Author: Paolo Mingarelli

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Final MLB playoff picture

The MLB playoffs begin this week and the teams fighting for their chance to grab the World Series title are all set.

The National league will be represented by division champions Los Angeles Dodgers, the Saint Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets, while the wild-card game will feature the Chicago Cubs taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs and Mets will make their first post-season appearance since 2008 and 2006 respectively. For the Cubs, they look to end their long time championship drought which has them without a world series title since 1908. In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers have all won their respective divisions. Wild-card spots are occupied by the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. While many hope to see the Blue Jays make it to the World Series and bring home the hardware, fans of the game can certainly hope to see a Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets.

 

Champions league headlines

Robert Lewandowski grabbed the attention of the soccer world when he managed to put up five goals in the span of nine minutes two weeks ago. Last week, in a Champions League matchup against Dinamo Zagreb, he made headlines again. The striker netted a hat trick in the European championship group stage. This individual performance was the foundation of a 5-0 rout of the opposition and along with a Week One clean sheet Bayern is poised to make yet another run for the championship.

 

Jordan Spieth, PGA Player of the Year.

Twenty two-year-old Jordan Spieth finished the golf season with a victory at the Tour Championship. This final victory capped off the PGA’s version of their playoff championship, The FedEx cup. To go along with this title Spieth won two majors, not to mention and abundance of top 10 finishes. While more recent wins from close runner up Jason Day gave some individuals doubt in the Player of the Year title, Spieth was simply too dominant to create any sort of lasting debate. Spieth’s season as a whole was reminiscent to many fans of the years that Tiger Woods would dominate the field.

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Sports in the News

NHL adds three-on-three overtime

The National Hockey League has taken a progressive measure to ensure the better team, and not the better stickhandler, will determine the end result of a close game. The shootout was introduced by the NHL after the 2004-2005 lockout as a way to jumpstart fan interest. While it left many memories, the gimmick soon became a nuisance. Teams who were significantly outmatched or out-skilled would press for the tying goal to force an overtime period. If they had three, or simply one, shootout specialist, they would lock the game down on defense and play for a shootout. The NHL has decided to combat this by introducing three-on-three overtime following the already in place four-on-four extra frame. This will provide more open ice for the best players in the league to showcase their talents.

Blue Jays secure playoff berth

This week was the final regular season series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees. The Jays came away with two of a possible three wins at home against their American League East rivals. The Jays bandwagon has snowballed into an avalanche since the trade deadline. The team has responded with an impressive 41 victories out of a possible 59, translating in a 4 game lead against their rival Bronx Bombers. The race is winding down and the Jays have secured their much coveted post-season birth. Canada’s lone representative in America’s pastime has certainly made its presence felt this MLB season. As their playoff pushes kicks into high gear they will certainly have the support of a whole nation behind them—if they don’t already.

Winter in Qatar featuring the 2022 World Cup

The 2022 FIFA World Cup was awarded to the nation of Qatar. The World Cup has always taken place in the summer months, the off-season for many European soccer nations. However, temperature concerns were brought to the attention of the organization, since summer in Qatar can average anywhere between 41 and 45 degrees Celsius. Last week, FIFA addressed the issue and decided to have the World Cup take place in November and finish in December, to coincide with Qatar’s winter months. Winter temperatures are more bearable, resting between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius, an atmosphere the players are more familiar and comfortable with. A winter World Cup would be a first and has sparked many fierce debates.

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Sports in the news

Pennetta stuns us all

Saturday evening at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows NY, Flavia Pennetta won her first, and ultimately her final grand slam title. Leading up to the U.S. Open, all eyes were on Serena Williams and her quest to capture a historic calendar year grand slam. A stunning loss in the semis was handed to the heavily-favoured Williams. This loss, a disappointment for many, would ultimately lead fans of the game to another historic moment. In front of the sold out crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Pennetta, trophy in hand, would announce her retirement from the game. The 33-year-old would leave the game on a high note. The Hollywood ending that so many athletes wish for themselves became a reality for the 16-year pro.

Canadian Men’s basketball falls short

At the the FIBA Americas Tournament the Canadian men’s basketball team, loaded with NBA  talent, was going running through the competition with relative ease. However, confidence in the team to earn a spot in the finals was halted by the Venezuela in a stunning defeat, proving that games are not played on paper. The men’s team still has an opportunity to claim a berth in the Olympics but the task becomes more difficult as they must play their way through next year’s tournament with African and European teams hungry for the same reward. Some think the task is unlikely to be accomplished, but these same pundits had Canada qualifying this year.

Former Rugby star’s debut in the NFL

Not every road to the NFL is formed through years of hard work and success through high school and college ranks of America. The case of Jarryd Haynes begins in another sport entirely. The Australia native was a rugby star and as a two-time player of the year for the NRL (National Rugby League). This lead to an urgency to lock him to a lucrative deal for his rugby squad. However, his passion for playing in the NFL was overwhelming and after careful consideration he opted to sign a contract with the San Francisco 49ers.  Haynes made his much anticipated debut this week on Monday Night Football, a game which the Niners would win. There’s no telling where his journey goes from here, but as was confirmed on Tuesday going off the exhaustive media coverage he’s attracted, he has definitely created a name for himself with his debut.

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Ready for success in club’s second year

Photo by Manon Lopez
Photo by Manon Lopez

Four years ago, an influx of CÉGÉP lacrosse players enrolled at Concordia University and were surprised to find that no lacrosse team was established at the institution. Since then, a Concordia Lacrosse team was established and they have since been accepted into the CUFLA (Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association). And now their goal is to become a playoff-bound team.

The club came into existence when former head coach, Chad Fairfoull and current head coach Mike Taddeo, took the initiative and brought the idea of a lacrosse team to the Concordia Recreation and Athletics Department. The department was very helpful in making this dream become a reality, offering the club team the use of any leftover field availability to set up practices and exhibition games. After completing all the necessary administrative work, the final piece was to assemble a roster.

Word of mouth alone was successful enough to bring together a passionate group of students to form the founding roster. However, now that many of the original roster have graduated the issue now is maintaining enough of a presence to keep players coming back.

“The biggest challenge is to find players,” said Taddeo, who feels that the biggest concern going forward is not the development but the recruitment of players. The assumption, of course, being that word of mouth can only do so much to create a culture for the sport within the student body.

Taddeo, who is heavily involved in Quebec lacrosse, is noticing that children are starting to play lacrosse at a younger age.

“Kids are switching at a much younger age, even dropping sports like soccer to play [lacrosse],” he said.

Perhaps the recent growth in popularity for the sport in mainstream media is also in play. A greater number of casual sports fans are hearing of the sport from major broadcasters such as TSN and ESPN in the United States. Either way it is attracting younger players to participate and discover a passion.

The road into CUFLA is not a short one. To become a member,  it is required by league standards for every club to undergo two full seasons of exhibition matches before being eligible for a position in the league. In 2011, the club’s second year, the team took home the championship in the exhibition league, solidifying their place within the top ranked league.

“We saw the level we need to be at and we’re slowly working towards that,” said Taddeo.

Last year, their first year as CUFLA members, Concordia faced a major learning curve when they finished at the bottom of the league, which taught them many lessons from the teams they faced and how they need to approach this upcoming season.

McGill University, Concordia’s cross-city rival and now the defending champion, was once in the same position as Concordia.

“They’ve been in the league six or seven years now and they play a lot of games and [practice a lot as well],” said Taddeo, who believes that playing time is the area where Concordia can look to improve the most, as limited field availability makes that a slight difficulty but not one impossible to overcome.

“There is definitely enough to make a winning culture at Concordia,” said Taddeo, whose ultimate goal is to make a winner out of the program he co-founded.

If you have any experience or any interest in playing lacrosse do not hesitate to send Coach Taddeo an email at mike.taddeo@concordialacrosse.ca.

 

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Bittersweet finish for men’s rugby team

Photo by Schachter
Photo by Schachter

“The result is disappointing, but not the way we played,” said Stingers scrum-half Kevin Elliott. “We put everything we could into it and left it all on the field.”

The most anticipated matchups in the regular season for the Stingers and Redmen are those they play against each other. The only way to surmount this intensity is to put them against one another for the league championship in November. Concordia and McGill renewed their rivalry in the RSEQ Championship game for the third consecutive year on Sunday.

The tilt started at a fast pace. Each team was eager to get rid of their pre-game jitters and play to their liking. This consisted of an abundance of plays to the blindside for McGill, and from ConU the ever present speed and physicality, a staple of their brand.

“They have been utilising that strategy for three years at least,” said Concordia head coach Clive Gibson. “We prepared for it, but we got caught napping a few times for big yardage.”

McGill struck first by scoring a try, without conversion, in the 15th minute of play after capitalizing on a rare break from the ConU defence. Five minutes later, McGill was given another chance to increase their lead with a penalty kick, however it would be shanked from 28 yards out.

Redmen penalties would help the Stingers break the goose egg with 10 minutes left in the first half when kicker Joey Fulginiti put one through the uprights from 29 yards out.

Also, despite a visiting fan’s attempt to distract the kicker with a truck horn, Fulginiti remained ice cold and put up a great kick from 42 yards out sending the home crowd into an uproar as Concordia was leading 6-5 with four minutes remaining in the half.

“Whether it’s 20 or 40 yards out, if the other team gets penalties you want to make them pay,” said Fulginiti. “When you make those kicks, it’s a huge momentum boost for the squad.”

The lead would not hold up until the break. McGill scored a try when a clearing kick was caught and promptly brought back into their end with a quick juke and a well timed offload. The Redmen runner beat three defenders and put the ball down giving the visitors a 11-6 lead at the half.

The second half began with a massive surge from the Redmen. ConU stopped a sure try from being scored very early on, however a scrum that went McGill’s way made its way to one of their backs who would drive it forward for the try.

Concordia did not quit and relied on its forwards to give them another chance to put up points. When a lineout was won, this turned into a maul that drove forward and was sealed by Kim Haze Vuong with the try.

Despite a surge of momentum after the last try, ConU gave up another try with 17 minutes left when a wall played ball made its way along the wing and forward. Instead of shipping it back the other way,  McGill took it and cashed in what was eventually the game winning try.

Even with a late game push by Concordia’s forward pack to force McGill to concede a penalty try, there was simply too little time left. The home crowd witnessed the very emotional Stingers side receive silver.

“We never gave up once,” said Stingers captain Dario Pellizzari. “I’m proud of the boys for how they played today and all season.”

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Concordia advances to RSEQ finals

The Stinger's men's rugby team. Concordian file photo by Marie-Josée Kelly

The Concordia Stingers pulled off a 31-17 victory over the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Friday night in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec Semifinals at Concordia Stadium.

Photo by Marie-Josée Kelly

“A ‘W’ is a ‘W’ and you’ll take what you can get,” said head coach Clive Gibson.

It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, especially in the eyes of Gibson, who made it evident in his post-game comments that this was not his team’s best showing. This feeling was shared by the players as well.

“We know we can play better than how we played today,” said Concordia scrum-half Kevin Elliott. “It was a lapse and it was very frustrating. It’s a good wake-up call and I think we needed it.”

It was a win nonetheless against a very physical visiting Sherbrooke squad who failed to come up on many scoring chances. According to Stingers captain Dario Pellizzari, this is a testament to the depth of the team’s roster. Sunday will be Pellizzari’s third time in the finals.

“I’ve been here three times, I know what to change and how to prepare better,” he said. “Hopefully I can bring that to the team this year. As a team, we’ll be prepared mentally and physically.”

Concordia came out of the gates flying, scoring within the first five minutes from a try by Fred Kacou who torpedoed through the gaps left for him by the Vert et Or defense. Kacou played a key role in doubling the lead when he gave chase to a Sherbrooke winger forcing a fumble in their try-zone allowing flanker Paul Bouet to jump on the loose ball giving ConU a 10 point lead. The successful convert padded the lead to 12 points.

The Stingers were up 19-0 after a lineout on the Sherbrooke five yard line and was rushed in by second row Dan Albenas. This lead created a very nervous atmosphere for the visiting squad.

“Our forwards were eager to go,” said Albenas. “[Sherbrooke] are bigger, but we wanted that ball more.”

Before the half ended, a 12-point Sherbrooke surge put the visitors back in the game. ConU shook off the jitters and scored early in the second half thanks in large part to the aforementioned forwards who powered the ball through giving Concordia a two possession lead.

Sherbrooke cut the lead down to one possession with 10 minutes to go. The maroon and gold finally put the nail in the coffin as centre Joey Fulginiti used his quick feet to shift Sherbrooke’s defense for the final try.

Despite being so close late in the game, Fulginiti was confident in the team to come out with the win.

“The team didn’t have a doubt we were going to win,” he said. “But that last one just sucked the wind out of them.”

With the semi-final victory, Concordia will advance to the finals against the McGill Redmen, who beat Bishop’s 76-15 in the other semi-final game. The RSEQ Championship game will take place at Concordia Stadium next Sunday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m. As for the Stinger faithfuls, who have witnessed two straight second place finishes, it’s appropriate to ask if this third time will be the charm.

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Stingers upset Gaiters in 17-8 victory

A raucous Bishop’s crowd was left silent on Friday night as the Stingers made their mark on the Gaiters homecoming, winning 17-8.

Even though ConU went down 3-0 early, the team was able to recover without letting the Gaiters add to the score. Heckles and chirps from the home crowd made communication between players rather difficult, to say the least.

In the final moments of the first half, Bishop’s would take a costly penalty. From 45 yards out, Stingers kicker Joey Fulginiti successfully sent the ball through the uprights to tie the match going into the second half.

“I heard about the [Bishop’s] crowd before, but you have to experience it,” said Fulginiti. “With everyone heckling you and screaming at you, the only thing you can do to silence them is to make the kicks.”

The game-tying kick at the end of the first half was a confidence booster for the Stingers.

“That was huge,” said coach Clive Gibson. “There was no time left and we managed to tie it. It’s a whole different way of looking at the game when you’re tied instead of being down going into the half.”

Concordia started the second half with a surge of energy, scoring a try that came off a scrum on the Bishop’s five. The Stingers repeatedly crashed the line before Vasken Redwanly sealed the score.

A Stingers substitution at half-time saw scrum half Kevin Elliott take the field. This move changed the game, as it brought a more control-oriented feeling.

“The gameplan was to be a little more controlled, a little more poised and you saw it from the forwards who just manhandled Bishop’s,” said Elliott, who believes the forwards are one of the main reasons behind the victory.

Although Bishop’s did manage to make it close by scoring a try, it was their kicking game that would cost them. The Gaiters missed three chances to put up points.

With eight minutes remaining, Con U sealed the game from Dario Pellizzari’s try off a scrum down on the Bishop’s five.

“We couldn’t afford to lose a scrum in their zone, so we saw an opening blind side and took it in,” said Pellizzari. “We got pushed back a little in the beginning, but we dug deep and played like we knew we could.”

Despite the win, Gibson still believes there are improvements to be made by his team.

“We need to play the game at our pace and control the tempo a little bit better,” he said.

 

The Stingers hope to work on this before their next game on Wednesday, Oct. 3 against McGill.

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Stingers women’s rugby team clinches playoff spot

Against an aggressive Bishop’s team, Concordia showed how tough its roster is by shutting out their opposition on the road.

This game was truly a David versus Goliath matchup, as the undefeated Stingers were up against the last place Bishop’s Gaiters. However, unlike the real story, Goliath won this round.

Concordia did not fall short of expectations and won comfortably 52-0. With two season games remaining, the Stingers’ five straight wins are already good enough to guarantee an RSEQ playoff spot.

The win also further demonstrated how much depth the maroon and gold’s roster has. Many rookies and non-starters were given an opportunity to showcase what they can bring to the table if called upon.

“We’re very happy to get a lot of people on,” said coach Graeme McGravie. “We’re very happy with the way they played.”

Concordia struck early and often. On one of these plays, a highlight reel run, was made by Frederique Rajotte. She was able to get the ball and dissect the gaps made available to her, before finally putting it down in position for an easy conversion.

Bishop’s was a hungry team, as they have yet to score a try this season. They would fare no better against the stiff Concordia defence, which is one of the Stingers’ strongest assets year in and year out.

The closest Bishop’s came to scoring was through a string of penalties called against the Stingers. This brought the Gaiters to the Stingers 30-yard line. Even from there, the home team was unable to beat the impenetrable wall of defenders.

“Historically were a very good defensive team,” said Jackie Tittley. “It’s good that we’re keeping to tradition. This defence is going to come in handy come playoffs.”

Concordia’s ease in dealing with the Bishop’s attack was in large part thanks to the team’s domination of set pieces. This was the reason for their heavily favored ball possession. This came into great use in the first half, as Concordia was consistently crashing the ball through the opposition. This took a toll on Bishop’s. The Gaiters had little energy in the second half.

This dominating style has clearly been effective this season and the team hopes it will get them through the upcoming schedule.

 

The Stingers’ next face off is against the Université de Montréal Carabins on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.

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Men’s rugby team earn first victory

Concordia won their first men’s rugby game of the season on home field during a rainy Friday night.

“The forwards won us the game,” said assistant coach Jamal Benouahi.

While Concordia’s tries were all scored by the back three, it was an outright dominating performance from the set piece that won the Stingers the game.

Second row Marc Roche had a standout game for the maroon and gold. He credits the team’s work on the practice pitch for the victory.

“It came down to practice,” Roche said. “Tonight it all came together and we drove them the hell off that ball.”

The first half saw both Concordia and Université de Montréal playing rather evenly in terms of possession and defense. The rain made it difficult for both teams to properly handle the ball, as a lot of knock-ons were being handed out.

The low point of the half was a complete meltdown from the Stingers in the 14th minute that lead directly to a Carabins try. The ball made its way down the wing through a series of offloads. Fortunately, this mistake did not decide the outcome. The Stingers pressed hard and defended effectively for the rest of the half.

The team came out flying in the second half. From the start, the Stingers’ back three showed how dangerous they are when they play to their ability and the line is able to provide them with the ball.

Only three minutes in, the Stingers broke down their opponent’s rush. Stinger Caleb Jordan snagged the ball and left defenders in awe with his sharp cuts and quick feet.

Con U’s second try was scored after a series of unorthodox plays forced a penalty and a scrum-down on U de M’s side of the pitch. As they did all game, Concordia won the set piece and took the ball wide to Frederic Kacou. He found an impossible gap sneaking into the try zone.

The icing on the cake came with 11 minutes remaining. Full back Vasken Redwanly got hold of the ball at midfield, after Jordan offloaded to him, letting him take off down the field. Redwanly left every Carabins defender behind before putting the ball down with authority in the far side of the try zone

“We know that we can beat the defense,” said Kacou. “When we get it, we know it’s going to work.”

“I’m proud of the forwards for keeping us in the game when the backs had trouble early,” said Captain Dario Pellizzari.

Getting rid of the goose egg in the win column was a must for the Stingers who now head out on the road.

“We have a platform for our game and we’re going to work from there,” said head coach Clive Gibson.

 

The Stingers head to Bishop’s University to face off against the Gaiters on Friday, Sept. 28 at 8:15 p.m.

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Stingers fall to crosstown rivals

Concordia’s men’s rugby team took to the field to face the McGill Redmen on Wednesday night at Concordia Stadium. This was the first meeting between both schools since last year’s final.

The Stingers looked to settle the difference in this game, but poorly executed set plays led to another loss to their rivals. McGill won the match 22-10.

The first half was highlighted with great defense and heart from the Stingers. They opened the game with tons of pressure against a Redmen side that did not respond favourably to the tactics. McGill committed an abundance of penalties as a result.

The first points on the board came out of an outstanding tackle by Stingers flanker Paul Bouet. This sparked a lapse in judgment from the Redmen and gave rookie centre and kicker Joey Fulginiti great field position from 30 yards out. He easily made the kick to give the Stingers a three-point lead. The rest of the half was spent fending off the opposition.

Concordia rookie Fulginiti has integrated well with the team. During Wednesday’s game, he had five points against McGill and while some rookies feel pressure, Fulginiti otherwise.

“It’s a great atmosphere, as a rookie, you don’t feel like one and were a very close knit family,” he said.

A late penalty by Concordia allowed McGill one last effort to put up points. The Redmen successfully managed to keep the ball and scored a try. The conversion was good, giving them a 7-3 lead going into the second half.

While McGill played with some degree of difficulty in the first half, the second 40 minutes saw a completely different team. The Redmen were successful on a majority of their set-piece plays and managed to steal possession away from the Stingers. This gave the visitors’ backs ample opportunities to move the ball up the field. McGill scored two tries and kicked for three points to give them a 22-3 lead.

Losing the set piece battle made it difficult for the Stingers backs to see any possession. The team spent all but the last moments of the game in their half of the field. A lightning fast run by Freddy Kacou resulted in a late try thanks to an offload from teammate Fulginiti. These were the last points of the game.

“We’ve got the guys who are buying into the game plan, thinking tactically, and I’m very happy,” said head coach Clive Gibson. “There is still work to be done, but we have time. This gives us a good platform to work on.”

“It was a game of two different halves,” said Stingers flanker Bouet. “The first half we played pretty well, minus the mental breakdown at the end. I think in the second [half] we continued to make those same mental mistakes.”

The Stingers have an important fixture next week against Université de Montréal. A win is even more crucial as the team no longer has the luxury of a guaranteed playoff spot.

Concordia faces off against U de M on Friday, Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. at Concordia Stadium.

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Season opener ends in disappointment

Photos by Brianna Thicke

Hoping to make a statement against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or, the Stingers rugby team came up short in their home opener on Friday night.

“We put ourselves under a load of pressure and we didn’t need too,” said Head Coach Clive Gibson. “We did not play according to our game plan.”

The squad had prepared for a more positive start to the season, but it was clear that this is still a young roster.

The speed of the back line is one of the Stingers strongest assets. Unfortunately, the ball rarely made its way towards them in this game due to many penalties and dropped balls. Concordia was unable to retain ball possession and an abundance of unforced errors cost the team their first game of the season.

While the offensive side of the ball wasn’t clicking, the defense handled itself very well. They were constantly being threatened but managed to fend off the opposition for the majority of the game.

The lack of discipline was also a problem for the Stingers. They received two yellow cards which cost them a player for 10 minutes on both occasions.

“Being short a man for 20 minutes of the game makes it very tough to win,” added Gibson.

Concordia managed to play well throughout the first penalty by applying a lot of pressure. On the second one, the defense was strong.

In the later stages of the match, Sherbrooke capitalized over a tired Stingers team, scoring a try in the final 10 minutes of the game to put them up 14-13. This would become the final score of the game.

Concordia will not have much time to practice this week as they play on Wednesday against rivals McGill. The team will look to improve on decision-making with the ball, their game plan and teamwork.

“The level of play is too high,” added Gibson. “If they don’t learn to play as a team, they’re never going to win, not at this level.”

This loss, however, was not perceived as a back-breaker by captain Dario Pellizzari. He said this loss should not be viewed as a step back in the squad’s progress, but rather a stepping stone for the greater challenges that await the Stingers in the next few weeks.

“Fortunately we have another seven games in the season to pull ourselves together and make a cup run,” he said. “This loss may prove to do us [good] in the end.”

 

The game against McGill on Wednesday is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Concordia Stadium.

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Third time’s a charm?

Being always the bridesmaid in back-to-back finals, the men’s rugby squad kicked off camp with one goal in mind: win the championship.

Each year the roster shuffles. Despite a promising rookie class, this year’s group will need to dig deep in order to fill the gap left from the losses of last year’s split captains Jimmy Bang and Jonathan Dextras-Romagnino

“Losing the leadership of two captains is huge,” said head coach Clive Gibson. Luckily for them, new team captain Dario Pellizzari has been “stepping up in a big way,” said Gibson. “He’s done many positive things that will make team unity very strong this year.”

“Championships are made through overcoming failure and adversity,” said Pellizzari. “The guys know what it feels like to lose two years in a row and now we know what to expect.”

For the majority of the student body, the last weeks of August are the last grasp at summer freedom. But for the Stingers rugby team, it’s the beginning of training camp and this means the fall season is just around the corner.

“Everyone’s looking at you for inspiration,” Pellizzari explained. “I was able to instill my values in the team this winter: work ethic, accountability and respect. If we stick to these values throughout the year, we’ll see great results.”

Along with this common set of values, a ‘no excuses’ attitude has been adopted by the veterans down to the rookies of this year’s team.

While Gibson was adamant about keeping his coaching strategies off the record, he did mention that he, along with his coaching staff, are not practitioners of the traditional rugby game. This is one of the many reasons for their success as of late.

“As a coaching staff, we are extremely committed to what we’d like to consider innovation,” said Gibson. “We are not traditional rugby minds. We’re always looking for that new angle or new approach. I think we may have found it.”

This year marked a very progressive time for the Stingers for the team has hired someone to recruit players on CÉGEP teams. This will allow the coach, who used to take on this role, to focus more on his team.

“I think it might be our year,” admitted Gibson. “There are still some key elements that need to be sorted out, but we’ve got time.”

The Stingers open their season at home on Friday, Sept. 7 at 9 p.m. against Sherbrooke.

 

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