Jérome Bédard Guillemette wants to continue funding research for breast cancer
Before the haircut.
When Jérome Bédard Guillemette first joined the Concordia Stingers football team in 2015, he knew he wanted to raise money for some sort of cause. When his best friend’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, he finally knew what that cause would be.
“That shook me to the point where I started thinking about my mother, my sister, my girlfriend, and my girlfriend’s mother,” Bédard Guillemette said. “I said, ‘I don’t want anybody to lose a woman they love to breast cancer.’”
His friend’s mother beat the cancer and is currently in remission. On Feb. 9, the fourth-year defensive lineman donated his hair to Locks of Love in hopes of raising at least $1,500 for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. The Stingers women’s hockey team were hosting their first-ever Pink in the Rink event, and Bédard Guillemette cut his hair after the team beat the Montréal Carabins 3-1 at the Ed Meagher Arena.
“I’m really proud of our girls and what they did for Pink in the Rink,” said head coach Julie Chu. The players had a bake sale the day before during a men’s game. “Every one of us has someone [affected by cancer]; unfortunately that’s how it is. But we want to find the cure and hopefully little things like this help us.”
After the haircut.
Bédard Guillemette grew his hair and beard throughout his four years at Concordia, only trimming to keep it maintained. He doesn’t know if he will grow his hair out as long as it was again.
“It takes a lot of time and dedication to grow [hair] and keep it clean to donate,” Bédard Guillemette said. “For sure I’m going to donate money again, but it’s something we have to keep on doing because we’re never going to stop research.”
Having seen what his friend’s mother went through with breast cancer, Bédard Guillemette wants to let others know they’re not alone.
“People are trying to do their best to raise money for research,” he said. “You have to keep on fighting because it’s a hard and long fight.”
This was the last game of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) 2018-2019 season before the playoffs. This game meant a lot for the Stingers, who needed a win to secure home-ice advantage in their playoff semi-final matchup against the McGill Martlets.
The Stingers successfully secured a home-ice advantage with what was their seventh-consecutive win. Head coach Julie Chu said everyone is playing well right now, which explains the team’s current success.
“We’re not having lags,” Chu said. “We’re able to roll four lines right now, our three [defensive pairings] are doing a great job, and our goaltender is being really solid.”
Sophie Gagnon (#11) was one of the graduating players honoured after the game. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.
All four lines contributed offensively to help the Stingers beat the Gee-Gees, including goals from five different players. Chu said it’s important to not just rely on one line scoring.
“Everyone knows they’re a valuable part of this team,” Chu said. “At different points, we’ll ask different people to be able to score, or to produce in different ways. Whatever it might be, our players buy into that. I think when you have people buying in all year long it allows us to score goals, but also to do smaller things that don’t end up the scoresheet, but are equally as important for us.”
Forward Audrey Belzile, who scored the Stingers’s third goal, said that even ahead 6-0 after two periods, players kept giving their best, knowing they had to enter the playoffs with good habits.
“We told ourselves we were preparing for Thursday,” Belzile said. “We [wanted to do those] little things and give our all until the end because we’re not a team that gives up, and it would give momentum to the opponent.”
In the victory, Stingers defenceman Sandrine Lavictoire scored her first career goal in the RSEQ. Her goal was the last of the game and came with six minutes left in the third period.
“I’m happy I did it before the season ended,” said Lavictoire. “I waited until the 20th game to do it, but I’m happy.”
After the game, the team honoured graduating players Devon Thompson, Sophie Gagnon, Melinda Prévost and Katherine Purchase, who registered her third shutout of the season. Chu said these players can serve as an extra motivation for the playoffs.
“Those four graduating players have done a lot for this program,” Chu said. “They monitor themselves in that locker room. We don’t have to spend as much energy on making sure that the team is running strong and that the voice in the locker room is positive. They make sure it is.”
The Stingers have won two of the five games against the Martlets this season, scoring eight goals. Chu said the Stingers will face a really good team, which makes the home-ice advantage huge for that best-of-three semifinal series.
“Getting a chance to be in your own locker room, your own rink, with your fans and an environment that [you] love, it’s always a bonus,” Chu said. “However, we also know that at this point it’s going to be a war out there.”
The Stingers open their series against the Martlets Thursday night at the Ed Meagher Arena.
After winning bronze last season, the Stingers were eliminated in the first round. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Queen’s Gaels battled back from 3-0 deficit to sweep playoff series
The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team fell short in a 5-4 double overtime thriller to the Queen’s Gaels. This put an end to the season for the Stingers as the Gaels win the best-of-three series 2-0.
Just over six minutes into the game, captain Philippe Hudon scored to give the Stingers an early lead. The momentum carried on throughout the period, where the Stingers outshot the Gaels 12-3 in the first period.
This was the third year in a row the Stingers and Gaels met in the playoffs. Concordia won in game three overtime last year. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
The beginning of the second period started similarly, as the Stingers got another early goal from Hudon, who tipped a Philippe Sanche shot in on the powerplay to make it 2-0. Only 30 seconds later, Charles-Éric Légaré beat the Gaels goalie by putting a perfect pass by Brendan Hamelin into the net.
However, just under a minute later, the Gaels got onto the board to cut the lead to 3-1. This didn’t stop the Stingers from controlling the game, as midway through the second period, the momentum changed.
The Stingers failed to convert on a 5-on-3 that lasted nearly two minutes. The momentum changed from that point, and the Gaels got a powerplay goal to cut the lead to 3-2 before the second period ended.
“Not scoring on the five-on-three gave them momentum. Had we scored, it would have been different,” said head coach Marc-André Élément. “They did a very good job and gained momentum.”
“[The Gaels] played it really well but it isn’t really acceptable in the playoffs to not score on a 1:30 5-on-3,” said defenceman Carl Neill.
Opening the third, the Gaels left off where they finished the second, scoring only 19 seconds in to tie the game. They then proceeded to grab the lead less than two minutes into the third period with another quick goal.
The pressure on the Stingers’s backs was intense but they managed to remain calm. Sanche tied the game with eight minutes to go in regulation to send the game into overtime.
Despite a strong overtime period by the Stingers, they were unable to score. The game went to the second overtime, where the Gaels scored a minute into the period to put the Stingers’s season to bed.
This was Philippe Hudon’s final game as a Stinger. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
After the game, the team and fans cheered and thanked captain Hudon for his five years with the team. He was the first captain to take the Stingers to nationals last season. In his final game, Hudon went out with two goals and an assist. “He carried the team tonight and even last game,” said Neill on Hudon’s final performance. “Playoffs are really his thing.”
“He has been one of the best captains to wear the C on his jersey; he is up there with Olivier Hinse,” said Élément on his captain. “It is because of those guys that we were able to change the identity and culture of the program. I just told him he left a big, big footprint and I’m very proud of what he accomplished.”
An emotional Hudon came out to talk about his time as a Stinger after his final game. “It is certainly the end of an unbelievable chapter,” said Hudon. “It’s not about the sheer number of years I’ve been here; it’s about what developed over the years.”
Hudon will be missed as the team looks to the future but he hopes that his leadership on the ice sticks with the young leaders of the team. He is currently waiting to see if he will have a future in hockey over the next few months.
“If there is one thing I want my teammates to take from me, it’s certainly not the vocals, as I’m not a vocal guy. However, it would be to work hard to the very last second,” said Hudon.
Another player who likely played his last game in a Stingers uniform is forward Légaré, who is hoping to forego his final year of OUA eligibility to play pro in Europe.
On his time at Concordia, Légaré said, “I really enjoyed it. It has been the best four years of my life so far and it passed by so fast.”
The Stingers will come back next year with a young group led by many second and third year players.
It’s guaranteed the Stingers and Martlets will meet in the first round of the playoffs. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.
Women take sole possession of second while men remain in first place
The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team were defeated 70-59 by the McGill Redmen, while the women’s team defeated the Martlets63-51 Thursday night at the Concordia Gym. It was also senior’s night for the graduating Stingers on both teams.
Women’s Game
McGill built an early lead in the first quarter when Concordia struggled offensively to start the game. However, Stingers guard Caroline Task registered nine points in the quarter to keep her team in the game.
The Stingers then took control when their defence stood out and helped bring their game to another level. The team dominated from the paint and the perimeter, while forcing many turnovers and shot clock violations from McGill.
Task continued to dominate in the second quarter, even hitting the 1000-point mark in her career. Her performance helped the Stingers finish the first half ahead, 31-27.
Things continued to work well for the Stingers in the third quarter. The team converted a lot of three-point shots and capitalized on offensive rebounds. The Martlets scored less than 10 points for a second straight quarter, allowing the Stingers to lead by 19 points approaching the last quarter of the game.
While the Stingers entered the fourth quarter with a 55-36 lead, poor shot selection and turnovers gave Mcgill energy. The visitors dominated a good part of the last 15 minutes of action and managed to get back in the game. However, the lead established by the Stingers earlier was too difficult to overcome.
With the win, the Stingers improve to 9-5 this season. Task finished the game with 28 points, a game-high.
Before the game, the Stingers honoured graduating students Elise Roy, Aurélie d’Anjou Drouin, and Ladonna Lamonth with framed jerseys.
The men will need to win one of their final two games to guarantee first place. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.
Men’s Game
Both teams battled for the majority of the first quarter. Stingers guard Ricardo Monge helped his team close the gap early in the game, but McGill still finished the first quarter ahead, 18-17.
Monge continued to produce offensively in the second quarter. His successful three-point shots in the first half allowed the Stingers to stay in the game and even take a brief lead in the second quarter. McGill replied and headed to the locker room ahead 29-28 at the intermission.
The third quarter was McGill’s affair. The visitors put the Stingers in a difficult situation in the third quarter, and entered the fourth with a seven-point lead. However, the Singers continued to fight and cut the deficit with back-to-back successful three-point shots fromSami Ghandour and Adrian Armstrong.
McGill came back to extend their lead with less than two minutes left. The Stingers continued to show resilience at the end of the game, as the team created scoring opportunities and received free throws.
Lidia Fillion’s two second-period goals helped the Stingers beat the Carabins. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.
Stingers beat the Carabins 3-1 at home in final meeting between rivals
The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team continued their winning streak Saturday afternoon. They beat the Université de Montréal (UdeM) Carabins 3-1 at the Ed Meagher Arena for their six-straight win. Head coach Julie Chu credits a full team effort for the win streak.
“With our culture, even players that aren’t dressed, they bring great team energy in practices and in the stands, and that makes a huge difference,” Chu said following the win. “We’re happy with how our whole team is playing.”
It was the fifth and final meeting between the Stingers and Carabins this season. UdeM got the better of Concordia in three of the four previous meetings, winning all three games by one goal, including two in overtime. The Stingers’s only win against the Carabins before this game was a 2-1 victory on Nov. 2, 2018. The two teams, placed first and second in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), were separated by three points in the standings.
“We know every game is big at this point because our league is so tight,” said Chu when asked if the Stingers needed extra motivation heading in. “We just had to bare down and play good hockey. For sure [we’re thinking] about the playoffs, but we had to think about today and they played great.”
Goalie Alice Philbert allowed one goal in her last two starts. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.
Alice Philbert got her second-straight start in the Stingers’s net in place of Katherine Purchase. She missed Thursday’s 6-0 in Ottawa and this game for unknown reasons. Chu said the Stingers are lucky to have three strong goalies who she can rely on when called upon.
Montréal’s Aube Racine had to make 12 saves in the first period, and kept the scored tied 0-0 at the first intermission. The Stingers finally beat her five minutes into the second with a good shot from forward Lidia Fillion.
“Anytime we could put goals away against them, it’s a good thing [because] their goaltender is really strong,” Chu said. “For sure, it’s something we talked about between the first and second with our opportunities to make sure we capitalize [on scoring chances].”
The Carabins tied it 1-1 with a goal from Annie Germain 10 minutes later, but the even score didn’t last long. Less than two minutes later, Fillion scored her second of the game, which turned out to be the game-winning goal.
“She had some injuries early on the year, but now she’s playing really good hockey,” said the head coach about Fillion, who has seven goals this season. “She’s steady and solid, and we’re happy with the way she’s playing.”
Hugo Roy and Philippe Pelletier-Leblanc scored for the Stingers. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Concordia couldn’t continue momentum from Corey Cup win
The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team lost 4-2 to the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes Friday night. This was the team’s first game since their emotional overtime win last Saturday against McGill.
Only two minutes into the game, the Patriotes got onto the board. They scored another in the period to go up 2-0 after the first. The Stingers led the period in shots 12-8, but didn’t have any real scoring chances.
The second period was much the same for the Stingers, as they were not able to get anything going. The Patriotes scored a shorthanded goal late in the second to make it 3-0.
Captain Philippe Hudon (#7) will play in his final playoffs with the Stingers. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
“The first two periods were kind of flat, but sometimes that happens when you just played against a team like McGill,” said defenceman Carl Neill. “The rink was packed and we got a big win last week. It’s not really an excuse, especially going into the playoffs.”
“In the locker room, we told each other that we have one period to come out strong, and we did but we came up short,” said captain Philippe Hudon.
The third period started off very well; just 36 seconds in, Hugo Roy scored to put the Stingers on the board. Not even two minutes later, Philippe Pelletier-Leblanc scored to bring the Stingers within a goal.
“We were not playing very well on the power play, so the goal was huge for our confidence,” said Roy regarding his goal.
Despite the two quick goals, it was too little too late as the Stingers weren’t able to get another one. The Patriotes iced the game with an empty netter with 15 seconds left.
“We won against McGill in a high emotion game, and sometimes these things happen but we need to get our focus back and get ready for the playoffs,” said head coach Marc-André Élement.
The Stingers lost to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks, 5-3 on Saturday night. They finished in sixth place, and will play the Queen’s Gaels in the first round. The dates of the games will be released on Monday.
Sami Ghandour played his first game as a Stinger at 18 years old, while other players were in their 20s. Photo by Clare Redman.
Third-year forward has been making an impact since returning from shoulder surgery
In 2016, 18-year-old Sami Ghandour left Lebanon with the intention of playing basketball in Canada. Today, he is a member of the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team.
Ghandour wears a brace on his shoulder post-surgery. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.
“It’s actually one of the best experiences ever,” Ghandour said. “Coming to Canada from Lebanon, basketball has always helped me out. It allowed me to make a lot of friends that I’m still very close with, and I’ll be close with them for the rest of my life.”
Ghandour was actually born in Fergus, Ont., but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He moved to Lebanon at 13 years old for high school.
At first, Ghandour had no clear idea of what it would be like to play basketball in Montreal. “My expectations at the beginning were that I thought I would come and play,” said Ghandour, now in his third year with the Stingers. “However, I didn’t realize that I never played basketball at the level played here before.”
Another thing that marked the Stingers’s forward in his debut with the team is that he was younger than the other first-year players.
“A lot of the rookies were older than me because they went to Cégep,” Ghandour said. “They were 20 or 21, and I was 18 years old in my first game. I was like the little kid on the team, so it was hard for me.”
Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic also noticed how Ghandour’s age had an effect. However, he said the forward’s progression with years has been impressive.
“He could rarely get on the floor in his first year here,” Popovic said. “[You could see that] physically, he was 18 years old with a bunch of 20-year-old players. Yet, he never stopped working. Sami is one of our smartest players. He is a competitor, and he’s playing high level basketball. We don’t need him to score, we need him to do a lot of little things.”
Although Ghandour’s main job is to get rebounds, he still contributes nearly 10 points per game. Photo by Clare Redman.
Ghandour explained that all he needed at the beginning was adaptation. He said it helped him a lot to get to where he is today, especially when he arrived in Canada uncertain about the future of his basketball career.
“I just came and played, but it actually turned out perfectly,” Ghandour said. “It’s all a process. I went through it, and look where I am now. It helped me out a lot.”
Rebounds are something Ghandour excels at. Players are statistically awarded a rebound when they pick up a loose ball that rebounds on the hoop of a basket after a missed shot. Ghandour explained that the Stingers coaching staff put a lot of importance on them, especially in the position he plays.
“Our main goal is that, when they miss a shot, we don’t let them get a rebound and another shot,” Ghandour said. “One shot and it’s over.”
Ghandour missed the first two games of the season due to a shoulder injury, leading to his first-ever surgery, which was a scary experience for him. Ghandour came back on Nov. 22, 2018, when the Stingers played the McGill Redmen. For the occasion, the forward finished the game with a team-high nine rebounds.
“Going through surgery for the first time, in my head I was thinking ‘this could be it’,” Ghandour said. “It was possible I couldn’t come back and play this game I love. It was hard physically and mentally. However, the trainers did a really good job. I came in three times a week, every week, to try getting back to it. I actually came back earlier [than expected]. I wasn’t supposed to come back until after Christmas.”
Popovic added that Ghandour’s presence in the lineup makes a big difference on the team’s overall game.
“I feel like Sami can cover multiple positions at the same time,” Popovic said. “He talks a lot on defence, which is something we stress on. He’s really one of our most core guys. He wants to be a good player, and he wants to win. We’re really happy with that.”
With three games left in the regular season, Ghandour said the team is taking it one game at a time, with the goal of making it to the nationals. However, he admits that an all-star mention would be something to be proud of.
“We’re trying to get this trend of going to the nationals and being that top-ranked team,” Ghandour said. “We want to be out there [and compete every year]. However, I would personally like to make the all-star [team]—that would be good. Coming from where I come from and from not really playing in my first year to now being a starter, it would be a great accomplishment for me.”
The men’s team want to maintain more possession with their new formation. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Women’s team looks for consistency while men’s team tries new formation
The Concordia Stingers soccer teams have different objectives for the winter season. Head coach Greg Sutton wants to use the time as a way to prepare for next year and try new formations with his men’s team, while maintaining consistency on the women’s side.
“It’s going to be a challenge, so these girls just have to do the right thing and pass the right message along,” Sutton said. “Even though we might me a bit short-handed, it doesn’t mean they could take a day off.”
The soccer teams each play seven games during the winter season. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.
Sutton was named head coach of the women’s team last July, so this is his first full year of recruiting. He said there are players that will be joining the team in the fall, but aren’t playing with them this winter.
“We have to look at how we’re going to plan with those that are here currently and see how we’re going to integrate those coming in,” Sutton said. “We don’t have all the commitments quite yet, so it’s hard to tell [what] personnel we’re going to have in the fall.”
For the players, these games aren’t about getting results. “For us, our main focus is to just stay fit and keep playing,” said midfielder Alessia Di Sabato on CJLO Sportson Jan. 28. “I think it’s important for us to stick together as a team and keep working out and practising.”
On Jan. 27, the Stingers played the national champion Ottawa Gee-Gees, who don’t compete in their conference in the regular season. They lost 3-0 but Sutton was happy with how the team played. “I thought we managed the game the right way, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that in the first half,” Sutton said. “But it caught up to us in the sense that our depth is not nearly as close to theirs.”
Di Sabato said it’s a challenge to play teams from other conferences because they don’t know what to expect. “All we had heard were that they were national champions,” Di Sabato said. “It’s also cool [to play other teams] because you get to see a different style of play.”
Men’s team
After a one-win season, Sutton knew heading into next year, changes had to be made. “We’re a young team right now, but I think it’s something that will pay off,” Sutton said. “We have a group of good character guys, so it’s about developing some of the younger guys in the leadership roles they need to take forth.”
On the men’s side, a change of formation is a major priority for Sutton. They played with a four-man backline throughout the season, either in a 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 set-up, but this winter, he wants to try something different, with a 3-5-2 formation. It has become more popular in the soccer world after Antonio Conte used it when he was the manager with Juventus and Italy. By taking one defender away, it requires the centre backs to communicate well.
“We have some quality defenders where we could play three in the back,” Sutton added. “We’ve applied pressure up the field and it takes away a little bit of pressure off our back three. It’s a learning curve too in this formation.”
Sutton said he wanted to try the 3-5-2 because it allows his team to control possession and play with an extra attacker. In three games so far this winter season, the Stingers have two shutouts.
The Stingers have won three out of four games against McGill this season. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Concordia took advantage of home crowd for 4-3 win over McGill
In front of a packed house at the Ed Meagher Arena, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team won the 32nd annual Corey Cup against the McGill Redmen. This victory makes it the Stingers’s second-straight Corey Cup win, having won 4-3 both this year and last.
“The guys were excited,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement about the Concordia-McGill rivalry. “It means a lot. With the stands packed like that it’s good for university hockey and it’s good for the city.”
The officials were quick to break up Zachary Zorn’s fight with Nicolas Poulin. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
This game had all the elements expected from a rivalry. The two teams combined for 18 penalty minutes, 14 coming in the second period. Midway through the second, McGill’s Nicolas Poulin went after Stingers forward Zachary Zorn after he delivered a huge hit. The players dropped their gloves for a fight, but were only given two minutes for roughing.
“It was cool [to see] and it kind of gets the boys going on the bench,” said rookie defenceman Bradley Lalonde. “We were proud of [Zorn] because he stood up for himself.”
Indiscipline also played a factor in this game. McGill’s opening goal late in the first period was scored on a power play, and gave them a 1-0 lead at the first intermission. After forward Charles-Éric Legaré tied the game early in the second, McGill retook the lead with another power-play goal after Zorn’s penalty.
Third-year forward Philippe Sanche scored his 12th of the season to tie the game 2-2 with eight seconds left in the second period, also on the power play. “[Sanche] has been playing amazing,” Élement said. “He’s a huge leader and that was an amazing goal.”
Charles-Éric Legaré scored at the beginning of the second and third periods. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Legaré scored his second of the game, and 11th of the season, early in the third period to give the Stingers a 3-2 lead. In eight regular-season games against McGill these past two years, Legaré has five goals and an assist, including a goal in last year’s Corey Cup. Élement said Legaré plays his best hockey against McGill because he enjoys the large crowds.
Stingers Captain Philippe Hudon played in his fifth and final Corey Cup, and it’s the third time he’s won it. He said he’s proud he’s been able to win the trophy in front of the home crowd two years in a row.
“It’s something that kind of rivals the Montreal [Canadiens]-Boston [Bruins] rivalry,” Hudon said. “Throughout the years, I’ve grown to not like McGill and really stick it to them every single game […] I’m happy a lot of people are coming because there should be more exposure to this kind of hockey.”
Midway through the third period, with the game tied 3-3, Hudon skated wide into McGill’s zone and dropped a pass for Hugo Roy. Roy blasted the puck past Louis-Philippe Guindon, igniting the crowd with the eventual game-winning goal. Hudon said he didn’t see the puck go in but heard the crowd’s roar, and celebrated like he scored a goal.
“It was a relief because it was such a back-and-forth hockey game,” Hudon said. “We were able to get the one-goal lead near the end, then bare down for the rest of the game.”
With the game tied three times, Lalonde said it helped to have the crowd behind them the whole game. “It’s a rivalry, so we know we’re never going to get behind no matter what happens, especially with the crowd into it,” Lalonde said.
With the win, the Stingers improve to 15-9-2 on the season and are in fifth place in the Ontario University Association (OUA) East with 32 points and two games left. McGill sits in fourth with 36 points, so the two teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs. McGill beat them in the OUA East final last year.
“This is what I live for; take ‘em on,” Hudon said. “If we play them this year, I’m giving it all I have.”
Stingers guard Ricardo Monge is fifth in league scoring, averaging 15 points per game. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.
Men’s team extends league-best record while women fall for third-straight game
The Concordia Stingers basketball teams split a pair of games against the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins Thursday night at the Concordia Gym. It was the first of two doubleheaders between the schools this weekend.
Men’s game
The Stingers won the game 70-67, but it was a game filled with inconsistency. “I was very disappointed with how we executed on both ends, offensively and defensively,” said Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic.
The Stingers started the game strong, collecting rebounds and drawing fouls, and got up to a quick 7-2 lead within the first three minutes. They soon found themselves down 12-7 after the Citadins put together a 10-0 run to pull ahead, but the Stingers ended the quarter up 15-14.
Their lead fell apart very quickly as the Stingers found themselves down 30-20 just over halfway through the second quarter. Popovic called a timeout to rejuvenate his guys. “I just told them they will beat us if we play this way, and they responded well,” Popovic said.
After the timeout, the Stingers went on a 12-2 run and went into halftime tied at 32. The third quarter saw the Stingers fall behind 51-44 six minutes in. However, they closed the period by cutting the Citadins lead down to 55-51.
The fourth quarter was the team’s best, which saw Stingers guard Ricardo Monge score six points to grab a 61-58 lead. He finished the game with 11 points, three assists, and three steals.
The Citadins took back the lead with three minutes remaining, but the Stingers used their home-court advantage to dominate the last minutes and win.
Popovic said the Stingers reduced their turnovers in the second half, from 13 to three, which helped them win.
Guard Caroline Task (#7) was limited to six points in the loss. Photo by Victoria Lewin.
Women’s game
The Stingers entered the game Thursday night looking to snap their two-game losing streak. While the game was close, the Stingers lost to the Citadins, 68-63.
The first quarter saw the Stingers and Citadins trade chances. However the Citadins, who came into the game with a 1-8 record, had a 19-18 lead after the opening quarter.
The second quarter was led by Stingers star guard Myriam Leclerc, who helped her team grab a 33-30 lead at the half. Leclerc led all scorers with 17 points after two quarters, and finished the game with 29 points.
The Stingers’s momentum started to slip away in the third quarter. The Citadins’ centre Inga Aleksaite dominated the early part of the quarter on both ends of the floor. Despite this, the Stingers were able to keep the game close by putting up a 6-0 run to end the quarter, but were still down, at 51-49.
Concordia tied the game at 61 with two minutes left in the fourth after some good defence and rebounding. However, the game slipped away from the Stingers, as the Citadins scored seven points in the final minutes, and Concordia only scored two.
“UQAM came in hungrier than us,” said head coach Tenicha Gittens. “They came in and took it from us.”
The men’s team improved to 10-2 on the year while the women dropped to 7-5. They each play the Citadins today at UQAM, with the women tipping off at 2 p.m.
Joel Slavik just finished his second season playing for the Stingers football team. Photo by Kyran Thicke / Concordia Stingers.
Receiver wants to continue the conversation about mental illnesses
The Concordia Stingers hosted their annual Bell Let’s Talk game when the men’s hockey team played the Queen’s Gaels on Jan. 18.
In past seasons, Stingers men’s hockey team captain Philippe Hudon has made his struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder public. He’s been the Stingers’s ambassador for the Bell Let’s Talk campaign in the past, and has seen his teammates open up.
Though an arena might not be the most common place to have a conversation about mental health, Hudon has seen people opening up. “Not in my locker room,” said Hudon when asked if there’s still a stigma. “I think we’re pretty open about it. No matter the sport, I think it’s becoming more normal in a sense.”
This year, Joel Slavik, a slotback on the football team, opened up on social media with his own personal story. He lost a friend to suicide last March, and wanted to share his friend’s story.
“It’s the first Bell Let’s Talk day since he passed, and I just wanted to bring a little bit more awareness to the issue itself,” Slavik said. “I found the best way with dealing with it is just to talk about it, and bring it to light.”
After Slavik lost his friend, he started asking a lot of questions about mental illness to better understand what his friend went through. “How I dealt with it was talking to his family, and his brother reached out too,” Slavik added.
“When someone is dealing with depression or suicidal thoughts, it’s really easy [for them] to think that their problems [are] the end of the world, and will never get better,” Slavik said. “But I would just let them know it’s just a rough patch and won’t be something they will be going through for the rest of their life. It’s something I wish I could have told [my friend] at the time, but not many people knew about it.”
Bell Let’s Talk aims to end the stigma around mental illness and encourage conversations surrounding it. Clara Hughes, a former Summer and Winter Olympian, battled depression and helped start Bell Let’s Talk in 2010. Since then, more athletes have become involved in the campaign, including former Montreal Alouettes safety Étienne Boulay and Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock.
“With sports, there’s the whole, ‘Get over it, next-play’ mentality, which is great in sports,” Slavik said. “Overall, when something that significant happens, it’s really important to see how it affects you and how it affects others, instead of trying to sweep it under the rug.”
Slavik wants to see people be more open to sharing, but he wants to see it throughout the whole year, not just on Bell Let’s Talk day. “If you’re feeling this kind of way, there are resources and there are people who want you to talk about it and be vocal,” Slavik said.
After Slavik’s video was published on social media, he received support from friends in his hometown of Calgary, and from other Stingers athletes. “I just wanted to do it for [my friend] and just to prevent it from happening in the future,” Slavik said.
Bell Let’s Talk day is Jan. 30, and Concordia students struggling with their own mental health and wellness can visit the counselling services offered by the school, or call Concordia Students’ Nightline.
The Stingers and Ravens meet one more time this season on Feb. 1. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Forward Sophie Gagnon scores twice as Katherine Purchase collects third win
The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team beat the Carleton Ravens5-2 Sunday afternoon at the Ed Meagher Arena. Forward Sophie Gagnon scored two goals and added an assist in the victory.
The Stingers won all four games played against the Ravens so far this season, outscoring them 19-3. They also won two of those by shutouts.
In the two games this weekend, the Stingers scored nine goals. Photo by Hannah Ewen.
Stingers head coach Julie Chu was pleased with how her team competed against the Ravens, a team she calls a hard-working opponent. Chu wanted to see consistency from her team throughout the game.
“From start to finish, you could see it,” Chu said. “They scored a late goal. They don’t give up. And so for us, I think it’s trying to have to same intensity, focus, and urgency toward the way that we play.”
The Stingers took the lead early in the first period when forward Lidia Fillion scored her third goal of the season. “It was really great to see that our girls came out on fire in that first period,” Chu said. “They put us in a good place, and just kept getting better and better.”
Gagnon then added two goals in less than six minutes to give the Stingers a decisive 3-1 lead in the first. The forward gave credit to her teammates for her performance.
“I’m just at the right place at the right time,” Gagnon said. “When we need to put it [the puck] in the net, I do so.”
“[Gagnon] is not afraid to go to the net,” Chu said. “She competes in every moment, and I think that’s a big reason why she’s been successful over her career. She has that great determination. She’s willing to go through a knee, go through a wall to get a play done.”
Gagnon said the team had good zone exits against the Ravens, which created good offensive opportunities and helped the whole team produce in the game.
The first of Gagnon’s two goals was on the power play, and Rosalie Begin-Cyr scored a second power-play goal for the Stingers in the second period. Chu said the team really worked on reading plays and executing them at the right time.
“Today, I thought we did a really good job of moving the puck quickly, tape to tape,” Chu said. “Then, when we had opportunities to shoot and find shooting lanes, we were able to execute on those. That was really big.”
The Stingers finished the game with 39 shots, while the Ravens finished with 12. Goaltender Katherine Purchase registered her third victory of the season.
With an 8-4-3 record, the Stingers are still in third place, but sit three points behind first place, with five games remaining in the regular season. They play their next game on Feb. 1 in Ottawa against the Ravens.
