Ben Dubois got called for tripping, the Ravens capitalized. Carleton forward Joe Pleckaitis snapped a wrist shot past Stingers goaltender Robin Billingham to tie the game at 1-1.

It didn’t take Concordia long to respond as defenceman Sean Blunden got a pass from Marc-Olivier Brouillard and found the net to make it 2-1. Only a minute later Concordia got into even more penalty trouble when Olivier Jodoin was called for slashing.

After a slew of penalties by both teams, the Ravens defenceman Jason Seed got called for high sticking and the Stingers took full advantage of the powerplay. Forward Jessyko Bernard got a great pass from Kabbaj to extend the lead to 3-1.

After killing off a penalty of their own, the Stingers were back on the powerplay after Ravens defenceman Owen Werthner got called for tripping. Once again, Concordia took full advantage of the powerplay when Kabbaj gave a great pass to Matt Boudreau who found the net to give the Stingers a 4-1 lead over the Ravens.

Ten minutes later, as both teams were battling hard to get another goal, Carleton cut their deficit back down to two as Pleckaitis got his second goal of the game.

As they had been doing all game, the Stingers quickly responded and got another goal three minutes later. Kabbaj recorded his fourth assist of the game when he fed Stingers forward Antoine Houde-Caron, who ultimately made it 5-2 for Concordia.

The third period was mostly a period filled with penalties and scrums between the two teams, but the Stingers held on and earned their first win of the season.

“It was tremendous. We had great success tonight compared to last weekend. We actually used the same game plan just with a little more intensity and it showed,” said Concordia’s head coach Kevin Figsby. “If we keep playing like that we’re going to be very successful this year, and I really like how we faced adversity and we battled to overcome it.”

Kabbaj, who was clearly one of the best players on the ice, was happy he could help his team win.

“It felt good to be at home,”he said. “I got off to a slow start last week but now I’m slowly finding my game and it felt good to help contribute to the team tonight.”

Categories
Sports

Stingers play to draw against the Carabins

Photo by Elysia-Marie Campbell

The women’s team shut down one of the best teams in the country and earn a valuable point.

The Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team was looking to add another win on the season when they hosted the Carabins from Université de Montréal on Friday, Sept. 26. Heading into the game, the Carabins were the fifth best team in the country with an undefeated record of 5-0-1. Although it wasn’t a win, the Stingers fought hard for a well-deserved 0-0 draw.

The first half was a tight affair as both teams each started with chances to open the scoring, but good goalkeeping and solid defense by both teams kept the game scoreless. Even within the first few minutes of the match, spectators could tell that this was going to be defensive battle.

Photo by Elysia-Marie Campbell

The Carabins have relied on their high-powered offense to win games this season, but on Friday, the Stingers’ defense refused to break. By the end of the first half each team had their chances to score, but both sides failed to capitalize on their opportunities.

The second half started with an all-out attack by the Carabins as they searched to break the deadlock. Concordia’s goalkeeper Maria Kaperonis kept her team in the game by saving every shot that came her way. By the end of the night, Kaperonis and her defensive unit would hand the Carabins their first goalless match of the season.

The best chance the Stingers had was when defenseman Lindsey Brooks took possession from her own defensive zone into the Carabins’ box, only to be turned aside by Carabins goalkeeper Sarah Boucher. The game opened up with a back-and-forth pace as both teams pushed for the opening goal, but neither teams could find the back of the net.

After the game, Stingers head coach Jorge Sanchez was impressed with the draw and pleased with how his team played against such a strong opponent. Although both teams headed into this game looking for a win, the Stingers can be proud of their play against the Carabins.

“We played a really good first half. I think we dominated them and we had 70 per cent possession,” he said. “I feel like we didn’t play a good second half but I’m happy we stole a point off the fifth best team in the country.”

Brooks was by far the player of the game and, like her coach, was pleased with how her team played.

“It was honestly a great effort,” she said. “I feel like I did my job. We knew we were playing the fifth best team in the country. I feel like we put in the work and it was a good team effort, and I felt we were solid on defense.”

The Stingers next home game is on Wednesday, Oct. 3, versus the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) at 6:30 p.m.

Categories
Sports

Stingers score late to spoil Carabins’ win

Photo by Nikolas Litzenberger.

Although they remain winless, a wild ending gives Concordia their fourth tie of the season.

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team was still looking for their first win of the season when they hosted Université de Montréal on Friday, Sept. 26. After three draws and two losses to open the season, the Stingers still can’t catch a break. Once again, Concordia played hard to earn a 1-1 draw against the Carabins.

The game got off to strong start for both teams as each team had chances in the early stages.  Good opportunities on net were met by even better goaltending and stiff defense. Although it was an up-and-down first half, neither team could finish their attacks and both squads went into the halftime without a goal.

The second half started with a relentless Carabins attack. Looking to get the first goal of the game, the Carabins were determined to get through Concordia’s defense. Luckily for the Stingers, goaltender Wes Aucoin stood in the way and made some incredible saves to keep the score tied at 0-0.

Photo by Nikolas Litzenberger.

Ten minutes into the second half, the Carabins finally got on the board when Maxime Laurey set up his fellow midfielder, Adama Sissoko, who beat Aucoin to open the scoring and give the Carabins a 1-0 lead.

The Stingers pushed hard to equal the score as they dominated possession and got multiple shots on net. It looked as if Concordia was on their way to their third loss of the season. Late in the game the Stingers looked down and out, but their tenacity eventually paid off.

In extra time, to the dismay of the Carabins players and coaches, the Stingers were given a free kick just outside the box. Stingers defenseman Stephen Meterissian stepped up and delivered a kick that sent the ball sailing into the net after being deflected by one the Carabins’ defenseman. After the ensuing kickoff, the referee signaled the end of the game, and that’s when things turned ugly.

Carabins players, coaches, and even parents came onto the field to protest the call of the goal, arguing that there was interference with the goalkeeper as the ball went into the back of the net.

Stingers goalkeeper coach Nicholas Giannone had to step in to stop a fight between the Carabins coach and the referee.

“I think it was a crazy match honestly, it was good for the fans and we’re actually happy with the point but it shows there is a lot of work to be done and we just didn’t capitalize on our chances,” said Giannone.

After his last-minute goal, Meterissian was relieved that something finally went their way.

“It felt good to get that goal late in the game. Our issue was [that] we couldn’t score on our chances but I liked how we kept the pressure and we kept pushing and creating offense,” Meterissian said.

Hopefully, this is a sign of good things to come as the Stingers head into the second half of the season.

Categories
Sports

Stingers draw in hard fought game

Men’s team robbed after two questionable calls

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team was looking to get their first win of the season on Friday night against the Laval Rouge et Or. After a back-and-forth game, the spirited contest ended in a 2-2 draw, earning the Stingers their first point of the season.

The first half of the game started off as a tight defensive battle between the two squads. Although each team had their chances to score, no one could hit the back of the net. At the 32nd minute, the Stingers were called for a harmless foul inside the box and the referee awarded Laval a penalty kick.

Photo by Brianna Thicke

The call infuriated the Stingers players and their head coach Greg Sutton, who spent a lot of time arguing with the referee until finally being ejected from the game. Laval forward Patrice Dion walked up to the penalty spot and booted the ball past Concordia’s goalkeeper, Wes Aucoin, to give the Rouge et Or a 1-0 lead. The Stingers, who pushed hard to try and level the score but couldn’t beat Laval’s defense, headed into halftime down 1-0.

Concordia started the second half off strong as they continued to push for the equalizer. Four minutes in, midfielder Gabriel Quinn got the ball off a turnover and fired a great shot past Laval’s keeper. The tying goal seemed to energize the Stingers as they continued to attack the net, looking for the lead.

At the 60th minute, Concordia got the lead when another poor mistake by Laval led to another turnover. Stingers midfielder Nick Sisti led the counterattack and finished the play off with a strike, beating Laval’s defense and giving Concordia the 2-1 lead. With the Stingers dominating the game now, a victory seemed within reach.

Just when the Stingers had all the momentum, tragedy struck when the referee called a tripping foul in Concordia’s box, giving Laval its second penalty kick of the match. Although the Stingers sideline erupted in protest, the referee had sealed Concordia’s fate. Dion stepped up again for Laval and made no mistake, scoring on Aucoin and tying the game at 2-2.

Concordia pushed hard in the final minutes, but the unfortunate calls were too much to overcome. After the game, Concordia’s goalkeeper coach Nicholas Giannone couldn’t believe what had happened.

“I honestly have mixed feelings about this game. We could have played much better and there is a lot of work to be done, and I still cannot believe the referee made those calls against us.”

Despite the draw, Sisti liked what he saw and admired his team’s resiliency.

“We could have played better but what I like is [that] this team didn’t give up.”

Categories
Sports

Stingers shut-out Gaiters for first win

Women’s soccer team dominates during Friday night showdown

The Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team began their season on a positive note when they hosted the Bishop’s Gaiters in their home opener at Loyola on Friday night.

The match got off to a good start as the Stingers dominated possession early in the game. At the 10-minute mark, the Stingers got on the scoreboard with a corner kick from midfielder Frédérique Labelle. Labelle gave a solid cross into the box, where it was headed in by Concordia defender Stephanie Liganor. Concordia had the early lead over Bishop’s 1-0. The Gaiters tried to apply pressure and take back the momentum, but couldn’t break Concordia’s solid defense.

Five minutes after Concordia’s first goal, the Stingers scored an identical second goal. Once again, Labelle delivered another corner kick with finesse and power that Liganor finished off for her second goal of the night, giving Concordia a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes of play. The Stingers took over the game from there and dominated possession. The Stingers had more shots on net and did not let the Gaiters get past midfield.

After 20 minutes, unfortunately, Labelle got her leg tangled up with a Bishop’s player and was injured on the play. She was to be substituted by Shauna Zilversmit. The half ended with Concordia leading Bishop’s 2-0.

The second half was much of the same for the Stingers. Even though the score did not change, Concordia kept dominating the play. The Stingers did not allow many chances for Bishop’s to score as their defense continued its strong play. From the first whistle, it was clear that Concordia was the stronger team. Concordia’s complete team effort led to an impressive first win of the season. After the game, Stingers head coach Jorge Sanchez was proud of his team.

“I was content with the game. We got two early goals [and] I was very optimistic even before the match,” said Sanchez. “It was great to win. I liked how we managed the game, and I told [the team] at halftime they weren’t going to score on us and I am happy with the result.”

After her strong game, Liganor had this to say about her stellar play: “I love to be back. This being my last season with the team, I really got into it and I just wanted to play my game, not having played a lot last year.”

It was a great way to start the season for a team who had a disappointing season last year.

Exit mobile version