Tag: Julie Chu

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Stingers stumble in game one of RSEQ final

Stingers stumble
Stéphanie Lalancette said the Carabins play a physical game. Photo by Matthew Coyte.

Stéphanie Lalancette scored two points in overtime loss to Carabins

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team fell to the Université de Montréal Carabins 3-2 in overtime in game one of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) final. Forwards Claudia Dubois and Stéphanie Lalancette each scored a goal for the Stingers. This loss comes after the Stingers defeated the Ottawa Gee-Gees in three games in the first round.

The Carabins and Stingers were the top two teams in the RSEQ division all season, finishing first and second respectively.

The Stingers are slow starters, and this game was no different. They started the game on their heels, almost overwhelmed by the energy of the Carabins, who were playing in front of a packed CEPSUM Arena.

“The first 10 minutes, we didn’t play well,” said head coach Julie Chu. “Montréal outplayed us. We didn’t have the intensity. It looked like we were nervous, which was not something that we expected.”

Later in the first, the Stingers had a power play, and the team had the opportunity to apply some pressure of their own after a rough start. On the first face-off in the Carabins’s zone, the Stingers won the face-off back to their defence, who mishandled the puck before sending an attempted shot off the shinpads of Laurie Mercier from the Carabins. With the puck, Mercier took off past the defence, and went on a breakaway against rookie goaltender Alice Philbert. Mercier faked the forehand shot, went to her backhand and roofed the puck over a sprawling Philbert for the short-handed tally.

The Carabins spent most of the game in the Stingers’s zone. Photo by Matthew Coyte.

The Carabins maintained pressure for the majority of the first period. It wasn’t until near the end of the first that Concordia managed to get any sort of momentum rolling.

The Stingers started the third period on the power play, and 30 seconds into the period, Dubois, who led the team in scoring during the regular season, scored to tie the game 1-1 off a rebound from a Lalancette one-timer.

The move of the night came in the third period from the Carabins’s Marie-Pier Dubé, who took a cross-ice pass, crossed the Stingers’s blueline, toe dragged around both defenders and somehow managed to poke the puck past Philbert to give Montréal a 2-1 lead.

Once again forced to play from behind, the Stingers responded five minutes later. Lalancette took a stretch pass along the right side of the ice and found herself in a one-on-one against the Carabins defender. She moved to the middle of the ice, gripped it and ripped her wrist shot over the glove of the Carabins goalie.

Even with the tying goal, Lalancette said her team didn’t do enough to generate chances.

“We didn’t keep control of the puck,” she said. “We were missing those offensive chances to attack the net.”

After three periods of play, the game was tied at two-a-piece and headed to overtime.

Every meeting between the Stingers and Carabins this season has gone to extra time. The Stingers won the first three meetings, and the Carabins won the last two regular-season games.

“In overtime against them, we know that it’s not going to be easy,” Lalancette said.

The overtime period didn’t quite go the way the Stingers had probably planned. They were barely able to leave their own zone, commiting a number of turnovers that led to quality chances, and forced them to play on the defensive. During that pressure, Carabins forward Alexandra Labelle fired the puck just over the blocker of Philbert for the win.

The result was disappointing for the Stingers, but not unsurprising according to Chu, who simply said the team didn’t play their best hockey.

“We’re [two teams] that are really well matched.” Chu said. “There’s a lot of great hockey ahead, and it’s going to come down to that little bit of extra effort that the teams are going to give.”

Lalancette said the Stingers need to use their speed for game two in the best-of-three series.

“Next game, we’re going to have to come out of the gate and attack them better,” Lalancette said. “They’re a big team; they like to play physical.”

Game two of the final will take place at the Ed Meagher Arena at Concordia’s Loyola campus on Saturday, March 3 at 3 p.m.

Main photo by Matthew Coyte.

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Stingers hold on to win dramatic game three

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Stingers take care of business with 7-2 win

Rookie Lidia Fillion scored her league-leading 10th goal of the season in the win. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Forward Audrey Belzile had four goals and an assist against the Carleton Ravens

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team dismantled the Carleton Ravens with a 7-2 win on Sunday, Feb. 4 at the Ed Meagher Arena. Forward Audrey Belzile was the star of the game, scoring four goals and adding an assist.

“Everyone decided to play a team game and really come out with a team effort,” said head coach Julie Chu.

The Stingers started off slow, allowing the last-placed Ravens to generate some scoring chances in the first period. Belzile opened the scoring late in the first period with a great individual effort, spinning around one defender before scoring short-side past Ravens goalie Katelyn Steele.

“Our first period is usually really not that good, so we talked about starting strong,” Belzile said. “Everybody was forechecking and making good passes.”

Audrey Belzile (right) recorded the league’s second hat-trick by any player this season. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The Stingers dominated the second period, outshooting the Ravens 15-5 in the period. Forward Sophie Gagnon doubled the Stingers lead six minutes into the second, scoring on a bit of a controversial goal, as Steele lost her glove during a scrum in front of the net and tried to stop Gagnon’s shot bare-handed.

After Belzile scored her second of the game and the Ravens got on the board with a power-play goal, the Stingers scored three times in a two-minute span late in the second period. They had a 6-1 lead at the second intermission. Belzile and Gagnon each scored, and forward Lidia Fillion got her league-leading 10th goal of the season. Belzile scored her fourth goal late in the third period.

“There was a lot of hard work going not only into [Belzile scoring four goals], but also what’s happening around her to allow her to be in positions to get a great opportunity,” Chu said.

This was Belzile’s first multi-goal game of the season, and she said it was the first time she scored four goals in a game. She said good chemistry with her linemates, Stéphanie Lalancette and Fillion, led to her goals.

“With all my goals there were good passes, so it wasn’t just me. It was a team [effort],” Belzile said.

Fifth-year goalie Fréderike Berger-Lebel got her first start as a Stinger in a regular-season game. Chu said even though Berger-Lebel has been the third-string goalie for much of her time at Concordia, she remains a team player.

“Instead of being someone who is resentful in that role, she embodied it, and she allowed all her teammates to understand to push everyday in practice and still be ready if she gets the nod,” Chu said. “She earned the right to start this game, and her teammates loved the fact that she got that opportunity.”

“For sure we wanted her to win the game,” Belzile said. “We are so proud of her because she’s a good teammate, always coming to the rink with a smile.”

With the win, the Stingers improve to a 12-4-1 record, sitting in second place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). With three games remaining, they are three points behind the Montréal Carabins, but the Stingers have a game in hand. The two teams play each other at Montréal on Feb. 16.

The Stingers’s next game is at home against rivals McGill on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 3 p.m.

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A chance to become role models for young players

The Stingers women’s hockey team invited young players to join them on the ice after their game on Jan. 21. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Stingers signed autographs and took photos with fans on Minor Hockey Day

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team held their annual Minor Hockey Day at the Ed Meagher Arena on Jan. 21. The team invited parents and kids, especially minor girls’ hockey players, to attend their game against the Carleton Ravens. The Stingers also invited all the kids in attendance to skate with the team after the game and get the players’ autographs.

A young skater waits to join the Stingers on the ice during Minor Hockey Day. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The energy in the building was incredible, and the stands were packed full of young fans ready to watch the Stingers take on the Ravens. While the Stingers won the game 4-1 off a two-goal effort from forward Marie-Pascale Bernier, the most popular moment of the night happened after the final buzzer. Many kids rushed down to the bench to strap on their skates and jumped on the ice with the players.

As young skaters of all levels got onto the ice, the Stingers were quick to skate over to a young player to sign autographs and take photos. For head coach Julie Chu, it meant a lot to be part of the community in this active manner.

“We’re all here because we had great role models and people who got us into hockey,” Chu said. “When we can give our young players someone to look up to, someone to want to emulate, that’s huge. Having these players come out here and be engaged with these young skaters, whether they’re hockey fans or just young kids, that’s critical.”

Chu also helps coach several girls teams who practice at the Ed Meagher Arena, and she had several of her players at the game. For many parents, this kind of community outreach is a way for their daughters to build a relationship with positive role models. Julie Tytler, one of those parents, said her daughter was excited to see her coach in action.

“It’s fantastic,” Tytler said. “It’s really great for [the players]. This shows kids that you can play until you’re an adult and have fun. [The Stingers] are out there smiling all the time. They’re having a blast, and it’s great for kids to see that.”

For Bernier, getting involved in the community is important to the team. “When you’re younger, if you have more role models, that’s the way girls are going to have that desire to keep playing high-level hockey,” she said.

The men’s hockey team hosts Minor Hockey Night on Feb. 2, and the basketball teams host Minor Basketball Day on Feb. 3.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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Sports

Stingers win fifth-straight game over Gee-Gees

Stingers defenceman Caroll-Ann Gagné, who scored a goal in the game, carries the puck away from her own net. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Stéphanie Lalancette scored twice in 5-1 victory

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team came to life in the second period and dominated the Ottawa Gee-Gees in their 5-1 win at the Ed Meagher Arena on Jan. 14.

The Stingers improved to a 9-3-0 record, putting themselves closer to first place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) standings. This win marks their fifth in a row, and they haven’t lost since Nov. 17.

Stingers forward Stéphanie Lalancette scored twice to give Concordia a lead they would never lose against the Gee-Gees. Forwards Keriann Schofield and Lidia Fillion, and defenceman Caroll-Ann Gagné scored one each in the win.

The Gee-Gees dominated the first period with an explosive offence, threatening Stingers goalie Katherine Purchase multiple times. A first period struggle is nothing new for the Stingers, as they have failed to score in the first period in five of their nine wins this season. By the end of the first period, Ottawa had outshot Concordia 10-6.
Head coach Julie Chu addressed the lack of production in the early part of the game.

The Stingers move within two points of the RSEQ lead after winning their fifth-straight game. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

“There was no explosiveness in the first period,” Chu said. “Ottawa is a great team that starts fast, and they started on time while we didn’t. We were really lucky to come out of the period with a tie at that point. Luckily, it’s a 60-minute game.”

The Stingers scoring opened up midway through the second period after Gagné punched the puck through the legs of Ottawa’s goalie, Maude Levesque-Ryan, on a scramble in front of the net. That goal marked Gagné’s first of the season.

Late in the second period on a power play, Lalancette sniped the puck past the Ottawa goalie, knocking the water bottle off the top of the net. Her second goal of the night was another well-placed pass by forward Devon Thompson in the third period. This was Lalancette’s second two-goal game of the season.

“She has been one of our most consistent and top players over the season,” coach Chu said about Lalancette, who sits in fourth in the league for most points. “She’s healthy, she works hard and she really utilized her speed which is a huge asset to the team. And obviously she has a great shot.”

Gee-Gees defenceman Cassidy Herman scored Ottawa’s lone goal on the power play in the third period. That would be the end of the Ottawa production, despite starting off so dominant.

With the third period coming to a close, the intensity and physicality ramped up. Schofield scored her fourth goal of the season to give the Stingers a 4-1 lead and more cushion against the physical Gee-Gees. Shortly thereafter, Ottawa pulled their goalie but could not find success. Fillion scored an empty-net goal to bring her team-leading goal count to six on the season.

“We focus one game at a time, and we still expect the most every day,” Chu said. “The girls are embracing it, and they’re able to improve and get better each day. We can’t take anything for granted because this league is so strong that we’ve got to be ready to play and focused.”

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team will take on the Université de Montréal Carabins at the Ed Meagher Arena in a crucial battle for first place in the RSEQ standings on Jan. 19.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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Stingers outworked by Gee-Gees in 2-1 loss

The Concordia Stingers lost their second-straight game with a 2-1 loss against the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Concordia loses second straight game at home against Ottawa

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team lost 2-1 against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Nov. 17 at the Ed Meagher Arena.

After a 4-3 loss to the McGill Martlets in their last game, the Stingers were looking to bounce back with a win. But they were outworked by a chippy Gee-Gees team that had already beaten the Stingers 3-1 in the first game of the season on Oct. 15.

“The Gee-Gees work hard and take away time and space,” said Stingers head coach Julie Chu. “When they do that, it makes it more difficult for us to get the flow that we want to.”

Neither team was able to score in the first period, with much of the game being played in the neutral zone. The Gee-Gees were able to wear the Stingers down by dumping the puck into the offensive zone and forcing Concordia’s defencemen to chase the puck.

As the game wore on, the Gee-Gees’ strategy paid dividends, as the Stingers became increasingly tired throughout the game.

Forward Keriann Schofield scored the only Stingers goal of the game. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Despite the Gee-Gees’ dump-and-chase success, it was the Stingers who struck first. Stingers forward Keriann Schofield buried the puck past Gee-Gees goalie Maude Levesque-Ryan to give her team a 1- 0 lead halfway through the second period. Just four minutes later, the Gee-Gees tied up the game with a goal from forward Mélodie Bouchard.

The third period was fairly uneventful with both teams not generating many scoring chances. Gee-Gees forward Laurence Morissette eventually broke the deadlock to give her team a 2-1 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the game.

Morissette’s goal was all the Gee-Gees needed to pick up their third win of the season. With the Stingers on the power play with two minutes left, Chu pulled goalie Katherine Purchase for an extra attacker. This gave the Stingers a six-on-four advantage, but it wasn’t enough to tie the game.

“We had our chances, but it’s the little details we need to execute,” Chu said. “We’re almost waiting until the end to bury a game, and there were opportunities in the second period to score [that] we missed. We need to bury them.”

The Stingers’ next game will be away against the Université de Montéal Carabins on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. Chu said she hopes her team can have a big bounce-back game after two straight losses.

“Right now, we just need to refocus mentally,” Chu said. “This is our first back-to-back loss, so the thing is for our team to stay strong and united.”

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

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Stingers win overtime thriller against Montréal

The Stingers led the league with 65 goals in 20 games last season. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

Keriann Schofield was the hero for Concordia with the winning goal

A high-scoring game ended with an overtime goal by Concordia Stingers forward Keriann Schofield, propelling her team to a 5-4 win against the Université de Montréal Carabins on Nov. 10 at the Ed Meagher Arena.

“That’s a good example of an emotional game,” said Stingers head coach Julie Chu. “You never want to go down two goals and claw your way back, but that’s hockey. Everyone went out there and got the job done.”

The Stingers dominated the play in the opening 10 minutes, however, it was the Carabins that found the net first. Montréal took the lead after a shot by forward Estelle Duvin went right past the glove of Stingers goalie Katherine Purchase.

A few minutes later, the Carabins extended their lead when forward Laurie Mercier drove to the net and sent another shot past Purchase’s glove. The Carabins escaped the first period with a 2-0 lead.

After allowing two goals on seven shots, Purchase was pulled in favour of rookie goalie Alice Philbert, who started the second period.

Stingers forward Claudia Dubois attempts to score on a rebound. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“There were a lot of reasons for changing Purchase that go beyond the two goals,” Chu said. “She’s been great for us this season and will continue to be great for us. It was great to see Alice play her first game, and she stepped up for us.”

In the second period, the Stingers found their offensive touch and scored three goals. The first goal came from a beautiful passing play from forward Sophie Gagnon to forward Claudia Dubois, who backhanded the puck past the glove of Carabins goaltender Maude Trevisan.

Just minutes later, on a Stingers power play, forward Lidia Fillion tipped home a shot from Dubois to tie the game at 2-2. Stingers forward Marie-Pascale Bernier then gave the team a 3-2 lead with just over three minutes to go in the second period.

In the third period, the Stingers extended their lead to 4-2 after a goal from forward Audrey Belzile, but the team quickly lost energy, and the Carabins stormed right back to tie the game. Montréal forwards Catherine Dubois and Annie Germain scored the two goals that tied up the game and sent it to overtime.

“We really try to focus on one shift at a time, and it’s really hard to do,” said Chu about her team losing energy near the end of the game. “We want to make sure we can reset after a good shift and reset after a bad one. That allowed us to continue to push in overtime.”

Despite an uneventful first four minutes of overtime, the Stingers found a way to win with Schofield scoring a nifty goal, sliding the puck past the left toe of Trevisan.

“I was on the offensive side of the puck just hoping to get a pass, and when I did, I just walked around the goalie and saw a small space and put it in,” Schofield said.

With the win, the Stingers improve to 4-0-1 and now stand alone in first place in their division. They will play the McGill Martlets on Nov. 12 at the McConnell Arena.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

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