Tag: Concordia Stingers

Categories
Sports

Stingers hold on to win dramatic game three

win dramatic game
The Stingers will face the Montréal Carabins in the RSEQ final, the team they beat in the playoffs last year. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Women’s hockey team books spot in finals and nationals for second-straight year

After losing game two on the road on Feb. 24 and with their season on the line, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team was forced to play a third game at home on Feb. 25 in their playoff series against the Ottawa Gee-Gees. The Stingers came out on top with a 2-1 win at the Ed Meagher Arena, clinching a spot in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) final, and in the national championship in London, Ont., in March.

The first period was a tense affair with teams trading power plays and solid chances with no result. The deadlock was broken halfway through the second period when Stingers captain and defenceman Marie-Joëlle Allard put home a rebound following a hectic scramble in front of the Gee-Gees net. When Allard scored, four Gee-Gees, the goalie and even the referee were all lying on the ice.

“All the games we’ve played against this team have been really physical, so we knew that there were going to be penalties throughout this series,” Allard said. “We really worked on our special teams play building up to this series, and that definitely paid off.”

Forward Sophie Gagnon (#11) scored one goal in the series. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

As the second period was winding down and the Stingers upped the offensive pressure, a stray rebound found its way onto forward Lidia Fillion’s stick, and she made no mistake, giving the Stingers a 2-0 lead. The home crowd was buzzing with the thought of potentially going to the finals for a second-straight year.

One of hockey’s favourite clichés is that a two-goal lead is the worst lead to have, and that seemed to be accurate as the Gee-Gees came out flying in the third period. They scored just two minutes into the third period.

The Ottawa side kept up the pressure, launching attack after attack, but were ultimately frustrated by Stingers goalie Alice Philbert. The rookie made several game-saving stops, including a desperate, sprawling save with three seconds left on the clock to secure the win.

Another standout player was Stingers forward Claudia Dubois, who has been one the team’s best players this season. After leading the team in the regular season with 20 points, she had two assists in this series.

“We’re very happy with the way we bounced back after a tough loss yesterday,” Dubois said. “We really came together as a team, and we have the result to show for it. Playing against [Université de] Montréal in the final is going to be a challenge, but we’re all confident that we can get the job done.”

The pressure and intensity from this game was a far cry from the display on Saturday, as head coach Julie Chu pointed out following the win.

“The series overall was a great, and we’re thrilled to move on. A massive part of that was due to the fact that we just played with more desperation,” Chu said. “After the second game, we had to come back home and play as if it were our last game on Earth or else we would lose, because [Ottawa] definitely played with that mindset.”

The Stingers will now play against the Université de Montréal Carabins in the finals, a team they have played five times this season, with every game going into overtime or a shootout. The Stingers had a 3-0-2 record against them this season. The series will begin on March 1.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers drop game two against Queen’s Gaels

Just like last season, the Stingers and Gaels will play a game three in the second round of the playoffs. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Concordia faces elimination in game three for second year in a row

Queen’s Gaels goalie Kevin Bailie secured a 3-0 win against the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team on Friday night at the Ed Meagher Arena. He stopped all 45 shots he faced, forcing a game three in the best-of-three series in the second round of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs.  

Stingers captain Philippe Hudon said he liked his team’s level of competitiveness throughout the game and fully understands they were up against a hot goaltender.

“He was outstanding,” Hudon said. “We aren’t going to cut corners on that one.” After winning game one on the road, he knew the Stingers would be facing a better Queen’s team this time around. “We certainly wanted to finish it tonight. They came out very strong and as hungry as we expected.”

The Stingers came out flying to start the game, outshooting the Gaels 14-3 in the first period. The Gaels did not get a shot in the first 15 minutes of the game. The Stingers’s aggressive play in the first caused a number of turnovers for the Gaels, but Concordia still couldn’t find a way to beat Bailie. Stingers goaltender Marc-Antoine Turcotte kept his team in it with a big save in the dying moments of the period.

The start of the second period saw a rejuvenated Gaels team.

“They collectively played as a five-man unit,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement. Gaels forward Duncan Campbell opened up the scoring two minutes into the second period off an odd-man rush. The period had quality scoring chances on both ends.

The Gaels doubled their lead late in the period with a goal by Ryan Bloom off a nice passing play. The Stingers had two power plays in the period but failed to execute due to Queen’s aggressive penalty kill.

“I guess we got a little comfortable with the game, and that didn’t help us,” said Stingers defenceman Matthieu Desautels.

After a four-goal game one, the Stingers were shutout in game two. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The Stingers were in for a scare late in the second period when Turcotte was forced to leave the game with an apparent injury after a scrum in front of his net.

“It’s never fun to see somebody go down, but he’s going to be alright,” Élement said. His status remains day-to-day. Stingers rookie back-up goalie Antoine Dagenais made his playoff debut replacing the injured Turcotte. “He gave us a chance to come back in the game,” Élement added.

Despite several chances, the Stingers just couldn’t find the back of the net. Queen’s defensive game was strong, as they limited their opposition’s scoring chances by blocking a number of shots throughout the game.

Gaels forward Darcy Greenaway scored a late power-play goal in the third to finish off a commanding victory for Queen’s.

“We’re going to have to get back to basics,” said Hudon about game three. “Nothing more complicated than that.” The Stingers played two games on the road against the Gaels this season and won both.

Élement said he is nothing but confident going into the final game of the series. “They finished above us,” he said. “They have the pressure.”

The Stingers find themselves facing elimination against the Gaels for a second-straight year. “If we don’t have fire going into Sunday, something’s wrong,” Hudon said.

The Stingers will play game three against the Queen’s Gaels on Feb. 25 at 2:30 p.m. in Kingston, Ont.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Categories
Sports

Stingers dominate to take game one in convincing fashion

The Stingers found a weakness on goalie Maude Lévesque-Ryan, beating her four times with high shots. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Audrey Belzile scores three goals as Gee-Gees only get 14 shots

With another hat-trick from forward Audrey Belzile, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team won game one of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) semi-final, 5-0, against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Feb. 22.
If there was such thing as a perfect game one, this was it for the Stingers. Right from the opening face-off, they asserted dominance and consistency, setting aside what had been a trend of struggling first periods all season. The Stingers allowed a mere 14 shots from the Gee-Gees all game.
“We came ready to play and capitalized early on, and that’s really important,” said head coach Julie Chu. “It’s always huge to get game one.”
The Stingers wasted no time from the face-off as forward Sophie Gagnon found herself on a breakaway just 11 seconds in. She was tripped and earned a penalty shot, beating Gee-Gees goalie Maude Lévesque-Ryan to her blocker side.
“We had the penalty shot right off the bat. It’s a huge momentum boost for us when you get to capitalize on your first chance,” Chu said.
Forward Vyckie Gélinas scored another goal a few minutes later. Belzile added a goal in the final minute of the third period, again beating Lévesque-Ryan on her blocker side. The Stingers led 3-0 after the first period.

Audrey Belzile scored her second hat-trick of the season. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“When we come closer, she goes down which opens the [blocker] side, so we shoot there,” Belzile said about Lévesque-Ryan’s weakness.
In the second period on a five-on-three powerplay, Belzile picked up a loose puck in front of the net and scored her second goal of the night. A tame and focused Stingers team continued the pressure and took their only penalty of the game in the second period on a delay-of-game call. The Gee-Gees, however, were becoming more frustrated and took many roughing penalties throughout the game.
In the third period, Belzile completed her hat-trick on another powerplay. The Stingers’s fifth goal midway through the third period forced the Gee-Gees to do a goalie change.

“We’re confident, because the first game is very important. It sets the tone,” said Belzile, looking ahead to the rest of the series. “They are afraid, so now we have the control of the playoffs. We want to finish this in two games at their home.”
The best-of-three series goes back to Ottawa on Feb. 24 in a do-or-die game for the Gee-Gees. If the Stingers win, Concordia will advance to the RSEQ final and qualify for the national championship in London, Ont., in March.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers rally to win final regular-season game in double overtime

Stingers forward Sophie Gagnon (right) had a goal and an assist in the game. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

Sophie Gagnon scores winner ahead of playoff clash versus Gee-Gees

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team beat the Ottawa Gee-Gees 3-2 on Feb. 18. Forward Sophie Gagnon scored the double overtime winning goal to close out the regular season at the Ed Meagher Arena.

The first period woes for the Stingers continued on Sunday afternoon. Ottawa’s Sara Lachance scored the opening goal just six minutes into the game, and a slow pace led to another Gee-Gees goal late in the period by Julie Levesque. The Gee-Gees finished the first period up 2-0.

“Our effort at the drop of the puck has to be a lot better,” said Stingers head coach Julie Chu. “That’s something we’ve had to work on throughout the season. It’s time for our players to step up and start faster than they have. They learned a valuable lesson today.”

As the Stingers have done multiple times this season, they picked up the pace in the second period. Forward Audrey Belzile found the net after a pass from forward Marie-Pascale Bernier to get the Stingers on the board. This was Belzile’s team-leading 11th goal of the season, and she finished the regular season with 18 points. The Stingers held the Gee-Gees to a mere four shots all period.

Concordia dominated the third period, but could only manage one goal by forward Claudia Dubois, assisted by Brigitte Laganière, halfway through the period. Once again, the Gee-Gees only managed four shots on net, while the Stingers took 18. Despite outshooting the Gee-Gees 39-18, the game headed to double overtime.

The first frame of four-on-four overtime was not enough to break the tie, so the game needed a second frame of three-on-three overtime. With plenty of room available, Gagnon used her speed to get up the ice and found an opening to seal the win for the Stingers.

Fifth-year forwards Alexandria D’Onofrio and Keriann Schofield (middle) played their final regular-season game with Concordia. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

Following the game, six Stingers seniors were honoured as their Concordia hockey careers come to an end this season. Forwards Alexandria D’Onofrio and Keriann Schofield, defencemen Audrey-Anne Allard, Marie-Joëlle Allard and Caroll-Ann Gagné, and goalie Frédérike Berger-Lebel were among those presented with flowers and framed photos.

Concordia finished the season with a 14-4-2 record, in second place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). The Stingers will play the Ottawa Gee-Gees in a best-of-three semi-final series.

Coach Chu said she does not plan to take anything for granted in the series. “This game was down to the wire, and it’s going to be a great series. It’s going to be a battle, and we have to be able to handle the pressure.”

Game one of the series will be at the Ed Meagher Arena on Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Game two will be in Ottawa on Feb. 24, and game three, if necessary, will be back at Concordia on Feb. 25.

Main photo by Sandra Hercegova.

Categories
Sports

Stingers sweep Ridgebacks in best-of-three series

Stingers captain Philippe Hudon scored the overtime winner to eliminate the UOIT Ridgebacks. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Captain Philippe Hudon’s overtime goal sends team to second round for the second year in a row

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team eliminated the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks from the first round of the playoffs for a second year in a row. After winning game one, 4-1, on Wednesday night in Oshawa, the Stingers swept the Ridgebacks with a 3-2 overtime win in front of a near-sold-out home crowd at the Ed Meagher Arena.

At the end of the first period, the Stingers were up 1-0 after forward Raphaël Lafontaine buried a rebound off defenceman Philippe Charbonneau’s shot from the point.

A little bit more than four minutes into the second period, Stingers rookie defenceman Carl Neill scored his first goal of the playoffs on a pass from defenceman Matthieu Desautels to put the Stingers up 2-0.

“I saw it developing a bit,” Neill said about the play that led to his goal. “I saw a hole, and I know [Desautels] has got really good hockey sense. I figured I may as well try it out.”

As time passed in the period, the game became more and more physical. With the Ridgebacks facing elimination, tensions began to rise.

Just a few minutes after Neill scored, Stingers forward and U Sports leader in points Anthony Beauregard was taken down in the corner by Ridgebacks defenceman Kyle Locke. Locke threw a few punches at the Stingers star player.

Since Locke never dropped his gloves, he remained in the game, and both he and Beauregard received roughing penalties. This drew some negative reactions from the crowd, but as head coach Marc-André Élement put it, it’s all part of the game.

“It’s hockey,” Élement said. “It’s playoffs, and he’s the top scorer in the league so for sure they’re going to have an eye on him, but it’s part of the game.”

As the second period was winding down, it seemed like the Stingers would be heading into the third with a 2-0 lead. With a little over a minute remaining in the period, Ridgebacks forward Mike Robinson scored a power-play goal to cut the lead in half.

The Stingers started the third period down a man for four minutes after Beauregard got called for spearing at the end of the second period. Concordia’s penalty kill gave UOIT few chances and helped maintain the team’s lead.

The period continued with a lot of back and forth, fast-paced and physical hockey. As the clock was winding down, the Stingers played conservatively to keep their lead. With a little under three minutes left in the game, Ridgebacks forward Jack Patterson scored to tie 2-2, sending it into overtime.

As the overtime period began, the Stingers came out with a new energy after the Ridgebacks dominated the third period. Just a few minutes into the period, Stingers forward Francis Brunelle managed to draw a hooking penalty to give his team a one-man advantage.

Stingers forward Francis Brunelle drew a penalty in overtime that led to the winning goal. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

With this power-play opportunity five minutes into the overtime period, Stingers captain Philippe Hudon scored on a backhand shot for the unassisted overtime game-winner, causing the Ed Meagher Arena to erupt into a thunderous applause.

“Honestly, I couldn’t hear anything,” Hudon joked following the game, “I was just so happy. I think I had more energy at the end when I scored than I did at the beginning of the game.”

The Stingers have won their last five games and are heading into the second round of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs against the Queen’s Gaels next week. The Stingers lost to the Gaels in the second round of the playoffs last year.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins. Video by Kenneth Gibson, reported by Nicholas Di Giovanni.

Categories
Sports

Setting up goals from anywhere

Even though Audrey Belzile leads the Stingers in goals, it has been Stéphanie Lalancette (pictured) feeding her passes. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Second-year forward Stéphanie Lalancette is near the top of the league in assists

In a women’s hockey game against the Carleton Ravens on Feb. 4, Concordia Stingers forward Stéphanie Lalancette earned an assist while sitting on the bench.

Midway through the second period, Lalancette carried the puck into the offensive zone before running out of room in front of a Ravens defender. She dropped the puck to her linemate, Audrey Belzile, then headed to the bench for a line change. As Lalancette got off the ice, Belzile circled around and scored a top-shelf goal.

A point from the bench for Lalancette on a Belzile goal. That’s the type of season Lalancette is having: one filled with assists. Belzile scored four goals in that game, and Lalancette assisted on three of them.

It’s clear that Stéphanie Lalancette and Audrey Belzile also have a good relationship off the ice. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“I think [I am] more of a passer,” Lalancette said. “I like the feeling of being able to pass and [help] my teammates score.”

Lalancette is tied for the third-most assists in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), with nine total. Five of those assists were on goals by Belzile, and the other four were by the other player on her line, Lidia Fillion.

Even though Lalancette is the passer on that line, she scores goals too.

“I bring a lot of energy, and I could change a game in just one shift,” Lalancette said. “I bring a lot of scoring chances in just one shift.”

Head coach Julie Chu said Lalancette is always giving her full effort, be it at practice or in games.

“If you ever come to our practice and watch Steph, even on a simple warm-up drill, the way she’s ready and explodes on that drill, you don’t see that all the time,” Chu said. “Because she has that mentality of getting better, working and making the most out of every moment, that’s why it’s translating to the games and why she’s such a dominant player for us.”

Stéphanie Lalancette scored her first two goals of the season against the McGill Martlets on Oct. 21. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

In her rookie season last year, Lalancette scored six goals and added 10 assists. This season, she already has seven goals to go along with her nine assists in 17 games.

Belzile said she enjoys being on a line with her playmaking teammate. “I like her speed. She sees me well, and I see her well,” Belzile said. “We have good chemistry, and we just fit together.”

Although Lalancette is feeding Belzile goals with the Stingers, the pair played on rival teams in CEGEP. Lalancette played for the Limoilou Titans, and Belzile played for the St-Laurent Patriotes, two of the top teams in college hockey. “Before we were enemies, but now we’re really good friends,” Belzile said.

In the 2014-15 season, Limoilou beat St-Laurent in the final, and the year after, Limoilou eliminated St-Laurent in the semi-final en route to winning the RSEQ championship. Lalancette said that championship experience helped her bring a winning mentality to the Stingers.

She played with many current Stingers at Limoilou, including forwards Claudia Dubois and Marie-Pascale Bernier, and defencemen Claudia Fortin, Audrey-Anne Allard and Aurélie Hubert. Lalancette said playing with her CEGEP teammates at Concordia is a fun experience.

“We knew each other, so it helped us in our everyday life and on the ice too,” Lalancette said.

In her rookie season last year with the Stingers, Lalancette continued her winning streak. Despite finishing the season with a 10-9-1 record, the Stingers upset the Université de Montréal Carabins in the first round of the playoffs, and secured a spot at nationals, where they finished in fourth place.

“It was a great feeling,” Lalancette said about their trip to nationals last March in Napanee, Ont. “As a first-year, you never [expect] that.” On the subject of what the team’s goals are for this season, Lalancette asserted: “We expect to win. We want to win the playoffs of the RSEQ, and go to the nationals and really have a winning mentality.”

Stéphanie Lalancette battles a McGill Martlet during a game on Feb. 10. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Even though Lalancette has up to three more seasons left with the Stingers after this one, she doesn’t stop thinking about her future in professional hockey. She said her goal is to play for Les Canadiennes de Montréal, but needs to focus on school in order to get a job outside of hockey. She’s currently studying leisure sciences.

Lalancette said she’s studying leisure sciences because that’s what she enjoys in school, and it helps her on the rink too. “I can bring a lot of stuff on the ice. I like being around people and just helping as much as I can.”

Through two seasons playing with the Stingers and studying at Concordia, Lalancette knows the challenges of being a student-athlete.

“It’s a lot of work,” she said. “You need to be on time for everything; you can’t be late; you need to prepare yourself for every week and just be sure you’re ready on the ice and you’re ready to study too.”

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

The value of versatility

Ken Beaulieu is in his fourth and final season as a member of the Concordia Stingers. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Graduating forward Ken Beaulieu describes himself as an unselfish player

A basketball player capable of performing every aspect of the game, and doing so admirably, is hard to come by. Most players tend to specialize in one or two areas—some are dominating rebounders and defenders, others excel at the three-point shot, and some are gifted at playmaking and setting up teammates.

Rarely does a player come along who can seemingly do it all, and this type of versatility has established Ken Beaulieu, a forward on the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team, as a star and a leader.

Ken Beaulieu is known for his dunking. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

When asked about his adaptability, Beaulieu came off as a highly coachable and open-minded player. “In my second year, I was scoring more, but this year my coaches want me to focus more on defence and rebounding, so I’ve been working more on that,” said Beaulieu, a fourth-year player.

Beaulieu’s aptitude for all aspects of basketball helped him become one of the most heavily-recruited players coming out of CEGEP in 2014. After being named a first-team all-star in 2014 playing for Cégep Édouard-Montpetit in his hometown of Longueuil, almost every team in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) was after Beaulieu. This forced him to choose between Université de Laval, Bishop’s, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Concordia.

Beaulieu said his admiration for the coaching style of former coach John Dore, whom he only played under for his first year, influenced his decision to play for the Stingers. Current head coach Rastko Popovic was an assistant under Dore, which helped make Popovic’s transition to head coach in 2015 easy for Beaulieu.

Beaulieu is certainly making it look easy, as his name is all over the RSEQ individual stats leaderboards this season. He ranks seventh in the conference in scoring at 12.5 points per game, third in rebounding with 7.7 per game, sixth in steals with 1.7 per game and seventh in assists with 2.4 per game. He has achieved these numbers while shooting at an impressive 61 field goal percentage. These stats illustrate just how multi-dimensional he is, while also being extremely efficient.

His athleticism permits him to be all over the place on the court.

One of the challenges that comes with being capable in every facet of the game is that, as a player, he doesn’t always get to utilize all his talents.

Ken Beaulieu said he is not a vocal leader, but would rather lead by example. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“My coaches right now want me to drive the basket a lot more this season, to get layups and post up, so my shot has gotten worse because I don’t practice it as much,” Beaulieu said. “It can be frustrating.”

Beaulieu said his mid-range shot is currently “nowhere to be found” and that he takes considerably fewer three-point shots, which has made his shooting a little rusty. Yet, this does not create tension between Beaulieu and his coaches, as he is happy to do whatever is asked of him.

“I’m not a selfish player. I don’t come in looking to score 30 a night; some nights it’s more about rebounding and defence,” Beaulieu said. He added how much he trusts his teammates, which makes passing a pleasure for him. “If you’re on my team and you’re open, I don’t care who you are, I’m passing the ball.”

Beaulieu said when he misses his first couple of shots, it can ruin his momentum for the whole game and affect him mentally. He was quick to acknowledge this is the biggest hurdle he is working to overcome.

“The mental [aspect] is something I’ve struggled with probably my whole career,” Beaulieu said.

Although he is not very vocal, Beaulieu is aware of his responsibility to lead his team by example. He sees a correlation between his energy and his team’s, which is why he wants to stay positive around the team on and off the court. When asked how he’s attempting to improve his mentality, Beaulieu said he reminds himself of two words he hears from his teammates and coaches all the time: “next play.”

“When you miss a shot, you can’t take it back. All you can do is focus on what’s next,” he said.

Beaulieu hopes what comes next is success in the playoffs, where he said he thinks the Stingers have a good chance of winning the championship. “We’ve beat every other team [in the conference] so far, so we know we can win,” he said.

Recently, Beaulieu was named the Concordia male athlete of the week. His performances against the UQAM Citadins on Feb. 1 and 3 helped the Stingers sweep a two-game series. He had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds in the first game, and was one point shy of another double-double in the second. These impressive stat sheets Beaulieu continues to produce prove why he is the Stingers’s human Swiss army knife, and why they love having him in their back pocket.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers split basketball doubleheader against McGill

Stingers guard Caroline Task attempts to make a shot against the McGill Martlets on Feb. 10. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Women’s team breaks eight-game losing streak, while the men drop the ball

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team clinched a tight win to break an eight-game losing streak, while the men’s team failed to keep up in the basketball doubleheader against McGill on Feb. 10. The women won 67-62, and the men lost 86-63.

Women’s Game

After finishing the first quarter leading 14-11, the Stingers kept their lead for most of the game. The team held on against a tenacious Martlets squad that nipped at their heels until the final buzzer, including a 25-point fourth quarter.

The first quarter was a good team effort for both sides in terms of scoring. In the second, however, Stingers guard Caroline Task claimed the lead for the Stingers, putting up 10 points. McGill only managed to sink eight points in response to Concordia’s 20 by the end of the second quarter, making the score 34-19 for the Stingers at halftime.

The Stingers extended their lead to 53-37 in the third quarter with Task putting up seven points and guard Sabrina Stambouli scoring six.

In the final quarter, the Martlets tried to stage a late comeback, with Alex Kiss-Rusk scoring eight out of the 25 points McGill claimed in the fourth. Stingers guard Jazlin Barker and forward Coralie Dumont carried Concordia over the finish line, scoring seven points a piece in the fourth to help the hosts secure their victory.

Concordia’s #7 Garry Merisier goes for a dunk against the McGill Redmen. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Men’s Game

McGill took an early lead in the first quarter with all five starting players getting at least two points, and three of them scoring four or more. Forward Francois Bourque scored six for the Redmen.

Stingers guard Jonathan Koud lead Concordia in scoring in the first quarter, putting up nine points to help keep the score close. The high-scoring first quarter ended 27-21 in favour of McGill.

The Redmen extended their lead in the second, with guards Alex Paquin and Dele Ogundokun scoring eight and seven points, respectively. Stingers forward Schneiders Suffrard scored seven points in the second quarter, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback, as the Redmen led 53-39 at halftime.

Scoring was more even in the third quarter with Concordia scoring 14 points and McGill scoring 13, but the Redmen still had a 66-53 lead.

Concordia ran out of steam in the fourth quarter, only managing to put up 10 points against McGill’s 20. Veteran forward Ken Beaulieu only managed to put up two points for the Stingers in the fourth quarter.

The women’s team improved to a 4-9 record, while the men’s team remains in second place in the division with an 8-5 record. The next game for both teams is on Feb. 15 away against the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers notch a 4-2 win over Ravens in physical game

Forward Alexis Pepin scored two goals in the win against the Ravens. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Both captains injured in a game with 68 total penalty minutes

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team beat the Carleton Ravens 4-2 on Feb. 10 at the Ed Meagher Arena in their last game of the regular season. Stingers goalie Marc-Antoine Turcotte stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced to help lead the Stingers to victory, while back-up goalie Antoine Dagenais played the final three minutes and allowed a goal. The win put the Stingers in third place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division.

With the Stingers trailing Carleton in the standings by only one point before the game, this game was a fast-paced and physical ordeal from the opening face-off. In just under eight minutes, the Ravens took their first minor penalty. Twenty seconds later, they took another, starting a trend that would carry throughout the game.

Stingers forward Alexis Pepin seized this powerplay opportunity as he tipped in a shot from defenceman Matthieu Desautels, giving the Stingers to a 1-0 lead. The goal was the first of two for Pepin, who head coach Marc-André Élement said really stood out this game.

“Pepin made key goals, and he has a big presence. His physicality is really important for us,” Élement said.

Stingers forward Scott Oke scored his first goal in 10 games. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

As the game continued, the Ravens aggressive style of play took over. This didn’t faze the Stingers though, as they fought back with physical plays of their own. One Stinger whose physical presence was absolutely dominant throughout the game was forward Francis Brunelle, who had a major impact on the game.

“The guys on the bench are really pumped when he’s on the ice,” said Élement about Brunelle. “He motivates them, and he’s working hard.”

Brunelle was able to use his intimidating physical presence to create some good offence, and performed very well on the defensive end as well. Even with the Ravens playing an extremely aggressive style of hockey and amassing a staggering 56 penalty minutes, Brunelle’s physical play never ceased.

“Carleton is a team that plays hard, and I don’t like to be rolled over,” Brunelle said. He added that this type of physical play is his style of hockey. “It’s fun for me.”

It wasn’t all fun though.

Early in the second period, with the game tied 1-1, Stingers defencemen Philippe Charbonneau delivered a massive hit on Ravens captain Brett Welychka, forcing him to leave the game injured. As a result of the hit, the game’s aggressive and physical play got ugly, and fast.

A few minutes after Charbonneau left the ice, Stingers captain Philippe Hudon was subject to a vicious check against the boards by Brett Gustavsen, which left him sprawled on the ice with a bloody nose. Gustavsen did not get a penalty for the hit, but finished the game with 36 penalty minutes from other infractions.

Though a stretcher was brought onto the ice, Hudon gathered the strength to get back on his feet and skated to the bench with the help of his teammates. Hudon did not return to the game, but coach Élement said he will recover in time for the Stingers’ first playoff game, which should be this week.

The period finished with the Stingers up 2-1, after a late period goal from Stingers forward Philippe Sanche.

The third period was a mess from the first whistle. Carleton collected the majority of their penalty minutes in this period, receiving their first minor penalty less than two minutes in.

This continued until the end of the game, with Gustaven receiving a penalty for game misconduct at the final whistle.

Pepin and forward Scott Oke scored in the third period to give the Stingers a 4-1 lead.  A late-period power-play goal from the Ravens brought the game to a final score of 4-2.

The win marks the third in a row for the Stingers, who have built up momentum heading into the playoffs.

The Stingers will face the sixth place University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks in the first round of the playoffs. The schedule is not released yet.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers close in on top seed with win against McGill

Players on the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team wore pink tape and laces for breast cancer awareness. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Audrey Belzile scores her eighth goal in five games as Claudia Dubois collects three points

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team beat the McGill Martlets for a fourth time this season, winning 5-3 on Feb. 10 at the Ed Meagher Arena. The Stingers got their goals from their top players, as forwards Claudia Dubois, Audrey Belzile, Stéphanie Lalancette, Marie-Pascale Bernier and Devon Thompson each scored.

“This was a playoff atmosphere,” said head coach Julie Chu. “A game like this is an emotional one […] That was a really fun game. McGill played really well, and it was great to see our team step up, handle the pressure down the stretch and execute in big-time moments.”

The Stingers have been slow starters in games this season, and this one was no different. The Martlets opened the scoring less than four minutes into the game with a goal by Kellyane Lecours. McGill dominated much of the first period, but Belzile scored her eighth goal in the last five games to give the Stingers a tie after the first period. This was Belzile’s 10th goal and 17th point of the season, slingshotting her to the top of the league’s leaderboard in each category.

The Stingers sit a point behind the first-placed Carabins, with a game against them on Feb. 16. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“The first period we were a little bit sluggish on our execution,” Chu said. “We were in the right spots to do the right thing, but we didn’t execute it, and it took us a while to get our first shot of the game.”

The head coach said during the first period, she told her team to calm down. “Maybe we had too much energy, so we got a little bit scattered and we were a little jittery with the puck.”

Nerves are always a big part of the Concordia-McGill rivalry. Lalancette said in rivalry games like these, they need to stick to their own gameplan. “We knew it was a big game for us and we needed the win, so we played well for that reason,” Lalancette said.

The Stingers came out firing in the second period, with Bernier scoring just three minutes in to give Concordia a 2-1 lead. After McGill tied the game four minutes later, Bernier’s relentless forechecking in the Martlet’s zone forced a turnover, and Dubois picked up the loose puck and scored on a wraparound. Dubois finished the game with a goal and two assists.

“[Dubois] has been one of our top players all year long,” Chu said. The third-year player is now tied with Belzile and rookie forward Lidia Fillion for most points on the Stingers with 17.

Even though the Stingers outshot the Martlets 13-7 in the second, McGill came out strong to start the third period. Martlets forward Jade Downie-Landry tied the game just over a minute into the final period.

Even though the game was tied for most of the third period, Lalancette said the mood on the bench was positive. “We always kept the energy high, but we were able to control it,” Lalancette said.

With just over five minutes left in the period, Fillion carried the puck toward the Martlets net. She lost the puck in the crease, but Lalancette was right there to poke it into the net, scoring the eventual game-winning goal. Thompson added an empty-net goal late in the game.

The win improves the Stingers record to 13-4-1, good enough for second place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). With two games remaining, the Stingers are one point behind the Université de Montréal Carabins. The two teams play each other on Feb. 16 at Montréal. Chu said they need to prepare for the game against the Carabins like they would for any other game.

“We expect our players, every week, to come prepared and ready to work,” Chu said.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers mount late comeback to win Corey Cup

A year after losing the Corey Cup in overtime, the Stingers beat the Redmen in a shootout. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Anthony Beauregard collects 60th point of the season and scores shootout winner

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team beat the McGill Redmen 4-3 in a shootout to win the 31st annual Corey Cup on Feb. 9. Goals from Anthony Beauregard, Charles-Eric Legare and Philippe Hudon, along with the shootout winner from Beauregard sealed the win for the Stingers at the Ed Meagher Arena.

It wasn’t an easy win though. Like any game against McGill, it was physical and explosive. Adding to that energy was a near-sold-out Ed Meagher Arena at Concordia’s Loyola campus. Hudon said he had never heard the arena that loud in his four years at Concordia.

With 14 minutes left in the third period, the Redmen held a 3-1 lead with goals from Jerome Verrier, Keanu Yamamoto and Nikolas Brouillard. They played a fast, hard-hitting game, and were able to keep the Stingers on their heels for most of the game. A goal from Legare off a blocked shot midway through the third period cut the lead down to one.

“I told the guys straight up, ‘There is no one who is going to quit in here,’” said head coach Marc-André Élement. “We’re going to get it.”

Élement told the players before the game that their success would rely on their ability to take control of special team situations. But special teams almost cost the Stingers the game. The Redmen scored all three of their goals on the powerplay, and the Stingers only scored one. Each team had eight power plays.

With five minutes left in the third and the Stingers down one, McGill got called for too many men on the ice. As soon as the play started, Hudon parked himself right in the crease, waiting for a tip. The first shot sent his way hit him in the shoulder.

“I thought I was going to lose some chiclets,” Hudon said. The play reset, and a long wrist shot from the blue line from Beauregard was heading high, but Hudon managed to tip the puck down and through the legs of a still-standing Redmen goalie Louis-Philippe Guindon. Despite protests of a high stick from the Redmen players, the goal stood.

“I love playoffs; I love to play for something,” Hudon said about the post-season starting next week. “I’ve stepped it up. I had a mediocre first half. I worked on a few things in practice. My game is surging.”

His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Élement praised how Hudon has bounced back after a rocky start to the year.

“I don’t know what happened, but since his suspension [in November], every night he’s one of our best players,” Élement said. “He plays the game intense and physical.” The head coach added he could see Hudon playing professional hockey soon.

With Hudon’s tying goal, the game headed into three-on-three overtime. The Redmen managed to get some of their momentum back, with several scoring chances from Brouillard. After a lot of back and forth, the game headed to a shootout.

The Ed Meagher Arena was nearly sold out for the Corey Cup. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Beauregard was the third shooter up for Concordia. None of the previous shooters from either team had been able to solve the goalies. Beauregard wound up and carried the puck in on Guindon. At the top of the faceoff circles, he did a quick stutter step, switched his weight from one foot to another, froze Guindon and ripped a wrist shot top shelf.

Beauregard said the only thought going through his mind during his attempt was to score. Stingers goalie Marc-Antoine Turcotte bolted from his crease and was the first player to celebrate with Beauregard, before the bench cleared to join in at centre ice.

Before this game, Concordia lost three of their last four. Both teams already clinched their spot in the playoffs, but the Stingers were battling for position in the standing. Like any game against McGill, though, it was about pride.

“It doesn’t feel like a regular win,” Hudon said. “We’re playing our cross-town rivals, and it means that much more because it’s the Corey Cup game […] This was a character win. It’s going to turn things around for us.”

Every game this season between the Stingers and the Redmen has been decided by one goal, with two needing extra time. With this win, the Stingers sit in fourth place in the division, clinching home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They wrap up their season hosting the third-placed Carleton Ravens on Feb. 10.

Main photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Categories
Sports

My Olympic Memories: Julie Chu

Julie Chu competed in four Olympics between 2002 and 2014, winning four medals in women’s hockey. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

The four-time Olympian once saw the Games as an “untouchable dream”

During the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, Julie Chu and the rest of the American athletes waited for their turn in the Parade of Nations.

As host country, the United States was the last country in the parade, so Chu—who was 19 years old and competing in her first Olympics for the women’s hockey team—had to wait a while. However, as the athletes lined up outside the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium where the opening ceremony took place, she could hear the cheers coming from inside.

“There was a moment where you heard [the stadium] absolutely erupt, and we all knew for sure that Greece had just walked in,” Chu said. Greece leads the parade because of the Olympics’ origins in the country. “I think about it now, and I get goosebumps.”

Julie Chu (bottom row, third from left) and the American national team. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Eventually, the American team made their way into the stadium. “Finally, you [enter] and it just opens up,” Chu said. “It’s just bright lights and cheering, and you think, ‘This is pretty cool.’”

Salt Lake City was the first of four Olympic Games for Chu, who is now the head coach of the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team. She is one of three players to have participated in four Olympics for the American women’s team, winning three silver medals and a bronze medal in 2006. Only seven other players have four or more Olympic medals in women’s hockey, including Canadian Caroline Ouellette—the Stingers’ assistant coach—who has four gold medals.

Although Chu watched the Olympics growing up, she said competing in them seemed like an “untouchable dream,” until women’s hockey was included in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

“When women’s hockey was announced as an Olympic sport, it was the first time I had a dream of going to the Olympics,” Chu said. “I wanted to make that Olympic team one day. I don’t know if I had set a goal; 1998 wasn’t on my radar because I was only 15. I probably had visions of 2002, but I didn’t have a time frame. It was more that I wanted to chase after this dream, and hopefully, one day be able to reach it.”

Chu watched on TV as the American team won the inaugural women’s hockey tournament at the 1998 Olympics. While she was watching the Games, her father, Wah, told her, “If you ever make it to the Olympic Games, I’m going to get the Olympic rings [tattooed] on my arm.” Chu said her father is traditional and was against tattoos, so she was shocked when he said that.

Neither Chu nor her father mentioned the tattoo until four years later, when she made Team U.S.A. Just prior to the Olympic Games, Wah followed through on his promise, and then Chu’s mother, brother and sister all said they would get a tattoo of the Olympic rings and her number, 13.

“They told me beforehand that they would get it before the Olympics,” Chu said. “I told them, ‘I don’t want to know, because until I [play], I’m not an Olympian.’” After the Games, Chu also got the Olympic rings tattooed to match the rest of her family.

Through four Olympics, Chu experienced the Games in different corners of the world. She admits that, prior to the 2002 Olympics in the United States, she had hoped to play in a country she had never visited, so she could travel. But Chu quickly realized how special it was to play at home.

“I was young, so getting into it I realized how awesome it really was,” she said. “Playing in Salt Lake City, I had over 30 friends and family [members] come and be a part of the Olympic Games.”

Chu got to travel to Turin, Italy, in 2006, then visit her neighbouring country in Vancouver in 2010, and say goodbye to the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. Chu said she experienced a bit of the Italian culture at her second Olympics, but didn’t get to be immersed in the Russian culture at her last Olympics. She said the Olympic village in Turin was in the city, whereas in Sochi, it was an isolated town on its own.

Nonetheless, Chu got to meet athletes from different nations in the dining hall at all four Olympics. Even though each country had its own dorm building in the Olympic village, the dining hall was communal, so Olympians from every sport and country ate together.

“The dining hall is probably the best melting pot of all the nations,” Chu said. “There have been times when we’ve sat down and have had meals with people from different nations […] You’re having a conversation, and get a chance to hear about their journey or about their experience at that Olympic Games.” Chu added that, for the most part, Olympians are fun to be around.

“I’ve met some really amazing people along the way,” she said. “[They] have been on the biggest stage, but at the end of it, they’re hard-working and just chasing their dream and are proud to represent [their country.]”

This year’s Olympics, held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will be the first in 20 years that Chu won’t compete in. Even though she said not playing for the national team is hard at times, she’s still excited to watch this year’s Games.

“Sometimes we blink and [Sochi 2014] didn’t seem that long ago,” Chu said. “What I tell [my former teammates] is to enjoy the moment, because it goes fast. Let go of the things you can’t control, let go of the external stuff and focus on the moment.”

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Exit mobile version