Stingers Forward Sara Carrière (left) dribbling through the opposing defense
Credit: Reuben Polanksy-Shapiro / Concordia Athletics
Penalty shot goal earn Stingers first point of the season
Following a loss to the Université de Montréal Carabins in the regular season finale of the 2022 Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) season, the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team aimed for revenge in their 2023 season opener at Concordia Stadium on August 30.
In a game that saw a thunderstorm delay the match by over thirty minutes, anticipation was building on the pitch as the players got set to kick-off the new season.
The first half consisted of back-and-forth play, as both teams’ defence kept scoring opportunities to a minimum. Stingers’ head coach Greg Sutton was pleased with how his team looked coming out to begin the season.
“We did a great job being focused at the start of the game,” said Sutton. “We are still in pre-season essentially, so we are still working on a lot of things, but going up against arguably one of the better teams in the country as they always are, I thought we showed really good character.”
With the first half coming to a close, both teams took the halftime to regroup and get reset for the second half.
Despite a close call on a Carabins hit post, the Stingers found their golden opportunity eight minutes into the half. A penalty shot was rewarded when Stingers striker Sara Carrière was tackled inside the box. With a perfect kick into the lower-left corner, the Stingers struck first and took the lead 1-0.
As the momentum had seemingly shifted to the Stingers, a floating shot taken by Carabins striker Mia Tessier found the top corner from 30 yards out, tying the game 1-1.
The equalizer came just three minutes after Concordia took the lead. Coach Sutton spoke on the conconded goal: “Sure, we could do a better job on closing the ball down, but that was one of those where you have to just tip your hat and move on.”
Stingers’ goalkeeper Anastasia Fox performed superbly, stopping nine shots on goal in the match and earning her team a draw against Montréal.
Despite not leaving victorious in their first game of the season, Sutton shared his expectations for the Stingers moving forward. “Our standards have risen every year that I have coached [at Concordia]—our standards are higher than they were last year. To get a result against [the Carabins] was fine, but we want more. We have that standard of being one of those teams at the top of the league.”
The team will now head across town to face rival McGill Redbirds on their home turf, with kick-off set for 3:30 p.m. on September 3.
Captain Mahalia Robinson (Top right) coaches her teammates during a scrum
Coach Jocelyn Barrieau to be replaced during the 2024 Olympic run.
The 2023-2024 season is looking bright for the Stingers’ women’s rugby squad. Although there’s been some restlessness in the coaching staff, the team not only seems to be in great hands under new interim coach Craig Beemer, but according to long-time teammates, this is the best women’s rugby team to wear the Concordia colorway in years.
It was announced in early April that head coach Jocelyn Barrieau had been selected to train the women’s Canadian senior rugby seven-a-side team for the NextGen Rugby Americas North Sevens. Pulling through with a final 53-0 win over Mexico in Langford, B.C. on August 20, the team qualified to move on to play in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
When coach Barrieau started her career with the Stingers in 2018 in the RSEQ women’s rugby league, four of the eight teams’ training staff were led by women. Today, she is the only female head coach.
Since coach Barrieau will be absent for a majority of the season, Beemer was introduced as a replacement. A friend and associate of Barrieau, Beemer has an extensive rugby coaching resume. He became the head coach of McGill’s rugby team in 2007 after assisting for two years. In 2014, the Ontario native was offered an opportunity to coach for the men’s rugby team at Concordia, and led the Stingers to a championship. Beemer remained with the Stingers ever since.
“Big sigh of relief for me to have someone here who I know cares about the Stingers, that I know cares about the student athletes and also cares about the game of Rugby,” Barrieau said. “I’m super happy that Craig decided to be involved.”
Captain Mahalia Robinson is satisfied with the interim’s efforts to not stray too far away from the old plan. To her, coach Beemer is keeping Barrieau’s core values from over the past four-five years. “He’s doing a good job of keeping that and also adding his own. So it’s a mix of the two,” says the leader. “Even after she’s gone, I hope that we can still draw on her energy, because she drives this team and is the core of this team even if she’s gone.”
Beemer strongly believes that the team’s progress won’t stagger long thanks to their symbiosis and the reigning HC staying close to her team. “I can walk in, punch in and bring my strengths into the program, ” coach Beemer remarked. “When I punch back out and [Barrieau] slots back in I don’t think the program will miss a beat.”
Jocelyn Barrieau (left) and Craig Beemer (right)
Last year, the team finished the season with a 3-3 record. Since the start of training camp on August 17, it seems new training methods were brought to the table. “I think Beemer is bringing a lot of experience in terms of winning, which we haven’t had, so it’s nice to have different perspectives of what it takes as a team to win,” Robinson added.
Robinson scored 55 points last season, which is more than half of what 6th place Université de Sherbrooke managed to break as a team at 90 points. She is a product of the strong leadership values that Barrieau has cultivated over her tenure with the Stingers.
Coach Beemer appreciates that his predecessor set high standards within the oraganization. “It’s really important to [Barrieau] that players take ownership of certain aspects in our program, which builds leaders, whether it’s on or off the field,” he adds. To him, its about putting in work on the field every week, and less about winning or losing. So far, the new coach is impressed with the team’s attitude and effort over the past two weeks.
Maxine O’Leary, a third-year number eight majoring in Communications, adds that the senior players, including herself, look forward to passing on some of their own insight to the rookie players. “We want to grow the game and leave it better than we found it,” she said. “It’s about building for next year, when we leave, whenever that is. We want the program to stay the same and for the newcomers to take on those leadership roles.”
To the team, the most important game of the season is the Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup, held in honor of the titular Stingers alumnus, who sadly passed away in 2004 in a domestic confrontation. Her mother, Doreen Haddad, is beloved in the Quebec rugby community for charitably starting the Kelly-Anne Drummond scholarship in 2019, whichis given to outstanding full-time Concordia student players.
“It’s our biggest game of the year,” emphasizes Robinson. “It’s the only one that we really have to win, it’s unacceptable to lose and this is the game where we show the most love on the field because we know what it means to be more than a team and be friends and be family. That’s how we play at the Kelly-Anne.
This year’s legendary cup game will be played on Wednesday, September 6 at 8 p.m. The Stingers aim to surpass last year’s achievement of out-scoring McGill 55-3. As for the rest of the season, expectations are high, and there’s a visible hunger around the squad to go 6-0.
“This is the best training camp that I’ve been at for the past three years so overall the energy’s super high from day one,” Maxine O’Leary said. “Everyone’s fighting for a jersey. And I think that’s a big difference, everyone’s fighting for a spot for the team.”
Stingers Midfielder John Cevik (front right) clearing the ball
Credit: Reuben Polanksy-Shapiro / Concordia Athletics
Both the Stingers and Carabins failed to find back of the net in season opener
The Concordia Stingers Men’s Soccer team kicked off against local rival Montreal Carabins at Concordia Stadium on August 30.
Following the Stingers women’s team’s lead, the men would be in for a tough test as the Carabins finished atop the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) standings in 2022. This match would also serve as an opportunity for revenge, as the Carabins shot down the Stingers’ hopes of a play-off berth last season.
Several new players made their Stingers debut, as injuries and the loss of ten graduates from 2022 were absent from the roster. Stingers’ head coach Greg Sutton says the biggest challenge was the loss of their graduates last year. “We have to understand that not everything is going to happen overnight,” he said. “There will be some time and progression for this team, but we will get there and we will be better in those big moments of the game.”
The first half of the match saw the Carabins come close to scoring on several occasions. A shot glanced off the crossbar which bounced in the Stingers’ favour and stayed out. Twenty minutes later, a Montréal corner kick led to another close call, this time ringing a shot off the post. That being said, the Stingers persevered.
The second half offered much more even playing surface. While the Stingers’ offensive opportunities were hard to come by, their defence was the story of the second half. Stingers’ goalkeeper David Desbarets stopped all eight Carabins shots on goal throughout the match, earning the fourth-year goalkeeper player of the game honours.
Yellow cards and free kicks were all that filled the game sheet in this match, as the game concluded with a score of 0-0.
Coach Sutton reflected on the tightly-contested affair postgame. “This first game was more about the resilience we showed, in the sense that the character we showed was strong,” he said. “We were able to do what we were able to do and get the result against a good team.”
The Stingers will head across town to face their next opponent, the McGill Redbirds, at 1:00 pm on September 3.
Stingers Running back Franck Tchembe (maroon) takes on a hit
Credit: Reuben Polanksy-Shapiro / Concordia Athletics
Spoils go to Carabins in a 43-12 victory as they look to build on last year’s winning record
The Stingers kicked off the season at home with a significant loss to Université de Montréal, although our team’s talent shone through over the game’s first hour.
The team performed better in the first half. Both offense and defense were in good shape. Their performance included an electric heat-seeking-missile sack for a nine-yard loss by last year’s walk-on linebacker Nicolas Roy. The team picked up a total of 50 tackles, led by safety Dawson Pierre who totaled six tackles and two tackle assists.
When third-year running back Dwante Morgan retaliated four minutes after an early second-quarter quarterback sneak touchdown by Rakim Canal-Charles. The Carabins scored six points after a 33-yard sideline catch at the 2-yard line by Carl Chabot, who ended the game with 78 receiving yards and a touchdown. “This year I have a more universal role, and I have to make sure that everyone’s happy and that everyone does their job,” the number 13 receiver said. “I think that if everyone does what they have to do, everyone will play well.”
Morgan hooked into the endzone from four yards out to the right pylon all while showboating with a nasty celebration in LeSean McCoy fashion. The team’s starting running back finished with 47 yards by halftime, averaging 9.4 yards per carry by the fourth quarter.
Stingers Running Back Dwante Morgan (maroon) celebrates as he scores a touchdown Credit: Reuben Polanksy-Shapiro / Concordia Athletics
Morgan also had support from fellow running back Franck Tchembe, who ended up surpassing him in rushing yards with 64. Tchembe is speedy and certainly athletic enough to evade and break multiple tackle attempts at a time, as demonstrated in the last minute of the first half.
The running back started off the Stingers’ drive by breaking two tackles after a spin move by the 40-yard sideline following a six-yard reception, picking up a first down in the next play. The drive ended in a field goal, although it was exciting to see the home team go 68 yards in a minute. Stingers’ quarterback Olivier Roy seemed grateful for the duo’s good start to the season. “If you want to beat the great teams this year you are going to have to be balanced between passing and running,” number 12 said. “It wasn’t something we were doing in the past, so that was encouraging.”
Roy impressed the crowd with his own new found elusiveness, which had been trained over the summer. Not only did he pick up more rushing yards than his counterpart Jonathan Sénécal with 20 to the Montréal quarterback’s 17, but he seemed more mobile in the backfield and in the pocket. “We do a lot of work in the offseason to be as explosive as possible, honestly I dont think it’s one of my strengths, but once in a while I escape the pocket,” Roy said. “I think I did that a couple of times tonight. I want to keep that in my game so I can bring more to the table.”
That being said, the team was viciously outplayed. Roy was sacked twice in the first quarter due to a short lapse in O-line coordination—keep an eye out for Nicky Farinaccio this season, he had nine tackles including two for loss and one of the sacks for a 12-yard loss. The Carabins managed two picks in the fourth quarter, as fatigue started hitting the Stingers.
The Carabins’ offense was simply better. Quarterback Jonathan Sénécal managed to pick up 376 passing yards going 23-32, compared to Olivier Roy’s 225 yards going 18-34. For example, Sénécal threw a 48 yard pass which receiver Alexandre Jones Dudley caught over the shoulder on a lockdown one-on-one in the late second quarter. As for the team’s run game, well, Glodi Halafu and Lucas Dembele claimed 119 rushing yards alone.
Roy doesn’t seem phased by the season closer against the Carabins on the Stingers’ home field on Oct 28. “The place where we play the game doesn’t change too much,” the playmaker emphasized. “Obviously it’s a loud environment, but we still have a long way to go before we get there. Right now, we’re focusing on Sherbrooke, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Alice Philbert lifting the Dr. Ed Enos Trophy. Photo courtesy of Arianne Bergeron/ @arianneprendesfotos
After six years playing hockey at Concordia, the goaltender looks ahead to a future in professional hockey
It was a rainy evening in March 2022 when Alice Philbert walked into the MacLauchlan Arena in P.E.I. with a championship game ahead of her. The goaltender and her teammates played their hearts out, and the Concordia Stingers exited the building that night as national champions.
In her 18 years playing hockey, six of which she’s spent with Concordia, this will be a moment that Philbert will remember for the rest of her life.
“It’s the nationals, it’s not something you live every day, or every year,” she said.
In her career at Concordia, the 26-year-old has won three RSEQ championships, as well as bronze, silver and gold medals at the national championship.
“She’s a winner,” said Olivier Gervais, her goaltender coach of the past two years. “There are a lot of good athletes, but not everyone is a winner. Alice learned to win [and] she showed it.”
Alice Philbert and Olivier Gervais hugging. Photo courtesy of Arianne Bergeron/ @arianneprendesfotos
But the 2022 national championship win means more to her than a trophy and a medal.
With a full year without hockey in 2020-21 because of COVID-19, and more shutdowns in the winter of the 2021-22 season, overcoming these challenges meant an even sweeter victory.
But in addition to COVID hardships, Philbert had lost her grandmother a few weeks before the playoffs last year. Alice and her sister Léonie — a defender for the Stingers — wanted to win it for their grandmother.
“The fact that she told us ‘go beat Montreal,’ and then after that ‘I know you can win the nationals,’ was extra motivation for us to do it for her.”
Philbert also remembers feeling her grandmother’s presence during the tournament.
“My grandmother was there to save us,” she said. “My three shutouts, I know my grandmother was with me. At some point, the puck hit the post and then I put my glove right on time to stop it, I think my grandmother was there to help me with that.”
Having their parents with them in P.E.I. during the championship was also unbelievable, Philbert said.
“It was a big moment for our family, I think it brought us closer together,” she added. “It reunited us with our cousins too, they were all watching us. We’re about thirty in our family, so it reunited the family, and it’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Playing with her sister was nothing new. Alice grew up playing with her sisters Léonie and Zoé at the midget level, and kept playing with Léonie at Dawson College and then at Concordia.
“For sure I’d rather have her on my team than playing against me,” Philbert joked. “I wouldn’t have liked having her scoring against me. It’s like, do our parents clap or not?”
She added, on a serious note, that she likes playing with her sister and knowing she has her back.
“It’s fun to know your sister is here for you, to support you, no matter if you get scored against or if you make a nice save,” Philbert said. “In all situations, I know Léonie is here for me and it’s fun to have someone to rely on.”
Philbert first started playing hockey as a forward at eight years old. She switched to defence in her second year when her team needed defenders. It wasn’t until another three years, when one of the goaltenders couldn’t make it to a playoff game, that she took it as an opportunity to try it out. She kept playing defence but would practice as a goaltender.
She had to compromise with her father to play goaltender, as long as she would pay for her own equipment.
“We were four kids, and at that age you grow quickly so it’s expensive, and at that age you don’t work,” she laughed. “So all my gifts for my birthday, for Christmas, even from my aunts, uncles, grandparents, it went to my parents to pay for the equipment.”
Philbert in her net pre-game. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian
It was ultimately at 13 years old that she really started goaltending, after wanting to do it for a little while.
“Every shot is a different challenge, you never know what can happen,” she said. “It was a challenge for me. We were four kids, four skaters, I was like ‘no, I want to have my own thing, be in my own world.’”
Gervais, who had first met her that year, still remembers what stood out about her at such a young age.
“It was her determination, she wanted to stop the puck and it was her will to get better, that was remarkable,” he said. “And when I started coaching her again [in the summer of 2021], that’s exactly what I saw again, her determination and will to be the best and stop everything. It’s one of her biggest qualities.”
This determination helped her overcome one of the greatest obstacles she faced growing up: being a girl in a boys’ team.
The Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville native had always played in boys’ teams since there weren’t many girls’ teams at the time and the closest was in Sainte-Hyacinthe.
After playing her first two years as a goaltender with a boys’ team at the bantam level, it was the following year that things started getting rocky.
“I get there on the first day of training camp and the guys knew me, we had played together the previous year, and they were like ‘oh it’s fun we’re going to play together this year too,’” Philbert said. “But then the coach comes to get me from the locker room and tells me not to get dressed there. He says ‘you’re not making the team, I don’t want girls on the team.’”
Philbert acknowledged sexist behaviour from that coach, but also pointed out that’s unfortunately how it was back then. It was that year that she started playing with an all-girls team.
Now, looking ahead, the plan for Philbert is to play professional hockey, either in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) in North America, or in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League.
As well, Philbert will be walking on the Concordia stage this summer after having earned a graduate diploma in business administration. She also has a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation, which she could put to use eventually, perhaps working with elderly people and helping them stay healthy and active.
Alice Philbert playing at the CEPSUM arena. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian
But her top priority for the moment remains hockey.
“I’m not ready to stop playing hockey,” Philbert said. “And I’ll never know [what can come out of it] if I don’t try. I don’t want to regret anything.”
Navigating the world of professional women’s hockey is new for her, and for a lot of people, with the PHF’s $1.5 million USD salary cap and $30,000 USD minimum salary having been introduced recently.
For this reason, Philbert decided to get an agent to help her navigate this new business aspect of hockey and help her find the perfect fit.
As a Montrealer, there was no doubt Philbert was interested in playing for the Force, Montreal’s new PHF team that just finished playing its inaugural season.
“I’m Québécoise, I would love to represent my city,” she stated.
However, things didn’t go how she thought they would.
Gervais is confident that Philbert will find a team in no time though, whether in North America or Europe — and that her accomplishments and winner mindset will help her.
“She has all the capacity, not only to play, but mostly to perform, so I wouldn’t be surprised that she finds a number one spot,” he said. “I think the pros need to see [that she’s a winner]. You want to add someone on your team that can win you championships and get you far, and Alice is the right person for that.”
With everything Philbert has accomplished at the university level, the future doesn’t have limits for her. If there’s one thing she won’t stop doing it’s fighting and winning, no matter what she’s pursuing in life.
Game 2 of the OUA semifinal series between the Concordia Stingers and UQTR Patriotes. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian
The Stingers will be facing off against the Lakehead Thunderwolves
The Concordia Stingers’ men’s hockey team will be competing for the bronze medal against the Lakehead Thunderwolves on March 11 at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, ON. The winner of this game will also be headed to the U Sports National Championship to compete for the University Cup.
In what was a close OUA semifinal battle, it took three games and an extra period of hockey for the UQTR Patriotes to beat the Stingers. Concordia won Game 1 in Trois-Rivières with a score of 5-1, while UQTR took a 5-3 win in Game 2 at Concordia, and ultimately won the series at home after a 5-4 overtime win in Game 3.
On the other side of the semifinals, the Thunderwolves and Windsor Lancers were battling. Windsor shut out Lakehead 4-0 in Game 1, but Lakehead got a 2-1 overtime win in Game 2. Windsor then won the series after a 4-2 win in the third game.
The top three teams in the OUA get a chance to compete at nationals. Both the Patriotes and Lancers are guaranteed berths there, as they’re about to compete for the Queen’s Cup on March 11.
The Stingers and Thunderwolves will be facing off on Saturday at 7 p.m. for the final OUA spot at nationals. The Championship will be hosted by the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, PEI. It will take place from March 16-19 at the Eastlink Centre, an NHL-sized rink, and the home of the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL.
Stingers' wide receiver Jeremy Murphy in a game vs. the Laval Rouge et Or, 2022. Kyran Thicke/ Concordia Athletics
Quarterback Olivier Roy and wide receiver Jeremy Murphy will represent Concordia at the National CFL Combine
Over five days in March, Concordia Stingers’ quarterback Olivier Roy and wide receiver Jeremy Murphy will be evaluated by CFL general managers and scouts during the 2023 National CFL Combine.
The National Combine gathers 50 top-rated prospects from Canadian universities in preparation for the CFL draft. Out of all the prospects, Roy is the only quarterback invited.
“I wasn’t thinking about it too much, but I knew it was my draft year and I had some chances to go to the Combine,” said Roy.
The combine typically invites only a few prospect quarterbacks and instead features guest quarterbacks. This was the case for Roy last year who was a guest player, but wasn’t evaluated as a prospect.
Stingers’ football head coach Brad Collinson said that they value quarterbacks at the Combine to throw to the receivers, so having been a guest in 2022 helped him get invited in 2023.
Olivier Roy in a game vs. the McGill Redbirds, 2022. Catherine Reynolds/ The Concordian
“He deserves it and it gives him the opportunity to experience something on a bigger stage,” said Collinson.
Roy also participated in a training camp with the Ottawa Redblacks and another quarterback camp in British Columbia last year.
Collinson said that he expected that both Roy and Murphy would be invited to this year’s Combine.
He also noted the accolades Murphy has racked up in the three seasons he’s played with the Stingers.
“He’s had a great career here at Concordia, being U Sports Rookie of the Year [in 2019],” said Collinson. “He was invited to the [U Sports East-West Bowl] last year so it didn’t surprise me.”
Murphy was a two-time RSEQ all-star in 2019 and 2022. He was also named to the first All-Canadian U Sports football team last year, so he was anticipating an invitation to the CFL Combine.
“If I didn’t make it to the combine, I would have been very disappointed in myself,” he said.
Murphy had participated in the Texas College Gridiron Showcase in January, where he was evaluated by both NFL and CFL scouts. He expects the experience he gained during that event to help him during the upcoming combine in March.
“It’s kind of the same thing,” said Murphy. “I know what to expect. It’s just the people I’m going to go against are different, the talent level is different.”
He also mentioned the possibility that scouts want to see his ability to compete against American players, as would be the case in the CFL.
“I think they wanted to see my ability to go against American players, because there are a lot of Americans that play in the CFL,” he added.
According to Collinson, the most important thing for Murphy and Roy to do is to be themselves.
“There are going to be a lot of eyes on them,” he said. “They’re going to be in front of a big crowd with a lot of scouts and general managers from all over the CFL. So they have to be able to deal with that stress and then be able to perform at a high level.”
Collinson added that players do their best when they’re calm and relaxed. Roy emulated that thought, saying he will be himself if he gets the opportunity to have interviews there.
“I think that the general managers and the coaches are going to appreciate my personality,” Roy said.
He also added that it’s hard to stand out in the Combine because of the high level of talent and the fact that the prospects don’t know each other very well. So, Roy will use his unique position as quarterback to “speak up and show [his] leadership skills.”
Both Roy and Murphy are glad to have each other there.
“It’s great to have someone out there that you know and Jeremy is an awesome player,” said Roy. “Hopefully we can get some reps together, and I can help him show off his skills at the same time.”
“We already have this connection, this timing,” added Murphy, who said he’s glad to have his quarterback there.
The pair will leave on March 21 for Edmonton. They both look forward to the Combine and aren’t nervous yet.
“I’m excited to compete with the best in the country,” said Roy.
Stingers' D2 men's hockey team during practice, 2023. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian
Teams in the D2 league will get to play 13 extra games against CEGEPs starting in 2023-24
Starting next season, teams in the division 2 men’s university hockey league in the RSEQ will get an extra 13 games added to their season, played against division 1 CEGEP teams.
The league currently consists of three teams: Concordia University, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), and Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC).
Instead of playing 12 games per season, which sometimes can go a couple of weeks without a game, each team will now get to play 25 games per season.
Stingers D2 forward Christopher Séguin is looking forward to seeing a busier schedule. He previously played for the Patriotes of CEGEP Saint-Laurent, and is now in his first year at Concordia studying economics but will be switching to business marketing.
“We’re happy to have more games,” Séguin said. “It’s going to give us a better pace between school and hockey, while now it felt more like school, with sometimes one game every two weeks… It can get long.”
He also hopes to see the league get bigger, with more universities joining.
“It would be more fun and I think it deserves to become a strong league,” Séguin said. “There are a lot of good players, if they don’t make it to major junior, and they play college hockey or AAA, and they don’t know what to do, this would allow them to continue their education and keep playing hockey in university.”
The Stingers’ D1 men’s hockey team coach Marc-André Elément started the D2 program in 2021-22 to give more athletes the chance to play hockey at the university level. Elément also assists with the D2 team and is the athletics department liaison.
“Our league has become so good that we only recruit from major junior [CHL],” Elément said about the OUA, the league the Stingers’ D1 team is a part of. “So most [players from] CEGEP don’t really play D1. Some can, but not a lot. There are a lot of teams at that level in CEGEP but not in university. So that’s why we started this program, it gives the opportunity to 25 more players to play hockey and practice almost every day.”
Elément looks forward to seeing more universities join the D2 league and to seeing it grow over the next couple of years, with the possibility of some D2 teams moving up to the D1 league.
Griffyn Bibbings (left) and Jack Vandenberg (right) at the Concordia Gymnasium, 2023. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian
The rookies brought their positive vibes from Vancouver to Montreal
On July 27, 2022, Jack Vandenberg flew out from Vancouver to Montreal. The following day, Griffyn Bibbings followed, and the two were probably the only students at Concordia’s campus residence for the next few weeks.
The two British Columbians — Vandenberg, point guard from Central Vancouver, and Bibbings, forward from West Vancouver — bonded and started a friendship that earned them the nickname “B.C. Boys” from their teammates.
“When we got here, he was probably the first person I met,” Bibbings said about Vandenberg. “It was the morning after I landed, and because we’re both from B.C., we’re both on res [residence] as well. So we kind of do everything together. Our teammates just call us ‘B.C. Boys,’ and they just mean me and Jack.”
“Coaches have mentioned a few times, they don’t really see us without each other,” Vandenberg added. “Because we have a similar schedule apart from classes. It’s just practice, and then we go eat, and then we go back to the res [residence].”
Although the two rookies were both only 18 years old at the time, they didn’t feel that moving to a new city on their own was intimidating or particularly difficult to navigate.
“At no point was I just in my room not knowing a single person or not knowing what to do,” said Bibbings. “The morning after I got here, I met him [Vandenberg]. I probably met like 20 people on the first day. So it wasn’t really that hard.”
Vandenberg and Bibbings had the chance to meet the rest of the team at practice before playing exhibition games against NCAA teams in August.
They acknowledged that being part of a team can definitely make moving across the country a lot easier.
The “B.C. Boys” during the national anthem before a game. Kyran Thicke/ Concordia Athletics
“I feel like in our situation, it might be a little different than most,” Vandenberg explained. “Because when we came here we had the support of the coaches, teammates, like we already kind of had a friend group going into it with our teammates.”
Although the pair only met here last summer, they had played against each other in B.C. at some point, so they knew of each other.
Bibbings played high-school basketball at Rockridge Secondary and club basketball with 3D Basketball Academy during the spring and summer time, while Vandenberg played at St. George’s School and DRIVE Basketball.
Like all student-athletes, the two basketball players missed some time due to COVID-19 shutdowns. But according to them, this time off really helped separate the players who had been practicing during the shutdowns from those who hadn’t. They both stayed active with their respective clubs, which held outdoor sessions.
“Before COVID… I wasn’t that recognized [or] that good,” Vandenberg said. “Then I started getting more recognition because I put in more work whenever, I guess, a lot of people were chilling out.”
Stingers’ head coach Rastko Popovic also appreciates how hard his rookie point guard has been working.
“At the point guard position it’s tougher,” Popovic said. “Because we do have two really good point guards on our team, but what I like about Jack a lot is he’s a competitor, he competes, he’s not afraid, and he works really hard.”
Popovic has also been impressed by his two players’ maturity and ability to adapt from a high school setting to university, while juggling basketball and school.
Bibbings is currently enrolled in sociology, while Vandenberg is studying psychology, but they’re both keeping their options open, as they’re not sure if they want to stick to those programs yet.
Another thing that has impressed Popovic is the duo’s work ethic.
“They want to get better everyday, they’re very coachable, they listen, they’re both going to keep improving and hopefully by next year they’ll be able to make bigger contributions to our team,” Popovic said.
But that’s not the only thing that matters. Popovic also looks at the kind of people he’s recruiting and what they’re like off the court, and it was all positive when it came to Bibbings and Vandenberg.
“They’re very very good kids in general, they’re good people, and that’s important to us when we recruit players.”
Concordia Stingers vs. Carleton Ravens women's hockey on Feb. 17, 2023. Kyran Thicke/ Concordia Athletics
Six goals by six different Stingers end the regular season on a high note
The Concordia Stingers’ women’s hockey team made the most of power plays and dominated the Carleton Ravens 6-0 at the Ed Meagher Arena during their last game of the regular season on Feb. 17.
It was the last regular season game for four Stingers seniors. Defender and captain Olivia Hale, forwards Alexandra Boulanger and Rosalie Bégin-Cyr, as well as goaltender Alice Philbert were honoured after the game alongside their families.
“They are four really important members of this team, we love them and I’m just glad we got a good win to honour their amazing careers,” said Stingers defender Alexandra-Anne Boyer.
Boyer helped the Stingers take the lead in the first period on the power play before Stingers’ forward Chloé Gendreau doubled the lead.
At the start of the second period, Concordia forward Justine Yelle beat the Ravens’ defence while shorthanded and extended the lead to 3-0. Stingers forward Caroline Moquin-Joubert capitalized later on their powerplay.
The Stingers continued to excel in power plays in the final frame, with forwards Megan Bureau-Gagnon and Jessymaude Drapeau making the final score 6-0.
The team was happy to get a big victory for the four seniors.
“I think we were just making sure we got that shut out for [Phibert] at the end of the day,” said Hale.
Stingers’ head coach Julie Chu noted that, with all the excitement surrounding the game, their biggest challenge was to stay focused and eliminate distractions.
Nonetheless, Chu praised her team’s dominance on the power play, their ability to build confidence and to make adjustments where needed in between periods.
“I was really happy with the full effort,” said Chu. “Obviously, what better way to honour our graduating players than with a win.”
With the regular season over, the Stingers will face the Bishop’s Gaiters on Feb. 23 at the Ed Meagher Arena for the first game of the best-of-three series.
“We told our team to enjoy this, enjoy what they’ve accomplished, and enjoy celebrating as a team,” said Chu. “But, when we wake up tomorrow, our focus shifts to preparing and doing everything we can physically and mentally to get ready.”
She acknowledged that there will be challenges ahead as they prepare to face the Gaiters.
“We worked all year for this,” said Boyer. “We’re going to come ready and Thursday is going to be a great game.”
Concordia Stingers' men's hockey vs. Ottawa Gee-Gees, Dec. 4, 2022. MARIA BOUABDO/ The Concordian
The Stingers’ men’s hockey team scores six unanswered goals in the third period leading to a big victory to end the semester
The Concordia Stingers’ men’s hockey team ended the semester on a high note as they defeated the Ottawa Gee-Gees 8-2 with six unanswered goals in the third period at the Ed Meagher Arena on Dec. 4.
The Stingers find themselves in the U Sports top 10 for a fifth consecutive week following their win on Sunday and a 5-1 win against the Carleton Ravens on Dec. 3.
The game started off with a few quick goals by the Stingers. Forward Nicholas Girouard opened the scoring around the halfway mark of the first period, from a pass by right-winger Charles Tremblay in the corner. It only took two minutes for Stingers’ right-winger Charles-Antoine Paiement to double his team’s lead.
However, four minutes later, Gee-Gees’ forward Bradley Chenier brought them closer to tying the game. They eventually tied it early in the middle frame, with a shorthanded goal from forward Charles-Antoine Roy.
After being held scoreless in the second period, the Stingers attacked early in the third, scoring three goals in three minutes.
Stingers’ head coach Marc-André Elément said he regrouped his players in the middle of the room during the second intermission.
“I told them we had to learn from the first two periods and then we had success, we started scoring goals,” he said, adding that the team responded well.
Stingers’ defenceman Kyle Havlena broke the tie five minutes into the final frame with a snipe. About a minute later, it was Stingers’ forward Mathieu Bizier’s turn to score after a Gee-Gees turnover behind their net.
“Trépanier was able to make the pass to the front [of the net] and I had all the time I wanted to put it in the net, so that was really easy,” Bizier said.
After another minute had passed, Stingers’ left-winger Isiah Campbell scored on the rebound after an initial shot by defenceman Samuel Desgroseilliers.
After a 5-2 lead for Concordia, things seemed to calm down as Ottawa switched goaltenders. But the Stingers weren’t close to being done. They kept pressuring the Gee-Gees and scored three more goals in the last six minutes.
Left-winger Maxim Trépanier scored from the front of the net, after a pass from defenceman Nathan Lavoie from behind the net. Bizier got his second goal of the game from a pass by Girouard. The eighth and final goal was scored by left-winger Émile Hegarty-Aubin, after an effort by defenceman Simon Dubois to lead the Ottawa goaltender to the right side, leaving Hegarty-Aubin in front of an open net.
The team was happy to end the year with a significant 8-2 victory.
“It’s a lot of fun, we were really happy to get a big win, I think we really deserved it,” Bizier said.
Elément added that it feels good to end the year with such a win, especially considering how close the standings are this season.
“We’ll get the injured guys back [during the break] and we’re going to regroup and get ready for the other half of the season,” the coach said.
The Stingers will be back on Jan. 7, 2023, hosting the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.
Concordia Stingers' men's soccer vs. University of Montreal Carabins. EVAN BUHLER/ Concordia Athletics
With many veteran players leaving, this recruitment season is busier than usual
After a season that ended too quickly on Oct. 23, the Concordia Stingers’ men’s soccer team has started its recruitment process with many empty spots to fill.
“It’s going to be a little bit of a challenge,” said Stingers’ head coach Greg Sutton. “Roughly nine to 10 players are graduating, so we have a bigger class than normal coming in and graduating. It adds to more recruiting and more work, to be fair.”
Among those graduating are several core players who were starters on the team. Centre defender and captain Sean Holmes is leaving the team after five years with the Stingers, something that is “surely going to affect the group,” according to goalkeeper Jordy Kerlegrand.
“It’s going to be hard to replace them,” Kerlegrand added, also mentioning midfielder John Cevik as a player he’ll miss. “Cevik is probably one of the best players I’ve ever been on the same team with. It’s going to hurt because when he was on the field we won and when he wasn’t, his absence was felt.”
Both Cevik and Holmes were named to the RSEQ’s second all-star team.
Although core players are leaving the team in high numbers, the recruitment has been going well so far. The Stingers’ men’s soccer team will be holding open tryouts on Jan. 10.
Sutton said that social media has been making the recruitment process easier than it was in the past. He also finds new players through current team members.
Additionally, for several years now the team has been hosting their ID night, an event that reunites the top potential recruits. It’s a chance for Sutton to assess the more specific details of rookies’ abilities and see whether they’d be a good fit. This year, their ID night has been especially positive.
Sutton began signing players a while ago. One of them, 21-year-old defender Zackiel Brault — who formerly played with the Montreal Impact Academy and FC Laval — was recruited last winter.
“The Stingers are creating a really good team and they’re getting big players,” Brault said in response to why he chose Concordia. He also said that he wanted to experience varsity soccer and was attracted by the league, the players, and the level of play.
Kerlegrand emphasized the team’s need for a good defensive line and Brault hopes he can bring value to the team with his 16 years of play.
“He’s just a complete defender, very difficult to beat,” said Sutton. “Offensively, he’s good on the ball and is able to keep possession for us in the back.”
Sutton also said that with so many players leaving, the team’s needs are “across the board.”
“We’re losing forwards, midfielders, defenders,” he explained. “One of the things we do when we recruit is we focus on the areas of need, but frankly, when you lose ten players, your needs are pretty much throughout the field.”
However, he said that attacking play is the main area they will practice once they get back on the field in the winter.
Nonetheless, both Kerlegrand and Sutton are very optimistic about next season.
“We’re excited, it’s a new era starting this upcoming fall,” Kerlegrand said. “We’re losing a few veteran players, so we’re in the unknown. However, that’s what excites us so much.”
He’s also certain the rookies will acclimate well to the team.
“We love having rookies,” he added. “Last year, we made the rookies feel comfortable right at the start and they integrated themselves really well.”
“I think that we have a good group of guys that are returning,” said Sutton. “We’re hopeful that they’re going to continue to grow and get better. Then, it’s just the transition of our new players that are coming in, to try and best prepare them with the time we have.”
