Tag: Concordia Stingers

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U SPORTS All-Star Team Face Off against Montreal Canadiens Prospects

Earlier today, Concordia Stingers men’s hockey head coach Marc-André Élément led a U SPORTS all-star team against the top prospects of Montreal Canadiens‘s National Hockey League (NHL) club at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard.

The U SPORTS all-star team presented seven players from the Stingers, seven from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes, and another seven from McGill University.

Élément was contacted a few months ago by the Canadiens to organize the event. He said he then decided to create a U SPORTS all-star team with the Quebec teams of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) to give the Canadiens a good challenge.

“I think it’s a really good thing for the promotion of our league and the three university programs in Quebec,” Élément said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to be seen. The number one priority is to show people that university hockey in Quebec is a good level of hockey, which is something people may not really know.”

Élément announced to his Stingers players their nominations to the U SPORTS all-star team when they came back to Concordia after summer vacation. One of those players, forward Philippe Sanche, said this game will help players gain experience.

“There are players [on the team] who want to play at a professional level after, either in Europe, here, or in other leagues,” Sanche said. “We can also compare with players drafted or invited to professional camps. I think it will [help] us to compare ourselves to them, know what we need to work on or understand what they did to receive an invitation.”

Sanche said even if today’s game isn’t part of the OUA regular season, the best for the players is to play as if it were.

“If you want to go to the next level, you need to be yourself, play how you can play and show what you’re capable of,” Sanche said. “It’s a game like [any] other. You should not put yourself under too much pressure and try to do too much because that’s when you’re going to look bad.”

Defenceman Carl Neill, another of the seven Stingers on the team, said it will be interesting to be in a team with players he normally faces during the season.

“We know a bit of their tendencies and what kind of players they are, but it’s going to be really interesting given [our rivalries],” Neill said. “I’m sure we’ll put all of this aside for the game, but once the season starts, there will be no more love.”

Rivals or not, knowing a bit of each other should be a good thing for today, as the team’s only practice for the game was held yesterday. However, Élément said he and the players will be fine, as it’s not the first time they have had to deal with such situations.

“We’ll get to know each other quickly for the time of a game,” Élément said. “Yet, they’re all players we know, as we play against them [during the season]. I even tried to recruit some of them before they went into other programs. It will be fun.”

 

Photo by Alec Brideau

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Emmy Fecteau excited for new chapter with Stingers

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team added forward Emmy Fecteau to their roster this past summer. Fecteau joined the Stingers after winning three consecutive RSEQ championships with the Limoilou Titans in the RSEQ collegiate league.

Fecteau decided to be a Stinger after visiting Concordia and the team’s facilities with her family this summer. The forward said she immediately felt good during her visit.

“I thought the team was great,” Fecteau said. “The coaching staff is very impressive here, and the group of players seemed very welcoming. They seemed to have a lot of fun. That’s what really convinced me to come here.”

Stingers head coach Julie Chu said the team is fortunate to add Fecteau to its roster. She described the Saint-Odilon native as not only a great hockey player, but also a great person and dedicated student-athlete.

“She’s someone who definitely loves to compete and loves to win, and those are characteristics of a champion,” Chu said. “She’s willing to learn, work hard and put in that consistent effort every day in order to achieve that. I think she will have a really big impact on us offensively as she continues to develop as an all-around player.”

Chu said the opportunity Fecteau had being in a winning culture with the Titans definitely helped her to gain experience.

“She grew a lot during that time, going from her first to third year where she became captain,” Chu said. “The success is obviously something she’ll continue to bring with her. That’s also the fun part with our players, which is sharing together everything that we’ve gone through.”

Fecteau may have already practiced with the Stingers but will have to wait until Sept. 13 to play her first game at the university level. Chu is confident Fecteau will adapt well from collegiate to university hockey, as she said there is always an adjustment period.

“I’m not going to put any additional pressure on her to make sure she has to score and be a huge role for us,” Chu said. “What we ask all of our players is to come and be a great teammate, to be involved and have a team-first [attitude]. We know Fecteau has a great character, and will be able to contribute to our team’s culture.”

Earlier this month, Fecteau was named to Canada’s National Women’s Development Team to represent Canada in a three-game series against the United States. The forward said it was an amazing experience.

“I shed some tears when I knew I was named to the team,” Fecteau said. “The group of girls was really nice. It was fun to play with the best players in the competition. I [was obviously proud] to play with the Canadian team. It was incredible.”

Chu, who played at the international level several times and won Olympic Games and IIHF World Women’s Championships medals, said it’s “one of the greatest honours” to play for someone’s country.

“Even those who get an opportunity to go to a camp, but maybe not make an official team, that experience itself is valuable because you’re surrounded by elite athletes who understand what it takes to be at the highest level,” Chu said. “Every experience we get is something that helps us grow and develop as people and hopefully become better.”

Chu gave credit to Fecteau for her nomination to Canada’s National Women’s Development Team, as only 24 players were selected to the team.

“Fecteau did an incredible job,” Chu said. “She did not just work this summer, but she earned the right for the invitation with her last year [with the Titans]. She’s been doing a great job with her summer training to be prepared for the opportunity. I was really excited she was able to earn a spot in the roster, and knowing that she’s a huge and awesome ambassador for our team as well.”

Fecteau said she is looking forward to this season. She described herself as a hard-working player with good vision, and she hopes to help the Stingers to have success in the quest of many titles.

“I can’t wait to play with the Stingers,” Fecteau said. “I hope I can bring the winning touch [to] Concordia. I’m looking forward to playing with that group of players here. I hope we’ll have a good season and win a lot of championships.”

 

Photos courtesy of Limoilou Titans

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A look into the Stingers’ new offence

One of the major changes that the Concordia Stingers football team made after last season was hiring former St-Jean Géants head coach, Alex Surprenant, as offensive coordinator.

Fast-forward to the present, and Surprenant now has two games under his belt as the Stingers offensive coordinator. Those games may not have gone the way the team would have liked, starting out with two losses, but Surprenant knows that this is a young team trying to rebuild their program.

Head coach Brad Collinson and Surprenant put an emphasis on recruiting fast and local players on the offensive side of the ball during the off-season to play in Surprenant’s Run-Pass option, or RPO, system.

“If you want to win [long term] it really depends on your recruiting class,” said Surprenant. “Coach Brad also put together a great coaching staff. The football world is a little community where everyone knows everyone and he surrounded me with a great staff.”

The RPO system is something relatively new to the Canadian football world. It’s a tough system to implement, as there are only three downs as opposed to the American game, where there are four downs where it’s a lot easier to use it in.

“The biggest adjustment is that it’s three downs here instead of four like in CEGEP,” Surprenant said. “But at the end of the day, it’s still football so it’s not that difficult to adapt.”

Stingers offensive coordinator Alex Surprenant was hired back in February 2019. Photo by Laurence BD

Another major change to the offence is that they also use a no-huddle system. That means that quarterback Adam Vance gets the signal from the sideline and yells it to the rest of the team from the line of scrimmage without going into a huddle. This allows the offence to move at a faster pace.

“My inspiration comes from the [Kansas City] Chiefs, [New England] Patriots, and the Oregon Ducks from back in the day,” said Surprenant. “Those offences are the best at getting to the line quickly and using their speed.”

The players aren’t the only ones excited about the new offence. Collinson says he was also very excited to see the system that Surprenant put into place during training camp.

“Any time you put in something new, you get excited and want to learn it,” said Collinson. “There’s a lot of diversity in what we’re doing too, like RPO and zone-read options. Alex ran a really good offence at the CEGEP level and we’re seeing some of it here.”

The first two games of the season proved to be tough ones for the offence for many different reasons. But that is to be expected with a young team trying to find its identity. However, these are not excuses for the coaching staff.

Against Les Carabins de l’Université de Montréal, there were multiple missed opportunities by the Stingers to advance the ball down the field due to penalties and dropped passes that would have extended the Stingers offence’s time on the field.

“If we played our best game and lost 10-3, we would have been happy,” said Surprenant. “But after watching film, we’re not happy. We had a lot of missed opportunities at the end of the game that would have given our team a way better chance at winning.”

Whatever the reason may be for the dropped passes in that game, the Stingers could revisit what worked well for them. They moved quickly in their no-huddle offence and kept the Carabins, a top three team in the country, on their heels for a lot of the game whenever they got into an offensive rhythm.

However, this past week against McGill, their game plan got away from them. It started off with a four play offensive drive that ended in an Andrew Stevens punt. McGill caught the Stingers flat footed on defense and drove 82 yards in just three plays and never looked back.

A big part of any offence is the offensive line. Vance and his running backs can only do their jobs if the offensive line gives them the time to make plays. In the first quarter, starting left tackle Damien Constantin went down with an injury and did not return.

For right-handed quarterbacks, such as Vance, the left tackle is the most important position on the line as that position protects the quarterback’s blindside.

“It’s tough to overcome,” said Vance after Friday’s loss. “We don’t have a lot of depth [at the position]. It’s a really big blow.”

The Stingers found a bit of a rhythm in the second half but not enough to mount a comeback, as it was too little too late.

“We came [to McGill] and thought they’d roll over, but last time I checked we haven’t won a game in something like 300 days so we can’t be thinking like that,” Vance said.

The Stingers still have six more games this season to right their wrongs and get the offence on track. It is hard to temper expectations after such a strong effort in their first game against the Carabins, but they are still a very young team with a lot to learn, according to Surprenant.

“Coach Brad told the guys, ‘we need to learn how to win. You’re not born a winner and nothing is given.’ It’s a hard process but we know we will get to where we want to be,” said Surprenant.

 

Feature photo by Laurence BD

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Stingers Drop Season home opener in close contest against Carabins

Quarterback Adam Vance threw three interceptions against the Carabins. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Concordia Stingers lost to Université de Montréal Carabins in the first game of the 2019-20 Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) university football calendar.

Both teams were looking to find their rhythm, but only one touchdown was scored and missed plays cost points for both teams.

Despite the loss, the Stingers finished the match with 266 yards gained, compared to 215 for the Carabins. The team also saw a touchdown called back in the second quarter because of a penalty. Stingers head coach Brad Collinson said his team needs to learn how to win those types of games.

“It doesn’t come easy, especially against a great team like the Carabins,” Collinson said. “They have a great defence, on paper the best in the country. We had a couple of costly penalties in the second half, but it’s a process.”

Collinson said his team wanted to show people they were not to be taken lightly.

“We saw [votings] for this week and everyone picked Montreal,” Collinson said. “We wanted to send the message today that we were there. We’re going to work hard every day and won’t skip a step.”

The Stingers’s offence was led by rookie receiver Jeremy Murphy, who gained 95 field yards in five receptions, including the longest reception of the match with 43 yards.

Murphy said he felt good in his first game with the Stingers, although he would’ve preferred to start the campaign with a win.

“We all know they’re a big team, but we’re not scared,” Murphy said. “They’re physical and that’s how they impose their [game style]. They adapted well and we had to do better. We’re just trying to play football like we’re supposed to do. Whoever comes up against us, we just try the best we can.”

The Stingers will play McGill on Aug. 30 at 4 p.m. at the Percival Molson Stadium.

 

Archive photo by Mackenzie Lad

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Colour Commentary

Summer is over. As much as we’d like to deny it, we all hear the back to school ads on the radio, see the commercials on TV and our friends on social media asking about easy electives to take.

With every new academic year comes new challenges for everyone. The day I walked into Concordia, I knew I wanted to be a sports broadcaster. I did everything in my power to hone my skills and become great at that – and I still have a ways to go.

However, in that endeavor, I pitted myself into becoming a one trick pony; and that just doesn’t work in today’s media landscape. Journalists nowadays have to be able to do everything.

Every year around December, I like to reflect on the year that was and how I could grow from it. Every year I promised myself that I would take on more writing projects. Everyone who knows me, knows I do not lie; and when I do, I feel terrible about it. Well, I lied to myself for three years because I never really took that promise, or writing, seriously.

However, this year is different. This year I have a responsibility as sports editor of this amazing newspaper only to myself, but also the amazing team of writers that work hard to churn out stories every week; I have a responsibility to you, our readers.

I am honored and privileged to be able to hold the position of sports editor and I do not take it lightly. This year I promise to give this paper everything I have and will do my utmost best to make this section the best that it can be.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy the ride.

 

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Stingers to Host Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship

The men’s rugby team celebrated their second-straight championship at home on Nov. 10. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

The Concordia Stingers men’s rugby team have reached the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship for the last two years with back-to-back undefeated seasons in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) conference. This year will mark a third appearance in as many years for them at the Championship, as the Concordia University department of recreation and athletics has been selected to host the tournament this year.

The 2019 Championship will be played at Concordia Stadium, from Nov. 20-24. It will be the third edition of the tournament, with the University of Guelph and the University of Victoria hosting the first two, respectively.

With this year’s tournament played at Concordia, the Stingers are guaranteed a berth as hosts of the event. However, Stingers players like Stephen Martinez think this secured spot won’t affect their approach this season.

“The boys still want to earn their spot in the tournament, which means finishing in first place again, even if we’re guaranteed a spot as hosts,” Martinez said. “Second place isn’t in our vocabulary. We need to work to prove that we belong there, regardless if we’re hosting or not.”

Martinez adds that having the tournament at Concordia is a great opportunity to develop Quebec’s interest in the sport.

“Having this tournament here will hopefully show some higher level teams that Quebec teams can compete and that there are a lot of talented players here,” Martinez said. “With more interest, it might spark the start of a Major League Rugby team in Montreal.”

Stingers veteran Lucas Hotton says the difference of having the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship at Concordia might be more emotional than about the game itself, as players will play in front of family and friends.

“I think that’s a huge advantage because [rugby’s] not just a physical sport, but also a very mental one,” Hotton said. “Each little play makes a big difference, and that will be the difference as you’ll see more heart and more emotion on the field.”

Martinez also sees the home crowd as a factor in such a big tournament. The Stingers are undefeated at home since 2016 and he says the plan is to keep it that way this year, including at the Championship.

“Playing in front of a home crowd can encourage us a bit more to perform once we are there. A lot of us will have family and friends there. Our club teams will be there to support us, so it will be a really good environment.”

While hosting the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship won’t change their season approach, Hotton says it can be harder for a team to focus on its season first, knowing what’s coming for them in November.

“I know a lot of the players are really excited to host the Championship, but it’s important to make sure they keep their feet on the ground and focus on one game at a time,” Hotton said. “I think that will be the approach this season, just like it’s been the last one. One game at a time, and just make sure everyone works each week as we progress through the season.”

 

Feature photo by Hannah Ewen

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Capturing the best of the Stingers

The men’s rugby team celebrated their second-straight championship at home on Nov. 10. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Our photo team caught the emotion and action from this year’s athletics season

The 2018-19 Concordia Stingers athletic season has come to a close and The Concordian has captured most of what these student-athletes accomplished. The men’s rugby and basketball teams took home championships this year, while the women’s basketball team surprised everybody by qualifying for nationals. Our photo team followed the Stingers teams along the way and captured some of the best moments from this season.

The emotional side
The action
Behind the scenes
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Ricardo Monge is closing his Stingers career

Monge won the Stingers male athlete of the year. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Championship in his last season is bittersweet for the point guard

A month ago, Ricardo Monge led the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team to the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) title. He had a 19-point performance over the UQAM Citadins, concluding his career in the league with a first championship.

Few players can say they concluded their career by winning a championship. Monge’s last season with the Stingers is hard to describe.

“It was definitely amazing,” Monge said. “[There were] a lot of ups and downs, but in the end, we were able to achieve our goal and there is no better feeling. It’s also bittersweet because it was potentially my last year playing competitive basketball.”

Rastko Popovic (left) instructs Monge during the RSEQ final on March 2. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Monge began his career with the Stingers in 2014-15, when he played 13 games. The Gatineau native said he was ready for the challenge of playing university basketball after three years at John Abbott College.

“I came in with a class of eight rookies, so there was a lot of playing time competition,” Monge said. “The biggest adjustment was probably the physical aspect of the game.”

When head coach Rastko Popovic, recruited Monge, he saw a hardworking player and a great teammate.

“He was coachable and had a great attitude on the floor,” Popovic said. “He was always positive, and these are the kinds of things we’re looking for at the point guard position.”

The point guard averaged just over 15 points/game this season. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Monge’s development has been impressive during his five years at Concordia. The point guard finished every season with more points than the last, as he went from 106 in his first to 248 in his last. Monge had few expectations when he started at Concordia and simply focused on his game.

“I just came prepared to outwork everyone else and earn my minutes,” Monge said. “I was also lucky that the starting position [was good for his height], so I was on the floor a lot as a rookie. It helped my development as a player.”

Popovic said he always told Monge that he had the work ethic to have these kinds of results. The head coach explained that Monge is committed and wants to get better every season.

“He’s motivated and that’s something huge,” Popovic said. “He’s not somebody we push every day to be in the gym. He arrived here as a young point guard, and ended up leaving [with] a lot of awards. He had a tremendous career here at Concordia, and I am so proud of everything he’s done so far.”

After nominations to the all-rookie team in 2015 and the second team all-star in 2018, Monge earned RSEQ honours for a third time this season. He received all-Canadian honours and was the MVP in Quebec university men’s basketball conference this year.

“I don’t think anyone out there is playing for awards, but it’s always nice to be recognized for your sacrifices,” Monge said. “I think the success came from years of work and all the confidence that the coaching staff and my teammates had in me.”

According to Popovic, these are well-deserved awards for someone, who, five years ago, arrived at Concordia with low expectations. The head coach said that Monge will be an amazing role model for Stingers players.

“Everything he does, he does it well,” Popovic said. “He has a tremendous story, and I think everybody needs to know about how great it is. I just call myself lucky to have been his coach for the last five years, as he also helped me to be a better coach and I’m so thankful for that.”

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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Stingers football benefitting from full off-season

The Stingers will lose some of their top offensive lineman including Marc-Antoine Sevigny and Maurice Simba. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Head coach has announced multiple recruits, new assistant coaches ahead of new season

Since becoming head coach of the Concordia Stingers football team last June, Brad Collinson finally had a full off-season of work. He was able to work with his coaching staff and team to prepare for the next campaign.

Collinson, a former Stingers captain and CFL player, was officially announced as the new head coach last June. Compared to last summer, when he only had two months to meet his new team and work with them, Collinson’s first full off-season with the Stingers this year finally allows him to speak with the players about their aim for next season. He said it’s beneficial for them to have time to work and prepare for next year.

Expect quarterback Adam Vance (pictured) to be challenged for his starting role. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

“Last year, with the situation that we were in, we learned and [had the chance to see] and evaluate what was going on,” Collinson said. “This off-season, we decided to go in a different direction and make changes—sometimes change is good.”

The head coach added that this time of year gives him the chance to meet all his players in order to know them better and identify what stage of development the team is in.

“Last year was not easy because [I arrived] in the summer,” Collinson said. “Now, with this full off-season, they know how [the coaches] are and what we are trying to accomplish, so getting that message passed is a lot easier.”

The Stingers recently recruited new players to the program with hopes of improving the team. Collinson said these recruits will help build the foundation the program wants to have for years to come.

“I think the thing with recruiting is that you never know,” Collinson added. “You try to recruit the top ones. They are the type of people we want here playing at our university. We have a lot of recruits from Quebec, which will be interesting because Concordia hasn’t been able to have a lot of them in the last few years. I think it’s been a major plus to be able to recruit in CEGEPs, and, moving forward with the new staff, I think it will be our focus to try to get as many CEGEP players as possible.”

Collinson expects his team to be competitive next season. He said the team will focus on one game at a time and aim to be a tough opponent.

“At the first day of training camp, that will be the message,” the coach said. “One day, one repetition, one practice at a time. Every week and weekend, when [it will be time to] play our opponent, we will definitely be prepared.”

The 2019 Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec football calendar was unveiled earlier last week, with the Stingers playing their first game of the season against the Montréal Carabins at home on Aug. 23.

They will then play the historic Shaughnessy Cup against their rival, the McGill Redmen, on Aug. 30.

Main photo by Gabe Chevalier.

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Head coach Tenicha Gittens wants players to get stronger

From left: Tenicha Gittens, Caroline Task, Myriam Leclerc, Areej Burgonio, and athletics director D’Arcy Ryan. The players received their RSEQ awards before their semi-final game. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Stingers hope to learn from first experience at nationals in 20 years

A year after finishing the regular season with a 4-12 record, the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team made it all the way to the U Sports nationals this season. They qualified after losing in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) final against the Laval Rouge et Or, and were eliminated by the McMaster Marauders in the quarter-finals at nationals.

Despite their successful season this year, head coach Tenicha Gittens believes her team needs more depth. “Our bench has been thin all season long, so when we get [to nationals], it does matter,” Gittens said on CJLO Sports on March 11.

Injuries contributed to the short bench this season. Rookie Nelly Owusu was injured before the regular season began, and hasn’t played since, shortening the roster by one. “She was a big part of what we wanted to do,” Gittens said. “She was part of our starting line-up [in preseason games]. I think if she had been healthy throughout the season, she would have been fighting for the rookie of the year.”

Caroline Task (pictured) finished third in league scoring with 15.6 points per game. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Looking ahead to next season, Gittens hopes to increase the team’s roster through recruiting, but doesn’t have any official commitments right now.

“Not having Nelly, this is where it really hurt us, in this postseason,” Gittens added. “To have her in that rotation would have done wonders for us. It would have been a completely different basketball team.”

Leclerc was the third-straight Stinger to win the RSEQ rookie of the year award after Task won in 2017, and Coralie Dumont last year. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Gittens wants her team to get stronger physically for next season, to avoid any future injuries. “Physically, I thought we were weaker than most teams out there, so that’s something we have to get better at,” she said. “We have the talent, we’re just inexperienced. There’s ways we can get around that, and it’s just building our mind to sustain [the season].”

The Stingers benefitted from having the U Sports and RSEQ rookie of the year, Myriam Leclerc. She led the RSEQ in points and assists per game, with 18.8 and 4.6, respectively. Leclerc was also named to the U Sports second all-Canadian team, and the RSEQ’s first all-star team.

Guard Caroline Task was also named to the RSEQ first all-star team, and rookie guard Areej Burgonio made the RSEQ all-rookie team.

“[Leclerc] is just a special talent, and every once in a while, you’re lucky enough to get a talent like that in your program,” Gittens said. “She does everything. She’s a shooting point guard, she’s a passing point guard, and she gets buckets at will […]. She’s a tremendous talent and she’s raised everybody’s level of play.”

However, Gittens wants to see Leclerc get stronger over the summer, just like the rest of the team. “She’s been banged up all season long, but she’s one of those players that’s going to play through [injuries],” Gittens added. “She literally has to be broken to stop playing. We saw that in the final against Laval, when she didn’t play the second half because she physically could not go anymore […]. After that final game at nationals, she told me, ‘Coach, I’m going to be tank this summer,’ so she knows what she needs to work on.”

Burgonio (pictured) averaged 4.1 points in nearly 24 minutes per game this year. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

At the national tournament in Toronto, the Stingers lost to McMaster 86-68 in their first game. The Marauders went onto win the national championship, beating the Rouge et Or in the final. In their consolation game against the Acadia Axewomen, the Stingers had a two-point lead after three quarters, but they ultimately lost 86-74.

“It was a disappointing end to the season,” Gittens said. “But we ended the season at nationals, so even though it seems like losing those two games made the season a wash, we have to remember we got to this point. I knew our biggest challenge going in would be the inexperience of it all, and I knew the other teams going had a taste of nationals.”

The Stingers last played in the national tournament in 1999, and started with the seventh seed as a wild card berth. About this year’s trip to nationals, Gittens said: “We enjoyed the banquet and being treated as one of the top eight teams in Canada, because they have to soak all of that in. We watched basketball and just kind of learned from the other teams that kept moving on.”

If they do get back to nationals next season, they’ll know what to do.

“The experience [at nationals] was definitely the biggest takeaway,” Gittens said. “You try to get them to buy in and believe, and kind of sell them on a dream that they can get there. Now they know the path to take.”

Main photo by Gabe Chevalier.

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Stingers experience nationals for the first time

Head coach Popovic expects Sami Ghandour (#24) to have a bigger role in next year’s team. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Losses to Ryerson and Saint Mary’s give Concordia vision for next season

In their first U Sports nationals appearance since 2012, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team lost both of their games in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In their quarter-final game against the Ryerson Rams, the Stingers lost 87-47; the Saint Mary’s Huskies beat them 84-67 in a consolation game.

“It was a first experience for all of us at nationals, players and coaches included,” said head coach Rastko Popovic on CJLO Sports on March 11. “We knew it was going to be a different experience since it’s something we never lived before. You can’t just imitate walking into a big [arena] like that.”

Adrian Armstrong shoots a free throw during the RSEQ final. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Dalhousie University hosted the nationals at the Scotiabank Centre, which has a seating capacity of over 10,000 people. The Stingers qualified for nationals after winning the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship on March 2.

In their opening game, the Stingers played a strong Rams team that lost in the final last year, but won bronze this year. The Rams had five players 6’7 or taller, while the Stingers’s tallest players—Aleks Simeunovic, Olivier Simon, and Matthis Guerut—are all 6’7.

Popovic said he spoke to other coaches before playing Ryerson, and they all said the Rams do a good job at contesting inside shots. The Stingers’s game plan was to shoot three-pointers, but they went 3/36 from three-point range, which hurt them on the scoreboard.

“We knew we were going to have to make some three-point shots to stay in the game,” Popovic said. “Early in the game, it didn’t help that we fell behind 12-0. We had some great looks, but they just didn’t fall down.”

Adrian Armstrong, who made a team-high 56 three-point shots this season, went 2-12 in the game against Ryerson. The Stingers did a better job with their threes in their second game, going 12/32, but Saint Mary’s did better with their overall shooting.

“It was a great learning experience, but we’re disappointed with the results,” Popovic said. “Now we have a good idea of what it takes to make it to the next level.”

Near the end of their game against Saint Mary’s, Popovic subbed off fifth-year guards Garry Merrisier and Ricardo Monge for the last time in their Stingers careers. Popovic said it was an emotional moment for the whole team.

“We see these guys more than we see our family some days,” Popovic said. “We spend a lot of time together at practice, in the weight room, individual workouts, etc. So these guys are like my family. You never think about that moment until it comes, when you realize this was the last time they came off the floor.”

The head coach was already thinking about next season with some of the substitutions he made in the last quarter of that final game. Rookie guard Tariq Bakri-Hamad, who averaged 1.6 minutes per game this season, played 12 minutes against Saint Mary’s and scored 10 points.

“Against Saint Mary’s, we made a run [and cut their lead] in the second half,” Popovic said. “Tariq was on the floor during that run so those are very valuable minutes for him.”

The players will take a break to focus on their exams, but Popovic wants to see them in the weight room as soon as possible. Even though the 2019-20 regular season starts in November, the Stingers could be playing preseason games as early as August.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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Maurice Simba not taking NFL draft for granted

After the standard drills, scouts had made Simba perform drills made for offensive linemen. Photo by Nicholas Di Giovanni.

Offensive lineman held pro day for scouts in Lachine

Maurice Simba has taken another step towards his dream of playing professional football. The Stingers’s offensive lineman held a pro day for NFL scouts at the Catalogna Soccerplexe in Lachine on March 12.

“Personally, I think I’m very satisfied the way the day went,” Simba said. “I can say I gave all I could, and I hope the scouts saw that and liked it. I’m looking forward to what will happen.”

Simba’s 6’8” frame is taller than the average NFL lineman. Photo by Nicholas Di Giovanni.

Scouts from the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and New York Jets tested Simba through various drills. He bench pressed 25 reps of 225 pounds, had a 19-inch vertical jump, a broad jump of six feet, 11 inches, and ran his 40-yard dash in 5.99 seconds.   

“For sure I would have liked to run a 4.4 [in the 40-yard dash] but it’s hard to do when you weigh 343 pounds; it’s just not realistic,” the six-foot-eight lineman jokingly told reporters. “As an athlete, you have to be great everyday, so that’s why I train. What I did today won’t change anything, and I’m just going to continue working hard.”

The lineman just finished his fourth season with the Stingers, and has been attracting scouts throughout the year. The CFL ranked Simba as the 18th-best Canadian prospect, and fifth-best offensive lineman in their September 2018 list. They ranked him 11th on their prospects list in December 2018 for the draft in May.

Scouts from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs attended several Stingers games this past season. In January, Simba played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in California alongside some of the best American prospects.

“I always keep my head down and I don’t take anything for granted,” Simba said. “The NFL is not granted for me, nothing is set that I’m going to play in the NFL […]. Any opportunity I have, whether it be in the CFL or NFL, I’m just grateful to be here.”

Simba’s journey to become a football player is quite impressive. Born in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Simba moved to Quebec at 18 years old to rejoin his mother, who left home when he was three. The 24-year-old barely knew what American football was when he came here, but has been playing for six years.

“I’m very lucky for what’s happened in my life the past couple of years,” Simba said. “This [pro day] is a way for me to say thank you to Concordia University and to the city of Montreal for giving me these opportunities. For an immigrant like me who arrived [six] years ago, to get these chances, it really means a lot.”

Simba normally played left tackle this season, but admits he would be able to play anywhere along the offensive line if asked. The scouts had him do drills for both the left and right tackle positions.

“Right now, I want to play everywhere. If you pay me, I can play centre,” Simba added. “I’m too broke right now; I just want to help my mom. But honestly, I just want to show scouts [that] if they give me a chance, I’ll show them I can play, whether at guard or tackle.”

Simba will attend the CFL national combine in Toronto from March 22 to 24. The NFL draft is on April 25, while the CFL has theirs on May 2. “If I get drafted [in the NFL], thank God,” Simba said. “But in my head right now, to not be disappointed, if I don’t get drafted, I just want to an invitation to a rookie mini-camp to prove what I can do. If the coach tells me no, I’m still a Canadian citizen and I can play in the CFL.”

Simba ran the shuttle run drill in 5.76 seconds. Photo by Nicholas Di Giovanni.
Simba trying to follow Canadian lineman

A scout from the Kansas City Chiefs visited Montreal in the fall, and that team isn’t shy about drafting Canadian linemen. They drafted Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, where he’s been their starting guard since the 2015 season. Duvernay-Tardif is one of 12 Canadians who played in the NFL last season.

“He’s one of the most impressive guys I’ve ever seen,” said Simba about Duvernay-Tardif. “He really taught me humility. I met with him last year and the first thing he told me was thanks to my size, I have a shot.”

Simba said Duvernay-Tardif taught him what it takes to play in the NFL. “Even when scouts came to watch me last season, he told me, ‘Play your game as if they weren’t there,’” Simba said. “He’s a good mentor for me, and I have a lot of respect for him.”

Simba also said he would like to see more Canadians and U Sports players get a shot in the NFL, but they need more visibility first. “My goal is to give chances to other guys that the scouts could see,” Simba said. “Yeah, this year it was [me], but hopefully next year they will be back.”  

Main photo by Nicholas Di Giovanni.

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