Tag: Concordia Stingers

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Stingers men’s hockey team wins home opener 5-3

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Carl Neill forgot to protect his goalie. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Forward Anthony Beauregard scores hat-trick against the Brock Badgers

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team grinded out a 5-3 victory over the Brock Badgers in their home opener on Oct. 20.

“Intensity, skating and speed: that’s what it takes to win,” said head coach Marc-André Élement. “Every night is going to be a battle.”

The Stingers came out of the gate in the first period with intensity and speed, but three penalties late in the period slowed them down. Goalie Marc-Antoine Turcotte kept his team in the game with 14 saves in the first period.

“He’s been nothing short of spectacular for us since the beginning,” said Stingers captain Philippe Hudon, who finished the game with three assists.

Hudon was in a gleeful mood after the match as it was his first home game at the Ed Meagher Arena as team captain. “Nothing short [of] great,” he said.

The second period opened with two quick Stingers power-play goals that came 48 seconds apart from veteran forward Scott Oke and sophomore winger Anthony Beauregard. However, three minutes later, the Badgers answered with two quick goals from Mitch Nardi and Brandon O’Quinn, coming 23 seconds apart. Nonetheless, the veteran Stingers kept the team focused after blowing the 2-0 lead.

The Concordia Stingers crowd around Marc-Antoine Turcotte during a stoppage in play in the game against the Brock Badgers. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

“We have great leaders on our team, like Dominic Beauchemin and Phil Hudon,” Beauregard said. “They are like our grandfathers, reminding us whenever things go bad that it’s just hockey.”

That relaxed mentality paid dividends for the Stingers, especially Beauregard. The second-year player netted a hat-trick, including the game-winning goal and received first star honours. “It felt good, but the most important thing was the [win],’” Beauregard said. “But we need to be better tomorrow.”

The game was a physical and chippy affair. Beauregard said he felt the team needed to be more disciplined. The Stingers took nine minor penalties in the contest, however, were a perfect nine for nine on the penalty kill. The Badgers also had their fair share of infractions, with 13 minor penalties.

“We got out of hand when it came to controlling our emotions,” Hudon said. “That’s something we have to work on […] We’ve got to remain cool and calm.”

“The refs did a good job on both sides tonight,” coach Élement said. “I wasn’t happy about the last penalty, but I wasn’t unhappy with the ref—I was unhappy that my player would take that penalty.”

The Badgers certainly had trouble controlling their emotions near the end of the game. Brock players Skylar Pacheco and Nardi were both ejected from the game in the third period. The Stingers did not engage in the extracurriculars in the third period as they knew they had a lead to protect.

The Stingers men’s hockey team’s next game is Oct. 21 at home against the Guelph Gryphons, who are coming off of a 7-4 loss to the McGill Redmen.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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A triumphant road to recovery

After missing the 2016 season with an injury, Moritz Wittmann returned to Stingers ready to lead

One year ago, Moritz Wittmann was playing in an exhibition rugby match for the Concordia Stingers when his right knee buckled. He partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, but the injury didn’t require surgery at the time.

“Two months later, I was sort of good to run again, and I did the same thing. [The knee] buckled, and [the ACL] completely tore,” said Wittmann, who plays as a fly half. He had surgery on his knee in February after missing the Stingers’ entire 2016 season.

Without Wittmann and several other players who also had knee injuries, the Stingers suffered with a 1-6 record during the regular season. For Wittmann, not being able to join his teammates on the field was heartbreaking.

“You watch the guys out there, and you want to be in there, and you want to play,” Wittmann said. “At times, you can’t even watch. It’s hard. Especially with rugby, it’s such a physical sport, if you’re not taking part in the pain, you feel like you’re not part of the team.”

However, head coach Craig Beemer saw a positive side to Wittmann’s injury. He said Wittmann never missed a practice, and he helped out the team however he could.

Moritz Wittmann, with his taped knee, makes a pass during the 2017 season. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

“I have seen a lot of players ‘disappear’ for the year after something as devastating as that, but in this case I saw the exact opposite,” Beemer said in an email to The Concordian. “He never let his frustrations show even though you knew, deep down, not being able to step on the field was killing him.”

After Wittmann’s surgery in February, he recovered in time for the 2017 season. But his road to recovery wasn’t a smooth ride. The biggest bump along his journey was having to give up day-to-day activities for the first two months post-surgery.

“I’m used to just walking around, being active, running and doing any kind of sport,” Wittmann said. “So when you’re in bed for two months, you feel [bad]. You feel like you have less agency over your body; you don’t have control over it.”

Step-by-step, Wittmann went through the rehabilitation process to heal and strengthen his knee. During the recovery, his goal was to play in the Stingers’ first game of the 2017 season against the McGill Redmen. He played in that game, scored two tries, and the Stingers won 38-10.

“[The game] was great. It was unreal, it was so much fun,” Wittmann said while shaking his head with a smirk only seen on people who have finally accomplished their personal goals. He was also named Male Athlete of the Week for the Stingers after that performance.

Following the victory against McGill, the Stingers haven’t stopped winning. They have a 6-0 record and are in first place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). Wittmann has played in all six games and is fifth on the Stingers for most tries with two. Wittmann said winning games this year is a lot of fun for the whole team, but especially for the players who returned from injuries.

“At the moment, we’re just grateful to be winning a few games,” Wittmann said. “Last year was depressing, especially for most of the guys on the sideline. We would lose by 40 points, and this year we’re just dominating teams. It’s fun.”

Wittmann is in his third year with the Stingers, and even though he has had an adventurous career with the team, he said he never expected to play rugby at Concordia. Wittmann grew up in Zurich, Switzerland, and first heard about Montreal in an in-flight magazine. After high school, Wittmann wanted a new challenge, so he thought Concordia University would be the place to go. He came to study English literature—rugby wasn’t his priority.

“I wasn’t expecting to play here. That wasn’t why I came here,” he said. “I heard they had a rugby team, and I showed up after training camp, and asked, ‘Can I play with you guys?’”

Wittmann started playing rugby at eight years old while he was living in the United Kingdom because he saw his older brother play and was jealous. Even though he has played the sport all over Europe and in Canada, he said rugby culture between countries isn’t that different.

“The culture is the same, everyone is pretty friendly,” he said. “It’s sort of a known thing around the rugby community to be friendly, opening and welcoming to people.”

In coach Beemer’s opinion, Wittmann exemplifies this friendly behaviour.

“He wins over his teammates with his incredible attitude and his ability to make everyone feel important and included,” Beemer said. “What you don’t see [behind the scenes] is him staying to support the developing players during scrimmages, cleaning up the training field post-practice and [taking on] the role of water boy just to be a part of what we are doing.”

While Wittmann continues helping out his teammates both on and off the pitch, all he wants to do is keep winning. “I think we can win [the championship]. I’m pretty confident. That’s the goal.”

Main photo by Kirubel Mehari.

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Only hard work will take Stingers back to nationals

Head coach Julie Chu expects players to give their best effort all season

A season after playing at the national championships, the head coach of the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team, Julie Chu, knows only one thing can get them back there.

“We know the only reason we got [to nationals] was from hard work,” Chu said. “Nothing changes this year in our preparation. We’re going to expect our players to come in and give effort to be the best everyday.”

Last year, the Stingers finished in third place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) with a 10-9-1 record during the regular season. They upset second-place Université de Montréal Carabins in the semi-final, which qualified them for the national championship. In the RSEQ final, the Stingers lost to the first-place McGill Martlets.

At nationals in March, the Stingers made it all the way to the bronze-medal game where they lost to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, with a score of 2-0. The Stingers finished the season as the fourth-best team in U Sports.

On Oct. 11, U Sports listed the Stingers fourth in their pre-season rankings. But for Chu, until Concordia steps onto the ice, they haven’t proven anything.

The Concordia Stingers celebrate a playoff series win against the UdeM Carabins during the 2016-17 season. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

“It’s always nice to be ranked and be considered a top team, but we haven’t played a regular season game yet, so for me in all honesty, it doesn’t mean a lot,” Chu said.

The Stingers have been preparing for the start of their regular season since training camp began in August. The Stingers started their pre-season in September, with three wins in three home games against the Brock Badgers, the York Lions and the Queen’s Gaels.

“It’s always great to contribute offensively, but what was fun for [those three games] was that there were a lot of different people who contributed,” Chu said. “It wasn’t two or three people who were scoring the majority of the goals. It was spread out amongst the players.”

Rookie forward Vyckie Gélinas was one of the players who scored, with a goal against Queen’s. Chu said Gélinas is part of a group of first-year players on the team ready to contribute goals and offensive production. First-year forward Lidia Fillion also picked up an assist in that game, and she is a player Chu expects will make an impact both offensively and defensively with the Stingers this season.

“Fillion is doing a good job of shifting into playing at [the university] level, and she’ll continue to adjust to the speed of the game,” Chu said. “But she’s a tremendously smart player, so she knows how to play with and without the puck.”

Regardless of who the captain and assistant captains are, Chu said she wants all her players to be leaders. She also doesn’t want leadership to be limited to her forwards and defencemen.

“Even though Katherine Purchase is a goaltender for us, she has a big voice on our team. She has a great presence and will be a tremendous leader as well,” Chu said.

The coach added that the team’s ultimate goal this season is to win a national championship. But Chu said players have to focus on the small things first, like being great student-athletes and working hard for the team.

“We have to be willing to work hard everyday, set the tone and execute when it counts the most.”

The Stingers opened their season away against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Oct. 15 with a 3-1 loss. Their next game is Oct. 21 at home against the McGill Martlets.

Main photo by Kirubel Mehari.

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Stingers win 50th Shaughnessy Cup

The Stingers beat the Redmen twice this season. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Quarterback Adam Vance helped propel Concordia to a victory against McGill

With the help of some impressive passing at the hands of rookie quarterback Adam Vance, the Concordia Stingers football team took home the 50th Shaughnessy Cup against the McGill Redmen on Oct. 14 at Percival Molson Stadium with a score of 36-10.

For Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan, the game was a return after a disappointing loss to the Sherbrooke Vert et Or just two weeks ago.

“Our last performance against Sherbrooke was a disgrace,” Donovan said. “We’re a better team than what [we] showed that day. We had a statement to make today, and the guys all came together.”

The Stingers started the game off strong with two touchdowns on their first two possessions. The first touchdown was a 64-yard pass from Vance to wide receiver James Tyrrell. Just a few minutes later, Vance scored a touchdown with a nine-yard run to expand the team’s lead to 14-0.

This is Vance’s second game as a starting quarterback after quarterback Trenton Miller was injured in a game against the Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 24. For Vance, getting more touches with the ball has made him more comfortable in games.

A McGill defender tackles running back Jean-Guy Rimpel in the 50th Shaughnessy Cup on Oct. 14. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“I felt really good in my last start, but I’m feeling even better now,” Vance said.

The Stingers fumbled the ball in their end zone near the end of the first quarter, which led to a Redmen touchdown, making the score 14-7.

The Redmen started off the second quarter with a field goal, bringing the score to 14-10. However, that would be the closest the Redmen would come to tying the game. The Stingers finished off the half with two field goals and had a 20-10 lead at halftime.

Donovan said the defence was a big reason for the team’s win.

“The defence played amazing,” he said. “If you think about it, [we] should have gotten a shutout. [We] didn’t allow one single offensive touchdown.”

After a scoreless third quarter, the Stingers dominated the fourth quarter. Early on, Vance connected with wide receiver Yanic Lessard for a 12-yard touchdown pass which extended the team’s lead to 27-10. The Stingers would get a safety and add a touchdown late in the game to bring the score to 36-10.

The Stingers are now on their second bye week of the season, but will be back on Oct. 27 at home against the Laval Rouge et Or for their last game of the season.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

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Stingers win season opener against McGill

Charles-Eric Legare scored three regular-season goals against McGill. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

A chippy performance by Concordia led the team to a 3-2 win

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team started their season off with a 3-2 win against their crosstown rivals, the McGill Redmen, at McConnell Arena on Oct. 13.

“We played a good game, but we made a lot of mistakes,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement. “There were a couple of parts of the game I didn’t like, but it’s two points so we’re happy about that.”

The game started off with both goaltenders standing tall in their respective nets. Stingers goaltender Marc-Antoine Turcotte made some big saves early and was a difference maker for the Stingers. He made key saves to keep his team in the game.

Turcotte’s brilliant play was accentuated in the third period while the Stingers were up 3-2, trying to cling to their lead. Concordia took some late penalties, giving the Redmen a five-on-three powerplay with less than five minutes left in the game. However, Turcotte turned aside a barrage of shots, allowing his team to keep the lead and ultimately win the game.

“This is what you need from a goalie,” Élement said. “He played an awesome game.”

Alexandre Gosselin skates past a sprawling McGill defender on Oct. 13. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“The guys played well in front of me,” Turcotte added. “They let me see the puck all night. I’m pretty proud of the guys today.”

In the first period, the Stingers were down 1-0 off a goal by Redmen defencemen Dominic Talbot-Tassi. Nine minutes after the opening goal, Stingers forward Scott Oke popped in a goal off a wrist shot to tie the game before the end of the first period.

The second period had both teams going back and forth with the Redmen taking an early lead. However, rookie forward Alexis Pépin scored the tying goal in his first game as a Stinger.

“Getting that first goal in the first game is always good for confidence,” Pépin said. “I had trouble getting points in the pre-season, and I got two tonight so it was pretty good.”

A few minutes after Pépin scored, Stingers forward Charles-Eric Légaré buried a cross-crease pass to give the Stingers a 3-2 lead. First-year forward Massimo Carozza and Pépin picked up the assists. The team never looked back and left McConnell Arena with the victory.

For Pépin and his teammates, beating a rival like McGill was important. “It’s a big two points for us to start the season with,” he said

The Stingers will play the Redmen three more times this season, but are now off to Ottawa to play the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

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Stingers basketball teams successful in Concordia Classic tournament

Guard Caroline Task drives towards the basket in a game against the UPEI Panthers on Oct. 6. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Women’s team wins tournament with 3-0 record, while men’s team finishes second with 2-1 record

The Concordia Classic Basketball Tournament, which ran from Oct. 6 to Oct. 8, was a success for the Concordia Stingers. The Stingers host the pre-season tournament every year, and this year, six schools sent teams to play in the men’s and women’s tournaments. The Stingers women’s team won the tournament with a 3-0 record, while the men’s team finished in second place with a 2-1 record.

Women’s Team
Forward Ashley Moss, who missed the entire season last year with a knee injury, was named MVP of the tournament. She averaged nine points and 11 rebounds per game, with a field goal percentage of 59 per cent.

Guards Caroline Task and Jazlin Barker were named tournament All-Stars. Task led the team in scoring throughout the tournament, averaging 14.7 points per game. Barker had a dominating performance in their final game against Toronto, stuffing the stat sheet with 21 points, seven assists, three rebounds and five steals.

The tournament opener for the women was against the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Panthers. This game had a quick start with the Stingers outscoring the Panthers 30-25. From there, Concordia did not let go of the lead and won with a final score of 60-53.

Rookie forward Coralie Dumont looks for a pass against the UPEI Panthers on Oct. 6. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

The Stingers’ second game was against the Algoma Thunderbirds, which they won in dominant fashion, 80-38. After the first quarter, the Stingers led 18-3, and by the end of the third quarter they were up by 23. They played well the entire game but especially in the fourth quarter. Everything seemed to be working for them offensively in transition, and their hustle was clear. The Stingers dove for loose balls, caused jump balls and forced turnovers with stout defence. It was a coming-out party for rookie guard Coralie Dumont, as she had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

The final game of the tournament was against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Barker stole the show with her 21 points and secured the tournament win. Moss was also instrumental in this win, as she had 10 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks. Thanks to these strong performances, the Stingers won the game, 73-64.

Men’s Team

The Stingers opened the tournament against the Regina Rams with a convincing 92-74 victory. Concordia’s offence was extremely well balanced, as five players had more than 10 points each. Point guard Ricardo Monge had 16 points and seven assists. Six-foot-seven forward Olivier Simon also had a strong showing, putting up 15 points, grabbing seven rebounds and adding two blocks.
Their second game came against a very strong opponent, Halifax’s Dalhousie Tigers, who finished last season with a record of 16-4. After the first quarter, the game was tied at 16. In the second quarter, the Stingers were able to grab a seven-point lead, but an aggressive half-court press by Dalhousie trimmed that lead to two by halftime.

The second half was a back-and-forth affair, with the lead changing hands on several occasions. Concordia was in the lead for most of the game, but Dalhousie continued to turn to the half-court press to apply pressure and force turnovers. Then, down by two points with 18 seconds left in the game, Dalhousie’s Alex Carson hit a dagger three-point shot to put them up by one. Concordia had time for one more shot but unfortunately missed. They lost a hard fought battle, 72-70.
The third and final game of the tournament for the men’s team came against the York Lions. The Stingers won the game, 85-80. The win was due in no small part to the hot start Concordia got off to, outscoring York 27-14 in the first quarter.

Forward Olivier Simon shoots a free throw against the Regina Rams on Oct. 6. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

The Stingers were actually outscored in each of the following three quarters by a total of eight points. However, York’s comeback was clearly not enough to erase the 13-point deficit created in the first quarter. The Stingers offence was incredibly well balanced again, with five players scoring in the double digits. Guard Jonathan Koud led his team with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Two Stingers were named tournament All-Stars: Koud and forward/guard Ken Beaulieu. Koud led the team in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game. Beaulieu was an outstanding sixth man, averaging an even 15 points per game coming off the bench. He provided huge boosts for his team throughout the tournament.

The women’s team plays various pre-season games for the rest of October before starting their season Nov. 9 in a home game against the Bishop’s Gaiters. The men’s team plays in a pre-season tournament at Queen’s University from Oct. 13 to 15, before starting their season Nov. 9 at home against the Bishop’s Gaiters.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

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Jorge Sanchez has put his players first since 2002

Head coach Jorge Sanchez has been with the Concordia Stingers since 2002. Photo by Matthew Coyte.

Veteran head coach, in his 16th season, emphasizes work ethic, responsibility and having fun

When The Concordian approached women’s soccer head coach Jorge Sanchez about doing an interview for a profile of him, he was hesitant.

“It’s not about me,” Sanchez said. “It’s about the players.”

Sanchez has become synonymous with the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team. Ever since taking over the role in July 2002, the coach has worked to improve the program.

Sanchez began his coaching career with the Lakeshore Soccer Club and also coached at John Abbott College. After coaching in the West Island, he moved to the provincial level, where he helped Quebec’s under-15 and under-17 women’s teams. From 1997 to 2001, he was an assistant coach for the national team’s training program, where he would train Quebec prospects who were considered hopefuls for the Canadian national team.

In 2002, the Stingers were looking for a full-time coach. Sanchez said he found himself at a professional crossroads.

“I didn’t want to go back to coaching club,” he said. “One morning, I was reading the paper and saw a job posting for head coach of the women’s team at Concordia […] so I said, ‘I’m going to take a chance, apply and see what happens.’”

Sanchez talks to his players ahead of practice. Photo by Matthew Coyte.

Fifteen years later, that leap of faith has paid off. “I now find myself being one of the more senior coaches in the department. I kind of like that role,” Sanchez said.

“I like to think that I’m a player’s coach, who trusts his players and demands loyalty from my players—not to me, but to the program,” he said.

“I’m not someone that is going to yell and scream all the time, but I have standards and I expect players to live up to them,” Sanchez said. “But I like to think that when they need me, I’m there.”

His players seem to agree. “He is a very committed coach,” said fourth-year midfielder Alice Grandpierre. “[He] will do anything in his power to do what is best for the team and his players.”

Third-year midfielder Laura Lamontagne added that a running joke for the players on the team has been Sanchez’s use of Twitter, where he is constantly updating scores and news related to the team.

“In a way, it’s funny, but it also shows how much he takes his coaching role seriously and wants our program to get more recognition,” Lamontagne said.

The veteran head coach has always been very adamant about supporting his players and helping them with what he calls his three pillars.

The first pillar is to remember to have fun. “Soccer is a game. If you’re not having fun doing it, you should probably be looking somewhere else,” he said.

For the second pillar, Sanchez wants players to be a part of the total student-athlete experience.

“It’s not just about the sport. They have to be successful in the classroom to even be eligible to play,” he said. “I want to create an enriching but competitive environment. Very positive, very supportive environment […] never forgetting that on Tuesdays and Thursdays at practice, they’re competing to get on the field as starters.”

Lastly, Sanchez wants players to take responsibility for their actions, both on and off the field. “As individuals, are they doing everything in their control to be successful?”

As much as the veteran head coach enjoys winning, that’s not the main focus of his job.

“You want good soccer players, but I hope I’m helping [the players] become good people as well,” he said.

While Sanchez is not at the end of his career just yet, he said he wants to retire with the Concordia Stingers.

“This will probably be my last coaching role. I’ve put so much time and energy into this, it would be hard to start over somewhere else because this is my passion,” he said. “It’s intertwined with who I am as a person.”

Main photo by Matthew Coyte

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Frustrating forwards is more fun than scoring goals

Olivier Georges prefers stopping goals rather than scoring them. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Stingers captain Olivier Georges was turning heads even before his time at Concordia

I had the pleasure to get to know Olivier Georges, the centre-back who has captained the Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team for the last two-and-a-half years.

I spoke to him after a team practice, and the first thing that struck me was how different he was compared to when I’ve spoken to him after matches. Constantly smiling and very laid back, he didn’t seem like the same guy who’s so focused and intense during games.

My first time watching Georges play was at CEPSUM, on the Université de Montréal campus, where the Stingers faced off against the Carabins, a top team in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). The game did not go Concordia’s way—the Carabins won 7-3—but the first thing I noticed was the centre-back wearing number 20 who was in control of his team even before the game started. He pumped his team up by vocally encouraging them before the game, and was directing his teammates on where to position themselves during the game.

His style of play and control of the Stingers back line was everything one could hope for from a defensive leader. Despite constantly being vocal and organizing the play, he always managed to calm his team down when on defence.

The more I watched the Stingers, the more he became one of the most consistent and entertaining players on the field.

Off the pitch, Georges is anything but the fiery and passionate defender who seems to be everywhere at the same time during the game. He is smiling and always willing to chat, even after a tough loss or a grueling practice.

At a young age, when most players wanted to score goals, Georges never really expressed a desire to play as a forward. He preferred defending his goal rather than attacking his opponent’s.

“Coaches would always ask me to go up forward because I was so fast, but I never really got into that,” Georges said. “I could always see the whole play from defence, and I always enjoyed frustrating forwards more than scoring goals.”

Olivier Georges right where he belongs: in front of his goalkeeper, defending his net, during the 2016 season. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

He isn’t afraid of stepping up to help his team attack, as he is good in possession of the ball. He embodies the newer generation of defenders like Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos, who are rising in the professional ranks because they can shut down any attacking forward but could also score goals themselves.

Regardless of how comfortable with the ball or how quick he is, Georges always preferred playing defence. And he’s quite good at it too. Georges was named a RSEQ Second Team All-Star in 2014 and 2015, and a RSEQ First Team All-Star in 2016. The RSEQ All-Star teams consist of the best players in the conference from a given season.

For Georges, who also ran track and field and played varsity volleyball, soccer has always been his favourite sport.

“When I had to choose between [other sports] and soccer, there was no choice to make,” he said. “I’ve always loved being active, but my hand-eye coordination is terrible so it just makes sense that I play a sport where you’re not allowed to use your hands.”

Despite getting an offer to play for the semi-pro St-Hubert Soccer Club last summer, Georges is uncertain about his future career in soccer.

“I was way too busy, but maybe after I graduate I can think about playing there. But I have no definite plans for the future of my career,” he said.

Georges is currently studying Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). It offers a lot of opportunities to teach abroad and that is something he wants to do.

“That’s definitely been a dream of mine,” Georges said. “I’ve always been fascinated by travel and to be able to go abroad to teach would just be a dream come true.” Teaching also requires a lot of leadership and direction, which is what Georges shows with the Stingers right now.

Having been an integral member of the Stingers since his freshman year, Georges has experience with the hectic and perpetually busy life of a student-athlete.

“It’s definitely demanding. I have to take a bunch of evening courses since we practice every day from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. so I have to plan my schedule accordingly,” Georges explained. “But there’s no way I would ever give it up. I would be way too bored without this part of my life.”

Georges added that being part of the soccer team was also a great way to begin university. “Starting off with 23 new friends was a really good part of my first year.”

Although he will be saying goodbye to the Stingers jersey at the end of this year, he has left behind a lasting impression with the team. And I’m sure opponents won’t forget his ability to defend against attacking players either.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins

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Marc-André Élement has high expectations

Marc-André Élement said he has the right players to win a championship. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

After finishing second in OUA conference last season, the head coach wants a championship this year

Returning head coach of the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team, Marc-André Élement, plans on taking his team all the way to a championship this year.

“We want to win the championship, and we have the players in place to do it,” he said.

After his team’s successful run to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarter-final last year, Élement said he believes his team is ready to put up a fight against the conference’s top teams. “We’re bigger and we’re ready to play a physical game,” Élement said.

Last season, the Stingers finished second in the East Division of the OUA conference with a record of 19-7-2. They defeated the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks in the first round of the playoffs, making it the first time the Stingers advanced to the second round in 16 years. They lost in the second round to the Queen’s University Gaels.

This off-season, Élement set out to recruit the best players he could get his hands on to improve his team. Defenceman Carl Neill joined the Stingers this season. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Vancouver Canucks in 2015. His presence will have an immediate impact on their blue line.

Julien Rainville-Avon (right) celebrates a goal with the Concordia Stingers during the 2016-17 season. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

Despite finishing second in their division last year, Élement insisted there is room for improvement with the team’s defensive game—an area where the Stingers struggled collectively. Out of the top four teams in the East Division of the OUA, the Stingers allowed the most goals against, with 75.

“We want to limit our opponents’ time and space with the puck,” Élement said. “We want to always be in their face.”

The Stingers signed forwards Massimo Carozza and Alexis Pépin, who both played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) last year. Pépin last played for the Val d’Or Foreurs, and was a fourth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2014. Carozza last played in junior for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Both players are expected to add firepower up front, as they both averaged over 0.6 points per game in the QMJHL.

The team has also added a new goaltender to the mix. Julio Billia, who is presently injured, will be battling to be the starting goalie against second-year goalie Marc-Antoine Turcotte throughout the season. Billia spent his last five seasons playing for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the QMJHL. Élement said Billia is a big asset to the Stingers.

The coach also has high expectations for returning forwards Philippe Sanche and Anthony Beauregard to lead the Stingers in their offensive game. Sanche finished with 30 points in 26 games last season, and Beauregard finished with 19 points in 12 games. The team finished with the second-most goals in the league with 118, and Élement hopes they can carry their scoring over to this season.

“We want to [beat] other teams with our speed,” Élement said. “We want to promote university hockey, and we want to be at the top of our league.”

But the Stingers will have to find ways to score without former captain Olivier Hinse, who is now playing pro hockey in Denmark. He scored 17 goals and had 11 assists in 23 games last season. Concerning the team’s leadership void, Philippe Hudon will be the captain for the Stingers. Sanche, Raphaël Lafontaine, Alexandre Gosselin and Dominic Beauchemin will be the assistant captains.

The second-year head coach has prepared his team for the season since August. In seven pre-season games, the Stingers had a record of 4-2-1. But now it’s time for the regular season.

“We’ve had a hard training camp and we are going to be ready for the beginning of the season,” Élement said.

The Stingers kick off their season on the road against the McGill Redmen on Oct. 13.

Main photo by Kirubel Mehari.

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Experience, chemistry will lead women’s team

Head coach Tenicha Gittens wants to lead the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team back to the RSEQ final. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Head coach Tenicha Gittens looks to build off surprise playoff run to RSEQ final last year

“Nothing beats experience.” That’s what the head coach of the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team, Tenicha Gittens, said she believes. She is counting on experience and chemistry to lead her team to a successful 2017-18 season.

With two seasons worth of experience as a head coach, and a team with many returning players, Gittens is looking to build upon last year’s incredible season. Despite finishing in fourth place in a five-team division with a 7-9 record during the regular season, the Stingers were able to make it all the way to the final of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) last season. They upset first-placed Laval Rouge et Or in the semi-final before losing to the McGill Martlets in the final.

Throughout this year’s training camp, Gittens has noticed the team is more comfortable with her systems, both on offence and defence, which gives her confidence in the team’s ability to implement them in games. According to Gittens, players are now familiar enough with these schemes that she doesn’t need to keep teaching them every practice. Instead, she can focus on other aspects of training. This kind of familiarity with Gittens’ strategies gave players a head start coming into training camp, and made it easier for new players to adjust to the team.

Latifah Roach looks for an open teammate against the McGill Martlets during the 2016-17 season. Archive photo by Ana Hernandez.

Familiar faces are not the only advantage this team has going into the 2017-18 season. There are also some recent additions which should help bolster the lineup. Ashley Moss, who missed the entire regular season and playoffs last year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), is now healthy and ready to contribute. At 5-11, she brings athleticism and versatility to the team, being that she can slot in at either guard or forward.

Coralie Dumont is another exciting new addition. She is a lengthy 6-1 guard who, according to Gittens, can stretch the floor with her three-point shooting. She averaged double digits in both points and rebounds in her three years playing for the Champlain St-Lambert Cavaliers in CEGEP. On paper, both players should help improve the team’s offensive rebounding, which finished dead last in the division last season at 30.4 rebounds per game.

Gittens used the Concordia Classic Tournament, which ran from Oct. 6 through 8, to test out her new players and get her team ready for the regular season. She said it provided the most authentic form of preparation for the regular season: “We just [needed] that tip-off, more in-game experience.”

The tournament also allowed Gittens to evaluate all the strengths and weaknesses of her team. One principle she sought to improve on going into the tournament was ball movement—the team was middle of the pack in assists per game last year with 12, and near the bottom of the division in overall field goal percentage at 35.2 per cent. Good ball movement would help secure more open shot attempts to increase their field goal percentage.

While there is always room for improvement, Gittens is confident in the group of players she has in front of her. According to the head coach, the speed and athleticism of her players enable them to form a solid team identity. They are a hounding defensive unit, as shown by their league-leading 10.1 steals per game last season. On offence, Gittens added, they are a speedy transition team with solid shooting.

The Stingers play pre-season games for the rest of October. They will tip off their regular season at home on Nov. 9 against the Bishop’s Gaiters.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins

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No suspension for Laval player for hit on Trenton Miller

Trenton Miller meets with the media at Concordia University’s Loyola Campus on Sept. 29. Photo by Matthew Ohayon.

RSEQ suspends Laval Rouge et Or’s Kevin McGee for “unnecessary roughness” on James Tyrrell

The Concordia Stingers football team lost to the Sherbrooke Vert et Or, with a score of 30-13, on Sept. 30 in the 31st annual Shrine Bowl. The Stingers, who now have a 2-3 record, had to play without quarterback Trenton Miller.

Miller was injured in a game against the Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 24, which the Stingers lost 12-8. During that game, Miller was pressured out of the pocket and rushed the ball upfield. As he was carrying the ball, Laval’s Gabriel Ouellet, who came from Miller’s blind side, levelled Miller with a hard hit. The video replay shows Miller’s head snaps back, making it look like there was a hit to the head.

In any other league, such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, any hit to the head, or at least a hit that causes the head to snap back like that, is an automatic penalty. But in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), the official will penalize a hit to the head only if there is clear intent to injure.

Later in the game, Stingers receiver James Tyrrell was forced to leave the game after taking a vicious hit from Kevin McGee. Tyrrell was in a vulnerable position during the hit, with his two hands on the ball and his feet unstable, when McGee jumped to hit him. Tyrrell also missed the next game against the Vert et Or.

Miller made headlines after posting a video to Facebook on Sept. 26, before the RSEQ’s decision not to suspend Ouellet. He pleaded that the RSEQ review the hit he received, as well as the one Tyrrell was involved in. The video has been viewed over 66,000 times.

“What really pains me is that my parents shouldn’t have to watch my game and worry about me dying on the football field as a result of these head-to-head collisions,” Miller said in the video.

On Sept. 29, the RSEQ issued a response, stating they reviewed both hits. They suspended McGee, who hit Tyrrell, for one game for unnecessary roughness. The hit on Miller, however, was deemed by the league to have not made contact with Miller’s head and, therefore, no action would be taken against Ouellet.

The league stated that, when Miller rushed the ball, he was no longer in a “vulnerable position” and there was “no intent to injure.”

“The judgment is supported by the league’s desire to ensure a safe environment for student-athletes,” said Gustave Roel, the director general of the RSEQ, in the league’s statement. “I commend the work [of everybody involved in] this issue, and I want to ensure that the safety and integrity of all student athletes is a priority.”

University of Manitoba quarterback Des Catellier saw Miller’s post on Facebook, and said he does not agree with the RSEQ.

“I would maybe agree that he wasn’t in a vulnerable position [as the ball carrier], but the defender led with his head, which, to me, would be intent to injure,” Catellier said in an interview with The Concordian.

Miller, who spoke about the incident to the media after the league’s decision on Sept. 29, appreciated the league’s efforts in reviewing the dangerous hits.

“They made their decision based on the footage they had,” he said. “The fact they’re even reviewing that and taking steps towards player safety is awesome.”

Trenton Miller scores a touchdown against the McGill Redmen during the 2015 season. Archive photo by Brianna Thicke.

Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan, who called an emergency meeting with RSEQ officials on Sept. 25 to review rules regarding player safety, said he believed this week’s conversation on hits to the head could lead to some changes to the current rules.

“I think the rules are probably going to get changed, just not this season,” Donovan said. “I’m sure stuff will come out eventually, hopefully for next year.”

As for when Miller will return to play, he’s not in a rush.

“I take it day-by-day, and our trainers and doctors are handling me in a very good manner, and they’re not going to rush me back.”

The Stingers will take on the number-one ranked Université de Montréal Carabins on the road on Oct. 5.

With files from Matthew Ohayon. Main photo by Matthew Ohayon

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Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team beats Bishop’s Gaiters 3-0

The women’s soccer team will have a new coach for the first time in 16 years. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

Forward Sarah Humes scores team-leading fourth goal of the season in win

The Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team beat the Bishop’s Gaiters 3-0 at Concordia Stadium on Oct. 1.

The Stingers got off to a fast start as midfielder Claudia Asselin scored in the second minute.

“Scoring this early into the game allowed us to control the game easier,” said head coach Jorge Sanchez.

Veteran midfielder Alice Grandpierre scored her first goal of the year before the end of the half to give the Stingers a two-goal lead at halftime.

Midfielder Alice Grandpierre runs with the ball against the Bishop’s Gaiters on Oct. 1. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Sanchez credited the fast start to the use of tactics that he usually only employs towards the end of the game.
“We tied them last game in a game I thought we dominated, so I thought that trying this more aggressive approach would be an interesting way to start,” Sanchez explained. “You have to adjust your tactics based on the team that you are playing.”

The Gaiters responded to the Stingers’ early offensive push by playing a more defensive game. Sanchez’s tactic paid off as the Stingers won with their biggest margin of victory this season.

Midway through the second half, Stingers striker Sarah Humes scored to officially put the game out of reach for the Gaiters. With her fourth goal of the season, Humes took the lead in goals for the Stingers this season.

“I think the game went very well. It was the first game that we really dominated this season, and we got the result,” Humes said. “I really think the fast start gave us confidence as a team to continue executing.”

“We added diversity with our scoring today—it’s great for this team as it will give us more confidence going forward,” Humes added.

In addition to a strong offence, the Stingers defence was clicking and only allowed the Gaiters to take four shots all game. Stevie Ferrara, who is listed as a forward on the Stingers website, played defence, starting at the centre back position. She played a big role in helping keeper Gabriela Angoso Jimenez secure the shutout.

The Stingers aggressive offence allowed the defence to relax and allowed the whole team to completely control the game at their own pace.

“This game was a solid team effort. No individual really stood out,” Sanchez said. “Everybody did their job, and we had success as a team.”

The Stingers improve to a 2-3-3 record and moved up to fourth place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) with nine points. Their next game is away on Oct. 13 against the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

A previous version of this article incorrectly named Carmen Milne as the Stingers goalie. Gabriela Angoso Jimenez was the goalie for the game against the Bishop’s Gaiters. The Concordian regrets the error.

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