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Jean-Guy Rimpel is simply trying to be the best

Jean-Guy Rimpel runs with the ball in a game against the McGill Redmen during the 2016 season. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Concordia Stingers running back has his mind set on just winning a championship

Jean-Guy Rimpel is not a running back many defensive players enjoy facing one-on-one. He bolts past, and often through, linemen, linebackers and defensive backs with ease.

Oftentimes, he can only be stopped when he is tripped up or when multiple players tackle him. Speed and strength are traits that rarely work cohesively, yet they allow him to be an explosive figure in the backfield of the Stingers offence. And that’s why Rimpel is one of the best running backs in U Sports.

“I’m a hard-worker. I can do everything; I can catch, I can block, I’m tall, I’m physical,” Rimpel said. “There aren’t a lot of running backs who can do everything.”

Rimpel led the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) in rushing yards last year with 514 yards and four touchdowns. Two years ago, in his rookie season, he finished fourth in rushing with 432 yards and five touchdowns. In his two seasons at Concordia, the Stingers have failed to make it past the conference semi-final, but Rimpel has his eyes set on the ultimate goal: a championship.

“I just want to win. I think back to those past two years—it’s pushed me to fight every game and just staying ready every game,” he said. “I know we have the potential to bring the Vanier Cup to Concordia.”

“I know we have the potential to bring the Vanier Cup to Concordia.”

This off-season Rimpel said he pushed himself to improve on his weaknesses.

“As a running back, I do make mistakes. I do drop balls, I do make the wrong reads sometimes, but I’m giving the hours to improve,” he said.

Like many others on the team, including head coach Mickey Donovan and quarterback Trenton Miller, Rimpel echoed what seems to be the team’s unofficial motto this year.

“We’re going to play week-by-week and reach our goals,” he said. “Every week, we’re at 0-0 whether we win or lose. We’re trying to take every team seriously. We’re hoping that this [mentality] can help take us to the end.”

Jean-Guy Rimpel carries the ball against the Laval Rouge et Or during the 2016 season. Archive photo by Ana Hernandez.

A former standout Division 1 all-star with the Collège Édouard-Montpetit Lynx, Rimpel has been proving he has the talent and drive to be a top player on the Stingers offence.

During the first game of the season, against the Université de Montréal Carabins, Rimpel put up 42 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns. However, the Stingers ended up losing that game 37-19.

“I think it was a really good game,” Rimpel said. “A really good start for the team, even though we lost. We came back against one of the best teams in the country, and that shows how competitive we are as a team.”

Rimpel and the Stingers bounced back with a 23-22 win in an away game against the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Aug. 31. Rimpel had 163 yards and 28 carries, and he scored a touchdown.

Rimpel is familiar with the pressures of being a student-athlete. But he said he had some help from one of his role models, his older brother.

“He really pushed me to succeed school-wise so that I could go play football in university,” said Rimpel, who is working towards a certificate in arts and science. “He was also a student-athlete, but he tore his ACL. He understands what it takes to have success.”

For Rimpel, the end goal doesn’t seem to be set in stone.

“Obviously if I get a shot to play in the CFL, I would give it everything,” he said. “But right now, I’m focused on getting my degree.”

Main photo credit: Brianna Thicke.

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Stingers soccer teams lose, pick up tie in home-opening doubleheader

Yacine Ait Slimane looks to make a pass to Stijn Kruidenier in a game versus the UQAM Citadins. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

UQAM Citadins spoil home opener versus men’s team; Stingers score late to tie women’s game

The Concordia Stingers soccer teams lost and earned a tie in a doubleheader versus the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins on Aug. 31 at Concordia Stadium. In the Stingers home opener, the men’s team lost 1-0, and the women tied 2-2.

Women’s Soccer

A goal in injury time by first-year right back Kate Evoy tied the game up, giving the Stingers a point. On the tying goal, there was some controversy as the UQAM goalkeeper was injured after a collision during a scramble in front of the net. That resulted in Evoy putting the ball into the empty net.

The Stingers first goal came early in the second half when forward Sarah Humes blasted the ball past the UQAM keeper to give the Stingers a 1-0 lead. Midfielder Chama Sedki earned an assist on the play.

The Citadins, who finished fourth in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) last season, came back to score two quick goals before Evoy’s game-tying point.

“It was a deserved point, and it could have easily been a win,” said Stingers head coach Jorge Sanchez after the game. “When we were up 1-0, we could have put it away, but we missed a few chances, and that’s the way it goes.”

“I would like us to put the game away, but it was a great game by the team. To make the playoffs, you need to steal points in games like this,” he said. “This is a morale victory for us.”

Alice Grandpierre, who wore the captain’s armband for the game, said she has a good feeling about her new teammates.

“Honestly, it’s a change,” she said. “In recent years that I played here, we would often give up when being down 2-1, but tonight we pushed and got the tying goal. We are a group of hard-workers, and I think it’s awesome.”

Men’s Soccer

The Stingers fought right to the end but just couldn’t buy a goal to tie the game.

In the first half, the Citadins controlled the pace of the game. The Stingers defence, led by Olivier Georges and Lorenzo Gerber, kept the game scoreless at half. Stingers goalkeeper Cameron Rae also made some key saves to keep his team in the game.

Peter Campbell looks for a teammate in regular season action against the UQAM Citadins. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

After a first half of struggles by the Stingers offence, they opened the second half with some chances against the UQAM defence. However, the Citadins kept control of the game and managed to score a goal thanks to Felipe Costa de Souza off a pass from Mitchell Syla.

“That goal we allowed was tough because coach told us to watch out for the back post as that’s where they were putting pressure on us,’’ said Georges, the team’s captain. ‘‘We were doing very good defensively, and then to be scored on something we were told to watch out for is kind of a mood-killer. But you need to stay in your game and not let that overcome you.”

Despite the loss, head coach Greg Sutton said he saw a lot of potential from his new players.

“We have a lot of newcomers on this year’s team, and I was impressed with a bunch of guys,’’ he said. ‘‘One guy who impressed me a lot is Otto [Cardell]. The intensity he brought helped us a lot during this game. I’m also very impressed with what Lorenzo [Gerber] did in the back. It’s going to take some time to get organized, but I like what I see so far.”

The next regular-season home game for the men’s team is Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. versus the Université de Laval Rouge et Or. The women’s next game is an away game Sept. 7 at 8:15 p.m. against Bishop’s Gaiters.

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A one-game-at-a-time mentality for the Stingers

The Concordia Stingers are a team full of veterans, and they will try to continue winning with a new head coach in 2018. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Head coach Mickey Donovan doesn’t want players looking too far ahead into the season

After finishing third in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) conference with a 4-4 record last year, the Concordia Stingers football team is looking to make the jump to the next level.

However, the team isn’t looking too far into the season.

“We’re taking it one day at a time, one game at a time,” said head coach Mickey Donovan. “This conference is too good to look ahead, and [too good] to have bigger goals than that. My approach is taking it week by week and taking care of business when we have to.”

Starting quarterback Trenton Miller agreed with his coach’s approach to the season. “We don’t have any expectations this year for the team,” he said. “The mentality this year is that we are playing for each other, and we have everyone’s back no matter what.”

“The mentality this year is that we are playing for each other, and we have everyone’s back no matter what.” – Trenton Miller

Heading into his fourth season as head coach, Donovan is looking for difference-makers to step up, be leaders and take command of the field.

“We’re creating better depth and better competition out there on the field,” he said. “Guys are understanding that because they’ve been with us for three or four years.”

That depth is being bolstered by a string of new recruits, led by defensive back Jersey Henry from Vanier College, who Donovan mentioned caught his eye.

Quaysie Gordon-Maule carries the ball on a kick return against the UdeM Carabins. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Statistically, the Stingers were an average team last year, finishing in the middle of the pack in most categories. The team also allowed the second most points in the RSEQ last season. They will need their defence to be a lot stronger if they want to beat the two teams that finished above them last year, the Université de Montréal Carabins and the Laval Rouge et Or.

On the flip side, the offence, led by Miller, finished first in the conference last season in passing yards, with 2,403 yards, an average of 7.4 yards per throw.

The Stingers rush game last season relied heavily on running back Jean-Guy Rimpel, who ran his way to 514 yards, along with four touchdowns. Rimpel led the RSEQ in rushing yards, nearly 100 yards more than the next leading rusher. Miller also picked up yards by running, with 116 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

This season should see the same results, with Rimpel leading the charge on the ground. Miller said he’s looking at the offensive line and running backs to play well this year.

“They have worked really hard, and I think people will see that,” he said. “This team has prepared well and is ready for the season.”

“But honestly, we don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Miller added. “Talk is cheap — it’s time to prove it. Hype was our worst enemy last year. This year, we are embracing the grind, and we are ready to show it.”

The Concordia Stingers opened their RSEQ season with a home loss against the Université de Montréal Carabins by a score of 37-19. They play again on Friday, Aug. 31, in an away game against the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or.

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Stingers preview, from soccer to rugby

Midfielder Laura Lamontagne looks on as the Stingers women’s soccer teams kicks off a regular season match. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

A look at what Concordia has in store for the upcoming sports season

Another school year is upon us which means another season of varsity sports is about to begin at Concordia. From football to soccer, all of the school’s varsity teams will be starting their seasons within the next few days, weeks or months. Curious about what our teams have in store this year? Well we’ve got you covered with this season preview.

Football

The Concordia Stingers played their first game of the season against the Université de Montréal Carabins on Aug. 25, losing 37-19. Last season, the Stingers squeaked into the playoffs with a record of 4-4, but were bounced from the postseason in their conference semi-final against the Laval Rouge et Or. This year will prove to be a challenge for the Stingers as the Bishop’s Gaiters — whom they beat twice last year — are no longer in the division. This season, the Stingers will have to face the Carabins and the Rouge et Or twice — two teams Concordia hasn’t picked up a win against since 2010. Look out for key players such as quarterback Trenton Miller and wide receiver Vince Alessandrini to be this year’s difference makers.

Men’s Soccer

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team finished last season with a record of 4-6-2 which put them in sixth place out of seven teams in their division. The team was led by goalkeeper Karl Gouabé and leading point scorer Sébastien Boucley. The Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) division is led by powerhouses like Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, making this upcoming season a tough test for the Stingers. Their first game of the season is on Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. at home against UQAM.

Women’s Soccer

The women’s soccer team struggled last season, finishing the year with a 2-10-2 record that put them in sixth out of eight teams in the RSEQ division. Midfielder Laura Lamontagne led the team with five goals and three assists and will surely be a player to watch out for this season. Laval and the Université de Montréal will be the Stingers’ biggest challenges this season, as those teams took the top two spots in the division last year. Concordia starts their season at home on Aug. 31 against UQAM at 8:45 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

The Stingers men’s basketball team will look to build on last year’s success after finishing the season with a record of 10-6 — good enough for second place in the RSEQ division. The team was led by a fresh crop of rookies, as well as veteran guard Ken Beaulieu and fifth-year forward Michael Fosu. The Stingers will be without Fosu this year as last season was his graduating year. Look for Beaulieu as well as second-year forward Olivier Simon to take the reins this season. Their first game is on Nov. 9 against Bishop’s.

Women’s Basketball
Latifah Roach looks for an open teammate against the McGill Martlets. Archive photo by Ana Hernandez.

The women’s basketball team is fresh off a season where they upset the Laval Rouge et Or in the RSEQ semi-final and made it to the provincial final. While the Stingers eventually lost to the McGill Martlets, the team’s ability to persevere and chip away at their opponents will surely carry into this season. However, veterans such as Marilyse Roy-Viau, Tamara Pinard-Devos and Richelle Grégoire are no longer with the team, having graduated last year. While the team is without their veterans, the Stingers are still ripe with talent and poised for a good season. Their first game will be against Bishop’s on Nov. 9.

Men’s Rugby

The Stingers men’s rugby team is fresh off a transition year that saw the team drop to a 1-6 record, putting them in last place in the RSEQ division. Head coach Craig Beemer had his work cut out for him in his first year as the team’s bench boss. With a team heavily composed of rookies, last season was a learning curve for the Stingers. However, with last season’s rookies earning a year’s worth of experience, the team is sure to be on the upswing this season. The team’s first shot at redemption will be during the season opener on Sept. 10 against their biggest rival, the McGill Redmen.

Women’s Rugby

The women’s rugby team is poised for another dominating season in the RSEQ with the return of veteran players Frédérique Rajotte and Alex Tessier who are fresh off a stint with the Canadian national team. Concordia went 5-2 last season which was good enough for third place in the division. The Stingers made it to the RSEQ final, but lost to their biggest rival, the Ottawa Gee-Gees. This year, the team’s biggest competition will be the pesky Gee-Gees and the Laval Rouge et Or. The team starts the season on Sept. 4 away against McGill.

Men’s Hockey

The Concordia Stingers are coming off one of their best seasons in team history after acquiring top rookies like Anthony De Luca and Philippe Sanche. However, the team will face a new challenge this year as long-time captain Olivier Hinse has graduated and is now playing in Denmark. The team will, nonetheless, be in good hands as veteran forward Philippe Hudon will be taking over the captaincy. Look for goaltender Philippe Cadorette as well as forwards De Luca, Sanche and Anthony Beauregard to make a big impact on offence. The team plays their first game on Oct. 13 on the road against the McGill Redmen.

Women’s Hockey
The Stingers women’s hockey teams celebrates a semi-final playoff series win last season against the UQAM Carabins. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

Much like the men’s hockey team, the women just had a successful season, with the team making it to the bronze-medal game of the National championships. The team eventually lost in that game and took home fourth place. They also finished second in the RSEQ playoffs. Forward Audrey Belzile led the team with 18 points last season, and is sure to be a star goal-scorer alongside forward Claudia Dubois this year. With Katherine Purchase coming back as the starting goalie, the Stingers have the potential to build on last season’s impressive finish. They will play their first game of the season on Oct. 15 against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Wrestling

With a strong crop of wrestlers, the Stingers are a force to be reckoned with this season. At Nationals last year, Vincent De Marinis took home a gold medal in the 65 kg weight class. De Marinis is going into his graduation year at Concordia and, in an interview with The Concordian last semester, said he is always striving to improve and win more tournaments. Last year, rookie Fred Choquette took home bronze at Nationals and, going into his second year, has the potential to climb the ranks of the heavyweight division. Going into the season, expect third-year wrestler Jade Dufour to make a big impact as well. She finished second at Nationals last season.

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Stingers host six American schools in exhibition games

IMG_8962_AHutchins: Ricardo Mongue dribbles towards the basket in preseason action against the University of New Hampshire. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Head coach Rastko Popovic looks to evaluate young talent with preseason series

For the second year in a row, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team will host NCAA Division 1 teams in a series of exhibition games. The Stingers tip off their preseason with six games from Aug. 21 to Sept. 1.

For Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic, the exhibition series is an opportunity to prepare the team for their upcoming season, which starts in November.

“It gives us the chance to play some early games,” he said. “It gives us the chance to get some extra reps in, watch some extra video and give our young guys a chance to play a lot in games.”

New York’s Canisius Griffins, Hofstra Pride, St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers and Siena Saints, Boston’s Northeastern Huskies, and the New Hampshire Wildcats will make the trip to play at Concordia.

Like in every preseason, Popovic’s goal is to evaluate how some of his younger and newer players will integrate with the team. After last year’s five-game exhibition series against NCAA teams — which saw the Stingers win three games —  he noted some young players were able to contribute more offensively and defensively when the season started.

“If they get on the floor and they’re not nervous and they’re able to do things, it shows they are able to play under pressure early in a season,” he said.

Adrian Armstrong looks for a teammate in a preseason game against the University of New Hampshire. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Popovic, who is set to begin his third season as head coach, has four new players joining the team. Oge Nwoko, Michel Hakizimana and Mattis Gueret are first-year players, while Jonathan Koud becomes a Stinger after transferring from Northwest Junior College in Wyoming.

“It’s important for them to get some meaningful playing time so that they gain some valuable experience,” Popovic added.

While he is particularly focused on testing out the rookies, Popovic said it’s also important for the veterans to play in the exhibition series. He wants to see how his returning players improved over the summer, and how his team plays as a unit.

In addition, Popovic said the preseason games will allow him to scope out the Stingers’ strengths, particularly because they will be playing against strong teams.

“There’s a good chance the games will be competitive,” Popovic said, adding that Canadian university teams are finally able to play at the same level as some American teams. “There’s a good chance there are some games [the NCAA teams] won’t win.”

Popovic was a shooting guard during the 2005-06 season, when the Stingers were decimated 123-66 during an away game against the Duke Blue Devils — a top NCAA powerhouse. Over a decade later, though, his Stingers are now capable of beating other NCAA teams, as they proved with their three wins during the preseason series last year. This shows the growth of the men’s basketball program at Concordia and of the sport in Canada as a whole, since many teams now have the skill level to compete with American teams. The Carleton Ravens, for example, recently beat the Alabama Crimson Tide, a top American basketball team, 84-71.

“I think it’s good for U Sports basketball because it shows we can compete with these Division 1 teams,” Popovic said, adding that, “For people who want to see what our team will look like, it’s a good opportunity to come and watch some basketball.”

So far in the series, the Stingers have suffered three defeats: 82-69 against Canisius, 75-45 against Northeastern and 94-81 against New Hampshire.

They play against the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers on Aug. 29, against Siena on Aug. 31 and finish the preseason against Hofstra on Sept. 1.

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Concordia Stingers lose season opener to UdeM Carabins

The Stingers offence lines up at the goal line in the season opener against the UdeM Carabins. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Despite the loss, the Stingers offence shows a lot of potential for the upcoming season

The Concordia Stingers football team lost their season opener 37-19 against the Université de Montréal Carabins at Concordia Stadium Friday night. Despite the loss, head coach Mickey Donovan said he saw a lot of potential in the way his offence battled hard and his defence limited the Montréal attack.

“The commitment on not giving up and playing all 60 minutes was a great sign,” he said.

The Stingers outscored the Carabins 13-0 in the fourth quarter, despite being down 37-6 after three quarters. Starting quarterback Trenton Miller was also pleased with his offence’s determination in the final quarter.

“I think the most important thing was the guys fighting for four quarters,” he said. “I don’t think we would have fought like this last year.” The Stingers virtually gave up by the fourth quarter last season in a 59-3 blowout against the Carabins.

The game started off ideally for the Stingers. The Carabins failed to get a first down on their opening drive, and the Stingers defence stopped them on a third-and-short play. This defensive stop seemed to motivate the Stingers, knowing this was the start they needed against last year’s best offence in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) conference.

Yet, despite starting with the ball at Montréal’s 16-yard line, the Stingers offence failed to find the end zone on the drive. Instead, kicker Andrew Stevens scored the opening three points with a field goal.

The Carabins stormed back on the next drive, scoring a touchdown with an 18-yard pass to receiver Kevin Kaya from quarterback Samuel Caron.

Concordia quickly gave the ball back to Montréal with a three-and-out on their next possession. The Carabins continued pounding on the Stingers with a seven-play, 54-yard drive capped off by a 22-yard touchdown reception by receiver Raphael Major-Dagenais. Ten minutes into the game, and the Stingers were down 14-3.

The rest of the first half lacked any efficient offence from either side, with the Stingers conceding a safety and the teams trading field goals. The Carabins led 19-6 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Carabins continued to dominate. After the Stingers gave up another safety to start the third quarter, Caron found receiver Carabins Régis Cibasu for a 10-yard touchdown strike.

Receiver Yanic Lessard avoids a Montréal Carabins defender in the Concordia Stingers season-opener. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

With three minutes remaining in the quarter and the score 30-6, the Carabins lined up for a field goal at the Stingers’ 14-yard line. But they faked it, with Major-Dagenais running it in for a touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, Miller found his favourite receiver targets from last year in Vincent Alessandrini and Yanic Lessard. Alessandrini had two catches of over 20 yards each to put the Stingers in the red zone early in the fourth quarter.

Miller spoke highly of his receivers: “It’s easy to find a good connection with them when they’re that athletic, doing their routes and knowing their assignments.”

A penalty put the ball at the Carabins’ one-yard line, and running back Jean-Guy Rimpel punched it in for Concordia’s first touchdown of the season with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

After a solid stop by the Stingers defence, Miller only needed a 26-yard pass to Lessard and a 46-yard bomb to receiver James Tyrrell to put the Stingers right back at the one-yard line. Rimpel found the end zone on the next play for his second touchdown. Concordia made it 37-19, and no one scored for the final six minutes of play.

Coach Donovan described his team’s performance in the second half as night and day compared to the first half .

“There were less mental mistakes in the second half,” he said. “(The offence) was great. I was pleased with that.”

One player who made a big impact was Stingers receiver Jarryd Taylor. Last season, as a rookie, he only had 12 catches for 164 yards, but he had a breakthrough performance against the Carabins on Friday. He caught five passes for a game-high 112 yards, including a 52-yard reception in the second quarter. All of his catches led to a first down.

“He’s a great football player and has a lot of potential,” the head coach said. “He comes and works hard everyday.”

Taylor wouldn’t speak about his performance after the game, saying he doesn’t like to talk about himself. He did add, however, that the rest of the league should watch out for the Stingers offence, given that they scored 19 points and had 335 total yards against last year’s best defence.

“I’m proud of what we did, I’m proud of how we finished and I’m proud of how we kept fighting,” Taylor said.

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Stingers put season to rest with gala

Concordia’s athletes and coaches were honoured for the 2016-17 season

Athletes from all of Concordia’s sports teams packed into the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall at the Loyola campus for the Stingers annual athletics awards gala on April 6.

The event was hosted by TV host Chantal Desjardins, who opened the evening with jokes that got the crowd roaring with laughter. Later in the night, the two Stingers valedictorians got on stage to leave the players with some words of wisdom, while also making some jokes at the expense of their teammates and coaches. The valedictorians were Antoine Marchand of the men’s hockey team and Emily Hickson of the women’s rugby team.

“It was honestly extremely unexpected and humbling,” Hickson said about being selected as valedictorian. “It’s an honour to be representing the athletes this way, and it was a really amazing experience.”

Like Hickson, Marchand said he felt being able to speak on behalf of his fellow athletes was an honour.

“Words can’t explain what it means after four years of being here,” Marchand said. “There are so many amazing people graduating here this year, and to be able to represent them and sum up the year for them was more than honourable—it’s inexplicable.”

Hockey player Anthony De Luca won Male Athlete of the Year at the awards gala. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

The first awards of the night were the President’s Academic Awards which were given to the female and male athletes who achieved the highest academic standing while demonstrating success in their sport.

Hockey player Alexandra Nikolidakis won the award, as well as football player Patrick Mills.

Immediately after, the Marvin Cooper Award, which is given to the athlete who has successfully overcome the most adversity, was awarded to football player Mickael Côté. Côté has been through shoulder and leg injuries in the past three years, but his determination to keep playing football is what ultimately earned him the award, according to the Stingers.

About halfway through the evening, Interim Athletic Director D’Arcy Ryan handed out the awards for each team’s best rookie and most valuable player.

Men’s hockey forward Anthony De Luca swept his team’s awards, winning men’s hockey team rookie of the year, while also being named MVP. De Luca led the men’s hockey team to their best season in 30 years, according to the Stingers. He scored 24 goals and recorded 19 assists for a total of 43 points.

At the end of the night, De Luca was also named Male Athlete of the Year. While the awards may recognize individuals, De Luca said he could not have done it without his teammates.

“It’s an honour, and I love the fact that in my first year I can make an impact,” De Luca said. “It was a great season, and I’m really proud of my teammates and the progress we made. But as I say in all of my other interviews, there’s room for improvement on my end and the entire team, and we’re going to get ready for next season.”

For the second time in her career, Alex Tessier took home the Female Athlete of the Year award.

In women’s rugby, fourth-year player Alex Tessier won the team’s MVP award and, later in the night, Female Athlete of the Year. Tessier won the award in 2015 as well, during her second year with the Stingers. She has played with Canada’s national rugby team and was named to the tournament’s all-star team at nationals in 2016.

“It’s always such an honour. It’s one of the best awards you can win at the banquet,” Tessier said regarding winning Athlete of the Year. “Honestly, I did not expect it this year, but it’s definitely one of the best feelings I’ve had in my four years here to win it again.”

In the last three years, the Female Athlete of the Year awards have all gone to rugby players, as Frédérique Rajotte won it in 2016. For Tessier, sharing the award with her teammate is special.

“Me and Frédérique have such a connection on and off the field,” Tessier said. “We’re actually roommates and she’s a good friend of mine. I’m proud of what she’s accomplished.”

After the awards were handed out, graduating football player Andrew Barlett said a few words to the crowd before being interrupted by hockey captain Olivier Hinse, who told Barlett he wasn’t actually the valedictorian. Of course, this was simply a joke Hinse and Barlett were already in on. As the crowd laughed and Barlett left the stage, Hinse introduced Marchand and Hickson for their valedictorian speeches.

According to Hickson, the initial nerves she had about her speech were settled thanks to one of her classes earlier in the day.

“I was a little bit nervous, but I had a class presentation about two hours before the event so I got the nerves out,” Hickson said. “I was just excited to speak in front of everybody because it’s been an amazing five years here and I had a lot of jokes to say.”

The night was also a send-off for this year’s graduating Stingers athletes. Marchand, who has been at the school for four years and has helped run the Swarm,—an organization dedicated to creating more unity around the Stingers—said he’ll definitely miss his time as a Stinger.

“Honestly, it’s hard to explain just the love, the family coming together here,” Marchand said. “The fact that I’m leaving hasn’t even sunk in yet to be honest with you so I couldn’t even tell you how it feels to leave.”

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More than just a board game

Graphic by Thom Bell

Exploring the intellectually-challenging game of chess

It’s exam time, or close to it, but on a Wednesday evening on the 10th floor of the Hall building, Concordia students Vlad Boshki and Andrew Kyres make time to sit across from one another to play a game of chess.

They’re both executives of the Concordia Chess Club, an organization they’re hoping to grow into a group where members who share their passion for “the game of kings” can connect and develop their chess skills and logic.

Chess originated as a board game played by the rulers of India 1,500 years ago to practice tactical and strategic thinking. Back then, chess was the game of the elite—of generals, intellectuals and royalty.

By the Middle Ages, the game had spread from India to the Middle East and made its way to the Western world. It was being played in the Arabian Peninsula, Northern Africa and Europe. Today, chess is played by men and women of all races, nationalities and social classes around the world.

At Concordia, the chess club is a small group of students and occasionally professors who meet Friday evenings on the 10th floor of the Hall building to chat, joke and play chess. The atmosphere is friendly—this is no cutthroat chess tournament. It’s an environment where chess players of all levels can improve their game and have fun.

“The skill level varies greatly. We have some who are just learning and have never played at all and we show them stuff. We also have some who come regularly, who study at home and play online,” said Boshki. “There are even some who are advanced and have ratings and go to tournaments.”

Alika Utepova is a former Concordia Chess Club executive and a current member. She’s in her fourth year of computer science and she’s passionate about chess.

“I googled ‘Concordia Chess Club’ before actually coming to Concordia,” she said. “When I first got involved in the club about four years ago, there were only two of us. We would play there on the 10th floor and people would walk by and join in.”

Utepova’s former chess partner, Wafic Alameddine, has since graduated. He was involved in the chess club while doing his masters in electrical and computer engineering at Concordia.

“We were a small group of people at the time, but the group grew in popularity as we hosted tournaments and created a Facebook page,” Alameddine said.

The Concordia Chess Club’s Facebook group has 178 members, but only a fraction of them attend the weekly chess sessions.

“There’s actually quite a few people. They’re not all regulars. If we’re all together, I think we’re like 20,” said Kyres.

Kyres, Utepova and Boshki all started playing chess at a young age. Utepova is from Kazakhstan, Boshki from Russia.

“I started when I was six,” Boshki said. “I was playing in tournaments like the Russian Open Championships. Every kid plays chess in Russia. I would say it’s a national sport.”

Here in Canada, organizations like the Chess’n Math Association, an association which teaches people to play chess, promote the game as a way for kids to develop their “personality, intellectual skills and strength of character,” according to their website.

Kyres agreed. Chess thinking, he said, helps him with his studies, since it requires the same type of thinking as some of his math and statistics classes.

“It definitely relates,” Kyres said. “It’s all logic.”

It takes years of study and practice to be good at this simple game. It takes a lifetime to master it, according to the club.

The Concordia club caters to all types of chess players: those who want to experiment with the game, and those who see it as a sport. Kyres recently competed in a tournament in Trois Rivières and won $50. He and Boshki are both looking to improve their chess skills. They’re hoping to compete in more tournaments in the future, but for them, chess is just a hobby.

Chess is frequently used as a metaphor for conflict and problem-solving. Professional boxer Lennox Lewis once compared chess to boxing. Napoleon compared it to war. Rap group the Wu Tang Clan compared chess to swordfighting. Former chess world champion Garry Kasparov even wrote a book about how chess imitates life.

Utepova sees the connection. “Both in chess and in life, it’s so easy to follow the path of least resistance, but when you challenge that attitude and try and be more proactive, you can make a lot of good things happen,” she said. “Sometimes I wish life were as simple as chess because in chess you know there is a solution. Life is more complex.”

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Sports

The fight for equal pay

The U.S. women’s hockey team has been treated unfairly by USA hockey. Photo courtesy of the CWHL.

Stingers women’s hockey coach Julie Chu comments on the new salary agreement

The United States women’s national hockey team struck a four-year compensation agreement with USA Hockey last week, according to TSN. After reportedly receiving as little as $6,000 for a six-month Olympic period, and nothing during non-Olympic years, the women’s national team will now earn up to $71,000 per player per non-Olympic year, according to TSN. This figure could reach six digits if they win a gold medal at the Olympics.

The team had been in a contract dispute for over 15 months. They announced two weeks ago that they would boycott the World Championship, held in Plymouth, Mi, if they did not come to a salary agreement.

Three days before USA was set to face off against Canada on March 31, the women’s national hockey team and USA Hockey finally came to an agreement.

The head coach of the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team, Julie Chu, who played over 150 games for the U.S. national team before stepping away from the international game following the 2014 Olympics, couldn’t be happier.

“When they eventually signed, because it was a long process, I was relieved that it was done,” Chu said. “I’m proud of them, and it’s about time that they put this push on to create change.”

This deal is historic for women’s hockey, and for women’s sports in general. Chu said female athletes will no longer have to settle with what they get. Instead, they will be able to fight for what they deserve.

“[This shows] how powerful their voices can be, how girls could stand up for what they believe in,” Chu said.

International women’s hockey is relatively new, with the first International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Hockey Championship played in 1990. The tournament took place almost every two years for its first decade, but has been a yearly fixture during non-Olympic years since 2004. Women’s hockey only made its debut at the Olympics in 1998.

The U.S. women’s hockey team is extremely successful on the international stage. They have won seven of their World Hockey Championships in the past nine tournaments, and brought home one gold, three silvers and a bronze from the Olympics. The men’s side, on the other hand, has three gold medals—from the 1933 World Hockey Championship, and the 1960 and 1980 Olympics.

One concern was that for the women to be paid more, the men would have to have their salaries cut. This ultimately led to a delay in an agreement. But for Chu, paying the women a reasonable amount doesn’t mean anyone has to lose any money.

“Giving more to the women’s program doesn’t mean you have to steal or take away from the men’s side,” she said.

These negotiations may not have been completed without the help of social media. Once the women’s team announced their plans to boycott the World Championship, they received an outpour of support from all corners of the continent.

In Washington, 16 U.S. Senators sent a letter to USA Hockey, writing, “These elite athletes indeed deserve fairness and respect, and we hope you will be a leader on this issue as women continue to push for equality in athletics.”

Even male hockey players stood in solidarity with the women. NHL player agent Allan Walsh tweeted that American NHL players would also boycott the World Hockey Championship in May if a deal had not been made.

Most importantly, players who could have replaced the boycotting national team players also took to social media to say they would not play at the World Championship. Frank Seravalli of TSN reported only six players from outside the national team said they would play.

“If some of those players said they were going to play, I don’t think USA Hockey would have worried as much to fielding a team,” Chu added, saying this put pressure on USA Hockey. “When you have this momentum and this vision, then USA Hockey has to take their negotiations seriously.”

Despite the large support, their was also some heavy criticism. Many took to social media to disagree with the women’s efforts for fair pay, saying the players should be proud to wear their national sweater and not worry about money.

For Chu and every other player, wearing the red, white and blue is an experience of a lifetime. The negotiations show how far these women are willing to go to get what they want, and that there is blatant sexism within USA Hockey.

“You don’t know how proud those girls are,” Chu said. “Standing up for something and feeling that you need a structure to allow you to wear that jersey and be the best representative and the best player in it, that’s what they’re fighting for.”

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Sports

Exploring the Habs Stanley Cup chances

Graphic by Thom Bell

With the post-season approaching, now is the time to see if the Montreal Canadiens can win a cup

The NHL regular season is almost finished, which means playoffs are just a few weeks away. Sixteen teams will make it to the post-season, but only one team will come away with the Stanley Cup. Of course, since we are in Montreal, now is a great time to look at our beloved bleu, blanc et rouge’s chances at a championship.

Thanks to goaltender Carey Price, captain Max Pacioretty and new forward Alex Radulov, the Habs have led the Atlantic division all season long. In the past few weeks, the Ottawa Senators have come close to taking the lead, but the Habs were able to increase their division lead by beating the Senators in three straight games. With only a few games left, the Habs have a comfortable division lead and will most likely win it.

This means in the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens will play against the New York Rangers. Since the Rangers are in a strong Metropolitan division, they got stuck as a wild card team, despite having more points than the Canadiens for most of the season. In the first round, the Habs will have a home-ice advantage.

The Rangers are a fairly young team with players like forwards J.T Miller and Mika Zibanejad. This season, they were a high-scoring team, however, the Rangers struggled on defence with veteran goaltender Henrik Lundqvist letting in more goals than usual.

They’re a good team, but the Habs have enjoyed quite a bit of success against them this season. The Habs won the last two meetings of the season against them, and Lundqvist is notorious for playing poorly at the Bell Centre.

While there are no guarantees, the Rangers are definitely a beatable team and, with the Habs on the upswing after hiring head coach Claude Julien, they should be able to advance. As long as Carey Price stays healthy, I see the Habs winning the first round in six games.

Once the team moves to the second round, they will play the winner of the other Atlantic division series. While the playoff picture has not been ironed out yet, the other round will either be Ottawa against Toronto or Ottawa against Boston. Either way, the Senators are the superior team in each situation as their goaltending, offence and defence have all been clicking this year.

In a seven-game series with the Habs, once again, I see the Habs taking this in six. Ottawa has been good, but the Habs won the last three match-ups of the season against the Sens and, at this point, they are in their heads. I predict Price would win the goalie duel against Anderson and the Habs would frustrate the Sens with their speed. It would be a good series, but the Habs would take it.

With two playoff series won, the Habs would play in the Eastern Conference final. The favourites to make it there out of the Metropolitan division are the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Washington Capitals.

Regardless of which team makes it, that is where the Habs season will come to an end. The Penguins and the Capitals have been two of the best teams in the NHL all season, and the Habs haven’t shown they can beat them. Trying to beat either team four times in seven games is a feat I just don’t see the Habs doing. Their offence isn’t good enough and, while Price is one of the best goalie in the NHL, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are too powerful to stop, even for an elite-calibre goalie.

Maybe next year Montreal.

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Sports

Concordia to introduce sportsball team next year

Graphic by Thom Bell

The move comes after one of the most successful years in Stingers sports history

The Concordia Stingers announced April. 1, that they are adding sportsball to their varsity sports roster next fall, a move that has taken the incredibly large and fan-driven world of Canadian university sports by storm.

“We just knew it was the right thing to do,” sportsball coach Jim Conway said. “The students have been begging for the school to create a sportsball team, and we figured we’d do it. We can’t let the fans down.”

Conway, who has coached youth football for three seasons now, is leaving the sport to fill the new post of sportsball coach. While Conway has no idea what sportsball even is, it hasn’t stopped him from wanting to pursue a new career.

“This opportunity was just too good to pass up. Besides, I’m a quick learner,” he said.

Sportsball is quite simple. It’s played on a baseball diamond, but there is no outfield. The person on the pitcher’s mound wears hockey goalie gear and has to throw a football to home plate. Then the person at home plate must take the ball and run towards each base, where a basketball net is guarded by a player in football gear. If the player with the football is tackled, they are out—if they make the basket, they go to the next base.

If you make all your baskets and get to home plate, you get a touchdown. If the game goes into overtime, you have to find the nearest soccer field and have a shootout.

The Stingers have already announced their first recruit. The player is none other than Antoine Marchand, a former goalie for the Stingers men’s hockey team. Marchie, as the kids like to call him, will be the team’s captain. As anybody who knows Marchand will attest, he’s a character guy who will do anything for his teammates.

“I’m glad I’m getting a chance to play here and help the Stingers out,” Marchand said. “I have no clue how to play sportsball, but hey, at least I’m not a back-up again.”

As of right now, the Stingers are the only sportsball team in the nation. U SPORTS said they have plans to get more schools on board, and praised the Stingers for their efforts.

“This is exactly why we rebranded,” said U SPORTS representative Larry Joseph. “The Stingers are on the cutting edge of sports culture. This move is what is finally going to propel us to nationwide acclaim.”

In the meantime, Conway said he is still trying to find new recruits for the team, and is thinking of looking to his former team for players.

“I mean, let’s be real here, those guys need me as their coach. Without me, they aren’t really that good,” Conway said. “They’d be idiots not to switch to sportsball.”

Sports editors across the country are rejoicing today as well, as they can now use a whole new set of sports terminology.

However, the new lingo doesn’t bode well for copy editors who are sick and tired of looking up articles on TSN to see if what’s being written is incorrect or just a sports term.

“It’s bad enough I have to look up what a hat trick is. How am I supposed to learn a whole new sport?” said The Concordian’s head copy editor, Katya Teague. “I can’t wait to graduate and leave this mess of a section behind.”
While the team hasn’t played a single game yet, one thing is for sure: this article was one big waste of time.

April Fools everyone.

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Sports

Dodging balls with the Stingers

This year’s tournament had 60 players and 10 teams.

The Concordia Stingers hosted their fourth annual dodgeball tournament on March 24

If you are familiar with the movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, then you know the five Ds of dodgeball: Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge. These are the skills needed to become the ultimate dodgeball player. On Friday, March 24, Concordia students and student-athletes from all sports put the five Ds to the test by taking part in the fourth annual Concordia Athletics Dodgeball Tournament.

All funds raised by the tournament will be donated to a charity that will be decided on later. However, according to one of the tournament’s organizers, Andrew Barlett of the Concordia Stingers football team, the event is also meant to build the Stingers family.

“The main reason behind the event is to build a sense of community within the Stingers family, and build a camaraderie between athletes of different sports teams within the Stingers family and the Concordia community to develop more school pride,” Barlett said.

The participating teams consisted of athletes from almost every Stingers team as well as regular students. The teams were co-ed, as one of the rules was to have at least two members of each sex per team. The tournament had a friendly, fun and competitive atmosphere. The other tournament organizer, Antoine Marchand, goaltender for the Stingers men’s hockey team, jokingly said he was not expecting the tournament to run as smoothly as it did.

“In past years, people got very heated because we’re all athletes so we want to win. But everyone was very happy with how it was run this year,” Marchand said.

The tournament is a way for players from different teams to bond. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

Several friendly rivalries between the dodgeball teams were formed, as men and women from the same sports joined forces to take down the other sports for bragging rights. Katherine Purchase, goaltender for the Stingers women’s hockey team, fielded a team of hockey players who faced off in the finals against Trenton Miller, quarterback of the Stingers football team, and his squad.

Purchase’s team came out on top in a heated battle where blood, sweat and even some tears were shed. In the end, bragging rights belonged to the hockey players. The tournament’s biggest surprise was Anthony Gingras, defenseman on the men’s hockey team, and his cannon of an arm that propelled Purchase’s team to the championship. He also won tournament MVP.

This is the fourth annual dodgeball tournament organized by Barlett. He organized the original tournament alongside former Stingers place kicker Keegan Treloar and Eric Noivo, a former defensive end for the Stingers. “We thought that people would be more willing to pay if the money being raised went to charity rather than the football team, so we’ve continued that route for the past three years,” Barlett said.

Sixty athletes and students made up this year’s 10 teams, which was less than last year. However, Marchand and Barlett both feel this year’s tournament was a success.

“I’d say the timing of [the tournament] this year posed a bit of challenge,” Barlett said. “It’s on a weekday and people have class and other stuff going on.”

“As long as it’s consistent with the amount of athletes showing up and bonding together over this fun activity, there will be the sense of community—which is what we’re aiming for,” Marchand added.

This year is Marchand and Barlett’s last as students at Concordia University, so the future of the event is currently unclear. However, Marchand is confident it will continue to be an annual tradition.

“The reigns are there for the taking for whoever wants to run this event next year,” Marchand said. “It’s an event put on by students for students, so we’re not expecting huge turnouts. As long as there is that community feel, the event is a success.”

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