Category: Sports

The Laval Rouge et Or continued their domination of the Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference, taking home three of the conference’s major awards which were announced Monday at Concordia University.
The ceremony was hosted by QIFC commissioner Harry Zarins who praised all the teams for their competitive play throughout the year.
“With everyone finishing so close together, it shows the competitiveness of the league. Nobody could take a week off,” he said.
Laval’s Matthieu Brassard, in his fifth and final season, was named the QIFC’s most outstanding player and is the league nominee for the Hec Crighton trophy.
Laval’s head coach Glen Constantin praised the veteran running back.
“Matthieu is the heart and soul of our offence and team. He’s proved he is a dominant player at every level,” he said.
Brassard was overwhelmed by the honour.
“I never would have believed that I would be nominated for such an award.”
Laval’s other award winners were offensive guard Carl Gourgues who won the award for top lineman and return specialist Mathieu Proulx who won as rookie of the year.
McGill took two awards on the day.
Defensive back Strachan Hartley was nominated for the Russ Jackson trophy, awarded to the player that best combines athletics with academics and community service.
McGill head coach Chuck McMann won the other award as QIFC coach of the year. He is also the league’s nominee for the Frank Tindall trophy as CIS coach of the year.
“This was a very, very competitive field. McMann is a first year coach and he did a tremendous job with the Redmen,” Zarins said.
Bishop’s safety David Stipe, playing in his fifth season, was the QIFC’s nominee for the President’s trophy as the most outstanding defensive player.
The Concordia Stingers were shut out at the awards ceremony.

The Concordia women’s hockey team put on a showcase of unbelievable passing, superior play making and oh yeah, goal scoring, as they steamrolled over the Carleton Ravens by a score of 7-1 on Sunday.
Playing their third game in as many days, the Stingers humbled the Ravens by scoring early and maintaining a high-paced level of play throughout the match, something which has been a rarity for Concordia and obviously a factor the Ravens were not prepared for. “We started out slow but we’ve realized that we have to come out harder from the start,” said centre Dominique Rancour.
The biggest reason for the offensive dominance came from the top line of Rancour, Marie Claude Allard and Lisa-Marie Breton-Lebreux which combined for a stunning 11 points. While each player was important to the line’s success, Rancour was especially impressive scoring a hat trick and adding an assist. “We played together when we were younger,” said Allard, “that’s why we work so well.”
Although the first period of the game could best be described as lacklustre, Concordia still walked out of it with a 2-0 lead on a power-play goal by Kendra MacDonald four minutes into the game and another by Leanne Martell.
For the next two periods the Stingers were virtually flawless in every facet of the game.
Not only courtesy of their electrifying top-line but also a suffocating defence that limited an already dulled Carleton offence to less than a handful of scoring chances against Stinger goalie Jessica Anderson. The best evidence of this comes from the 47-16 shot differential in favour of Concordia.
While the final score might have been large enough to satisfy most, there was very little separating Concordia from cracking into the double digits for goals.
At one point in the second period, Allard, who finished with a goal and three assists, was turned away on three good scoring chances within 30 seconds.
Rancour could have easily notched a couple more goals to her total. Before netting her hat-trick goal in the third, she had several clear shots from in close. This included a partial breakaway where she showed off her speed by streaking past a pair of defencemen.
The one glitch on the radar for the Stingers came with 19 seconds remaining in the game.They failed to clear the puck from their zone and a Carleton forward blasted a heart-breaking goal to the top corner from just inside the blue-line to end Anderson’s shutout bid.
After the game, head coach Les Lawton was happy about the way his team rebounded from a 6-5 loss against Ottawa on Friday. “We used that as a springboard for the rest of the week-end,” said Lawton. “We’ve had a difficult start but now every game is getting better.”
The Stingers will be on the road for their next game on Sunday against UQTR.

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team were defeated by the McGill Marlets this Friday 4-2 in their first loss of the season, a hard-fought battle played out at McConnell Arena.
The Stingers, although outshooting the opposition 10-8, had only one eye-catching moment in the first period – a goal by first year centre Dominique Rancour. After McGill’s Sophie Acheson scored a weak goal two minutes into the game, Concordia struggled to bounce back. The team became frustrated, taking a roughing penalty soon after. That frustration was lifted when Rancour skated up the middle on a breakaway, decked Martlets goalie Amey Doyle and netted Concordia’s first goal of the game.
This goal put McGill’s defence back, who up until then had done an excellent job containing the Stingers’ offensive prowess, back on its heels.
“We had as many chances as we could get,” Rancour said. “Their goaltending was good from the start.”
Concordia’s game slowly began to flow in the second. They looked more cohesive on the ice and improved their power play immensely. When the Martlets took a two minute cross-checking penalty midway through the period, the Stingers played it well, keeping the puck in the McGill zone. They failed to put anything pas McGill’s netminder, who made a blocker save that brought the crowd to its feet.
The Concordia supporters in the crowd were sent to their feet too, when the linesmen, who were officiating this game with the absence of a referee, did not call a blatant tripping penalty against McGill, which led to their second goal of the game.
Battling back from a two-goal deficit was the game plan in the third, but as close as they came with a goal from right winger Kendra MacDonald, it just wasn’t enough.
“We had a lot of chances today but just couldn’t put the puck in the net,” said Stingers coach Les Lawton. “We definitely have to sharpen up offensively”
Goaltender Lori Posluns, although shaky at times, definitely helped the Stingers in key situations, but McGill’s Acheson proved two much, scoring a hat-trick against her.
“McGill’s a big strong team,” Lawton said. “They got a couple of good forwards that get to the net well, and that’s what they did tonight.”
The women’s hockey team plays their next home game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees this Friday.

They slice, they dice, they cut julian fries! Unfortunately the ‘they’ was not Concordia, but rather the women’s rugby powerhouse McGill, who are now undefeated through three straight seasons. Yet again McGill and Concordia vied for the provincial championship, this rematch going in McGill’s favour 60-0.
“They moved the ball well, dominated in loose-ball play, they never let the ball die,” explained Stingers’ assistant coach Ann Coyle of McGill.
It seems all of Concordia’s season was leading up to this game, using the other teams as practice for the big, inevitable last match against McGill.
Slice would be the best definition of what McGill did to Concordia’s defence. Concordia always seemed to be under-manned down the line covering McGill’s runners, and somehow one would find a way through. Often McGill would kick the ball deep into Concordia territory, and make sure the play stayed there. Also the Stingers couldn’t handle McGill’s bigger size when it came to tackling runners or scrambling for possession of loose balls.
In the end did weeks of honing defence pay-off for the Stingers? “No. We needed more solid tackling today” said Coyle. However, to her team’s credit, she added, “I’m really proud of them, they played their hearts out till the end.”
The Stingers came very close to breaking McGill’s shutout a few times, but were never able to push those last few yards through McGill’s lines. In the second half Concordia’s performance did step up, allowing fewer scoring opportunities. But the play also got a bit scrappy in that half, with injuries on both sides, a player from both teams receiving a yellow card, and a few frustrated altercations between the teams.
“It was a very emotional game,” said Stinger captain Sommer Christie after the game. “I’ve never wanted to win a game so much in my life.”
It was probably the last game for some key Stingers’ veterans, like Joanne Auger, Lynda Domazet, Leila El-Kayem, Leigh Garland and Katie Renwick. The Stingers won’t be invited to the national tournament since hosting Ottawa gets a bye and knocks out the second-placed team from the Quebec-Ontario division.

The Concordia Stingers failed to take advantage of a golden opportunity to clinch first place in the QIFC, falling to the Bishop’s Gaiters 33-23 last Saturday afternoon at Concordia Stadium.
Bishop’s took it to Concordia early in the game, opening the scoring on a pair of field goals by kicker Rob Horstman. They added to their lead on a three-yard touchdown run by Andre Bynoe, putting the Gaiters up 13-0. Horstman added a 28-yard field goal late in the quarter, giving the Gaiters a 16-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Things became uglier for the Stingers at the beginning of the second quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, Gaiters pivot Sylvain Desrochers connected with receiver Dennis Halfpenny for a 58-yard touchdown pass, and the Stingers found themselves down 23-0.
The Stingers finally got on the scoreboard with just under nine minutes remaining in the half when quarterback Jon Kronemeyer handed the ball to running-back Jean Michel Paquette, who took the ball one yard into the end zone, reducing the margin to 23-7. The Stingers continued to narrow the gap less than a minute later when Kerry Clahane intercepted a Desrochers pass and returned it 38 yards for the touchdown making the score 23-14.
On the ensuing kickoff by Burke Dales, cornerback Max Arthur forced a fumble on the Bishop’s 21-yard line and Marc Trepanier recovered the ball for Concordia, giving them excellent field position. But they were unable to capitalize on the drive and were forced to settle for a single point. As the half neared its end, Stingers kicker Rob McCallum nailed a 36-yard field goal to reduce the Gaiters lead to five points at the half.
The Stingers were unable to get any closer in the second half, as Hugo Fortier took over at quarterback for Kronemeyer, who left the game with a rib injury. Gilles Colon caught a five yard touchdown pass from Desrochers to put the Gaiters up by a dozen points.
It was a rough afternoon for Kronemeyer and Fortier who combined to complete 15 of 39 passes for 158 yards and three interceptions.
“Our offence was horrible and our quarterbacks were brutal,” said Stingers coach Gerry McGrath after the game. “We got what we deserved, we were not willing to pay the price.”
The Stingers defensive line was visibly upset with their performance and they kept their words short. “The playoffs start next week,” said middle linebacker Graeme Burns.
This Saturday, the Stingers enter sudden death mode with a showdown against the Redmen in the QIFC semi-final game. McGrath hopes that his troops will bounce back from the loss and come out strong. “When we decide to play football, we are a solid team,” McGrath said.
Kickoff at Concordia stadium is at 1 p.m.

The Stinger soccer teams finished their regular seasons with decisive wins over the Sherbrooke Vert et Or teams on Sunday at Concordia.
The women shut-out the visitors 2-0 with solid defence and the men won 4-2 in a game that capped off an undefeated season.
The women’s game was dominated by a stingy Concordia defence anchored by Val Desjardins and Maggie Katz.
At 30 minutes, striker Reena Vohra opened the scoring when she put a pass from Amanda Maks, into the back of the net.
Two minutes later, Maks doubled the Concordia lead with a magnificent header off midfielder Catherine DeAbreu’s corner kick.
“I was in the right place at the right time,” Maks said shortly after the game. “I got my head on it and it went in.”
Concordia went into halftime with a 2-0 lead and never looked back, coasting to victory after an uneventful second half.
The victory cemented a playoff spot for the Stingers, who will play a semi-final game this week.
“We are very excited (about the playoffs),” an optimistic Maks said. “We know we can beat the teams we have to beat, so I think we’ll be good.”
The men dominated their game and could have easily gotten shutout if not for two defensive errors.
Sherbrooke opened the scoring in the 30th minute when Nicholas Harel volleyed a cross past Stinger goalkeeper David Ortega.
Concordia tied the score minutes later when midfielder Mehdi Mourali lobbed a perfect cross to striker Steven Craig, who headed it in for the Stingers’ first goal.
Midfielder Stefan Takac scored his first of two goals on the afternoon in injury time of the first half off an Amar Badawieh pass.
Concordia got its third goal came in the 60th minute as Mourali launched a long pass to a streaking Badawieh on a counter attack. The diminutive striker scooped up the ball and beat a helpless Saulnier for the goal.
“Mehdi kicked it all the way to the other end,” Badawieh said. “I went fast, I controlled it. The goalkeeper left his goal and I just put it in the opposite end.”
Sherbrooke’s only other goal came off a penalty kick late in the game.
That would be as close as Sherbrooke would come as Takac was credited with a goal in the 83rd minute when one of his high crosses bounced off a Vert et Or player’s head and ended up in the net.
The playoffs are next for the undefeated Stingers (9-0-3), and if they are crowned Quebec champions, they earn the right to compete at the nationals in Halifax, NS.
Badawieh predicted the Stingers will win it all. “We’re going to make it to the nationals in Halifax, and we’re going to win it.”

As the old saying goes, you win some and you lose some. That was the story this weekend for our Concordia Stingers.
The football team was upset by Bishop’s as was our women’s hockey team by McGill. Our soccer teams ended their seasons on positive notes with victories on Sunday but the women’s rugby squad just couldn’t get past those pesky Martlets despite an all out effort.
The men’s hockey team kicked off it’s regular season schedule at home this weekend and lived up to the pre-season hype.
The posted two impressive victories on the weekend. First on Friday they defeated Ottawa 5-2 and then on Sunday they dominated the cross-town rival McGill Redmen 4-1.
They outscored their opposition 9-3 on the weekend but perhaps the most telling and impressive factor this weekend and especially on Sunday was the teams defensive play.
In Sunday’s game, they killed off no less then three 5-on-3 McGill power plays. They kept McGill off the scoreboard during countless penalty killing situations caused by lop sided officiating that had coach Kevin Figsby livid midway through the second period.
Not only was the officiating lopsided, but the referee turned a blind eye to an obvious attempt to injure a Concordia player. During a line change, the door to the Stingers bench was open. The McGill player saw this and charged the bench, knocking the player into the hard edge of the board where the door was open.
This was a blatant attempt by the McGill player to put a Concordia player in harm’s way and the referee simply ignored the call.
Although it is still early in the season, this team is showing tons of potential. They are playing a solid system under Figsby that starts with great goaltending all the way to the fourth line grinders. The team is playing with heart and that can be seen by the way the players react to their mistakes. They take nothing lightly and are out there to play hard every shift.
It is clear that this team is the start of something great, a sentiment shared by someone who was an integral part of the team for years.
“Give this team 1-2 years and they will be the start of a legacy,” is what former Stinger captain Vince Labossiere had to say after watching Friday’s victory.
Figsby and the boys hope you’re right, Vince.
concordiansports@hotmail.com

Despite being dominated in virtually every category needed to have a successful offensive performance, the Concordia men’s hockey team beat the McGill Redmen in the only one that counted on Sunday winning by a score of 4-1 and improving their record to 2-0.
The Stingers gave a strong reminder that it’s not numbers, but effort that wins hockey games as Concordia gave McGill 11 chances to score on the power play, including three with the two man advantage.
Not only did the Stingers kill off every penalty but they also managed to score a short handed goal in the second period as Alain Charbonneau finished off a 2-on-1 break with Patrice Roy after a spectacular passing play, giving the Stingers a 3-1 lead at the time.
Prior to that goal Concordia got first period goals from forwards Sean Tilley and Edin Burazerovic, while Roy added an empty-net goal in the third to cap of a three-point performance.
Another big number came from Concordia goalie Philippe Ozga who had a 59 save performance as his team was outshot 60-22, making it seem very much like his team.
“The penalty-kill worked well but we have to get more disciplined,” Ozga, who was without question the reason that the Stingers skated away with the win, said.
This was especially the case late in the third when Ozga showed off his quick reflexes by making a sharp glove save and several while sitting in the crease after being knocked down.
The high level of aggression that comes with any Concordia-McGill meeting was evident even without mentioning the 36 minutes in penalties shared between the two teams.
An example of this came when a McGill player checked defenceman Greg Dunn into the open door of the Stingers bench. Although he got up slowly, Dunn continued to play and kept his cool.
The hit on Dunn was a common occurrence as players were hit along the bench door several times over the course of the game.
“Both teams played hard,” Dunn said. “As long as the team wins, that’s all that matters.”
Another common occurrence was retaliation on the part of the Stingers, including when Dunn took a crosschecking penalty a few minutes after he was hit.
“We are a young and exciting team to watch but we have some over anxious rookies,” Head Coach Kevin Figsby, who also called McGill’s style of play “chippy” and “cheap,” said.
While a large percentage of the Stingers is made up of rookies, Ozga said the veterans have been able to play a major part in evening-out the inexperience.
“The veterans are prepared for what we face and they prepare the young guys,” he said.

The busy season for athletics at Concordia is upon us. Football is making a strong push into the post season as are our rugby and soccer teams.
On top of that, Concordia’s basketball and hockey teams are just getting underway. With all our teams in competition for the next few weeks, there is something out there for almost every sports fan at Concordia.
The Stingers are proving that they are force to be reckoned with in almost every sport on campus. Basketball and hockey should be no exception. The basketball teams are looking to improve on an already impressive record and our women’s hockey team is looking to regain its place at the top of the national rankings.
Of particular interest to me this upcoming winter is the men’s hockey team. I have been covering the team for over two years now and have noticed a remarkable change since my first game.
Although they lost some leadership and experience when Vince Labossiere graduated, the team is filled with enthusiastic, hard working newcomers that fans will quickly enjoy watching.
I am anxiously awaiting the start of what should be an exciting season. Sure, the team will have its ups and downs, but no matter what, they will always give their all under head coach Kevin Figsby, who is the rudder that has steered the ship Concordia in the right direction.
I will be watching as the Stingers look to de-throne the Universite de Quebec a Trois-Rivieres Patriotes from their seat atop the conference. The past two seasons, Concordia was the only team to defeat UQTR in the regular season and the rivalry between these two teams has grown to match and even surpass the rivalry with McGill.
There is a new sense of pride in the dressing room of our Stingers. They know they can compete with the best in the league, and for some, they are the best in the league.
Stinger pride goes on strong and we should and must support and encourage our great and somewhat unrecognized athletes. What they do is not an easy task. They sacrifice a lot of time for their teams and play purely for the love of the game and the pride of our school.
I know I will be at as many games as possible, not as a reporter, but as a fan. Everyone should come out support our Stingers. You won’t be disappointed.
concordiansports@hotmail.com

The Concordia Stingers clinched at least a second place playoff spot with a thrilling 31-28 triumph over the McGill Redmen before 2,052 spectators last Saturday afternoon in the 33rd annual Shaughnessy Cup at Molson Stadium.
Things were going well early on for the Stingers as they recovered a McGill fumble off the opening kickoff by punter/receiver Burke Dales. Two plays later, Pat Donovan took the ball into the end zone on a two-yard run, putting the Stingers up by seven less than a minute into the game.
The Stingers added to their lead late in the opening quarter when quarterback Jon Kronemeyer threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Matt MacDonald, putting the Stingers ahead 14-0.
The Redmen came to life in the second quarter and put their first points on the scoreboard with 9:41 remaining on a seven-yard touchdown run by Nicholas Hoffman, cutting the Stingers lead in half. Only twenty four seconds later, Alain Rousseau fumbled a pass from Kronemeyer, resulting in a 24-yard touchdown run for the Redmen that tied the game at 14.
Concordia regained the lead before the end of the second half when Kronemeyer moved deep out of the pocket and found receiver Ricky Martin in the end zone, making the score 21-14 Concordia at the half.
McGill tied the game midway through the third quarter on a 65-yard punt return touchdown, leaving Concordia’s special teams unit wondering what hit them. Concordia regained the lead near the end of the quarter on an 18-yard field goal by Rob McCallum.
In the fourth quarter, the Redmen took a 28-24 lead with 5:32 remaining on Hoffman’s second rushing touchdown of the afternoon.
Despite the four point deficit, the Stingers had plenty of time to march down the field and they did so with poise. On second-and-9 from the Redmen 30-yard line, Kronemeyer threw a 20-yard pass up the middle to Chris Cvetkovic, who bobbled the ball but managed to make an impressive catch to keep the drive alive. The winning play came with 1:53 remaining, on an 11-yard pass by Kronemeyer to Dales, putting the Stingers ahead 31-28.
Kronemeyer, who went 24 for 33, with three touchdown passes and 339 yards passing, liked what he saw on the field. “Good things happened out there today. The first play of the game gave us some immediate momentum,” Kronemeyer said. Kronemeyer threw to seven different receivers in the game.
Dales, who demonstrated kicking and receiving versatility, caught three passes for 52 yards, including the game winning reception. “That was a hard fought game, but I am definitely happy with the win.”
Stingers coach Gerry McGrath was happy to see his team bounce back from an embarrassing loss the week before against the powerful Laval Rouge et Or. “That was one of the best games I’ve seen in years, especially with the great coaching on both sides. It was a true mental test to see how we would play after losing big last week,” McGrath said.
Runningback Mike Lynch carried most of the load for the Stingers ground game. He gained 94 yards on 21 carries.
The Stingers (5-2) now stand even with Laval for top spot in the QIFC, heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Concordia will host Bishop’s this Saturday and still have a chance to claim first place. Kickoff at Concordia Stadium is 1 p.m.

The Concordia women’s hockey team played their first home game of the year on Sunday; in a contest that could have easily had a different outcome, the Stingers shutout the Universite du Quebec a Trois Rivieres Patriotes by a score of 2-0.
The Stingers looked strong at the start of the game, easily cruising through the neutral zone and facing little opposition bringing the puck into the UQTR zone, it was a similar case on the defensive end where UQTR had difficulty finding clear room to shoot at the net.
Two minutes after killing-off a high-sticking penalty, the Stingers found themselves on the power play as a UQTR player also went off for high-sticking. Forward Kendra Macdonald was the best player on the man-advantage for Concordia, getting a couple of clear shots in close but to no avail.
Eventually the Stingers’ hard work would pay-off as team co-captain Lisa-Marie Breton took a pass from first-year forward Dominique Rancour at the side of the net and lifted it over the pad of a sprawled-out goalie to give Concordia a 1-0 lead at the midway point of the period.
A penalty called at the end of the first period had the Stingers on the defensive heading into the second. While UQTR was able to get an early jump by pressing hard and keeping the puck in the Stingers’ end of the ice, they were still unable to get any quality shots on net.
From there the Stingers got back to controlling the offensive tempo of the game, taking advantage of a shaky UQTR defence. Forwards Leanne Martell, Marie-Claude Allard, and Michelle Fauteux all provided Concordia with near goals from close-range but were unable to finish their chances.
However, the momentum of the game shifted after Fauteux took a penalty with just over three minutes remaining in the period. Once again, UQTR pressed hard, this time coming within inches of scoring as a scramble in front of the Stinger net left the puck sitting close to an open right side before being cleared by centre Anik Gringon L’Anglais. Seconds later a Quebec forward busted in on a breakaway, leaving goalie Lori Posluns as the only thing standing in the way of a tie game. Posluns stood her ground by making what looked like a routine pad save, keeping Concordia in the lead at the end of the period.
UQTR continued to apply pressure at the beginning of the third period, looking destined to tie the game, if not more.
It didn’t last long though, as the Stingers finally got the insurance marker that they had been looking for when Breton scored her second goal of the game, this time on the power play.
After being set-up by defenseman and co-captain Suzanne Kaye, Breton blasted the shot from just inside the blue-line, leaving the goaltender little time to react and giving her team a 2-0 lead.
Despite the win, head coach Les Lawton was critical of the way his team played. “We looked out of sync today,” said Lawton, “we should have been able wear them down better in the third.”
Breton shared similar sentiments. “We could have done better out there.We have to do a better job of pressuring them.”