Tag: men’s hockey

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Senior night success for Stingers hockey

(From left to right) Tyler Hylland, Phélix Martineau and Charles-Antoine Giguère Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

Both Stingers hockey teams came away with wins to close out last home games of regular season.

The Concordia Stingers men’s and women’s hockey teams both played their final home games of the regular season at the Ed Meagher Arena. With these being the final home games of the regular season, the graduating players of both Stingers teams were celebrated after their games.

After the men’s team took to the ice on Feb. 8, upcoming graduates, namely, forward Charles-Antoine Giguère, forward and assistant captain Tyler Hylland, andforward and captain Phélix Martineau, were commemorated. It was an emotional night for head coach Marc-André Elément. 

“The players gave so much time, energy and passion to our program, we always have to acknowledge that,” said Elément post game. “It is such a huge commitment to play hockey and be a student athlete, I am just so proud of them.”

If the Stingers wanted to head into the playoffs on a high note, they would have to beat the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes– the first-placed team in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division standings. 

The Stingers took command early. Forward Nicholas Girouard opened the scoring on a shot that beat Patriotes goaltender Alexis Gravel, Concordia a 1-0 lead just four minutes into the game. Nobody would find the back of the net until the early stages of the second period.

The Patriotes’ second-highest point-scorer, forward Conor Frenette, capitalized on the power play to knot the game at one goal apiece. Scoring opportunities would continue to come at a premium, as the high-powered offence of each team was held to just 14 shots a piece through two periods.

The defence of both sides had the game locked in a stalemate for the first 15 minutes of the third period. Finally, the Concordia broke through. Stingers forward Édouard Charron received a pass from defender Simon Lavigne and scored on a close-range shot past Gravel, opening up a 2-1 Concordia lead.

The Patriotes would pull their goalie and fire all they could at Stingers goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise, but it would not be enough. The Stingers held on to a 2-1 win and closed out their regular season by beating OUA’s top team in the East division.

The Stingers men’s team will return home to Ed Meagher Arena on Friday, Feb. 16 when they take on the the Queen’s University Gaels in game two of the OUA East quarterfinals. On Feb. 14, the Stingers took the first game of the best-of-three series by a score of 3-1. Concordia will look to close out the series this Friday at 7 p.m.

On Feb. 9, it was the Stingers women’s team’s turn to celebrate their seniors. The graduates include defender Sandrine Veillette, goaltender Madison Oakes, forward and assistant captain Justine Yelle, forward and assistant captain Rosalie Bégin-Cyr, as well as forward and captain Emmy Fecteau. After the game, head coach Julie Chu spoke on how much the graduates have meant to the team over the years.

(From left to right) Dave Singh, Julie Chu, Sandrine Veillette, Madison Oakes, Emmy Fecteau, Rosalie Bégin-Cyr Justine Yelle, Devon Thompson and Olivier Gervais
Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

“All of [the graduates] have had such a big impact on our team’s success and have helped turn the program into what it is today,” said Chu. “Every time you have a chance to honour people who have meant so much to our program, it’s very special and we are extremely grateful for their contributions.” That same success was put onto display early into their game against the Bishop’s University Gaiters.

Stingers’ top goal-scorer, forward Émilie Lussier, scored three goals in the first 14 minutes of the game to cap off a first period hat trick. Just one minute later, forward Jessymaude Drapeau added a goal of her own, opening a 4-0 Stingers lead and forcing the Gaitors to change goaltenders.

In the second period, the Stingers began to defend their lead rather than pressing on offence. The Gaitors got one goal back in the middle frame, but the Stingers were still in command of the game. Concordia owned a 30-11 shot advantage going into the third period.

Two minutes into the final period, forward Chloé Gendreau added a fifth goal for the Stingers as she split the Bishop’s defenders and scored on a beautiful backhand shot. The Gaitors would add a goal of their own, but the Stingers skated away with a win by a score of 5-2. Chu spoke about the team’s performance during this year’s senior night.

“We used our speed and we took care of the puck,” Chu explained. “Doing the little things right will always generate a lot of offense and also allow us to spend less time in the defensive zone. I think we did a lot of that tonight.”

The Stingers women’s team still has one regular season game remaining. They will play on the road against the Université de Montréal Carabins this Friday. After that, the quest is on to defend their RSEQ provincial title.

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Old-time foes meet in 2024 Corey Cup

Alexander Katerinakis and Stingers hoist the Corey Cup in the 2022-2023 season. Photo credit: Concordia Athletics

The McGill Redbirds and the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey teams will meet on Jan. 31 for the 36th annual Corey Cup game.

Since 1988, the trophy has been given to the winner of one regular season game between McGill and Concordia. The games have been played on both Mcgill and Concordia’s campuses, as well as the historic Montreal Forum and Bell Centre. With the rivalry for what’s at stake, the excitement to win this game never seems to fade.

Looking back at the history of the event, McGill won 19 of the matchups while Concordia won 12. The Stingers hoisted the trophy in the past two Corey Cup matchups.

In 2024, there will be an additional layer of drama and competitiveness. Not only will the historic cup be up for grabs, but also a ticket to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s hockey playoffs.

As of Jan. 28, a slim four points separate first place in the OUA East division from fourth. It could be the difference between hosting a playoff series or playing on the road. The Redbirds currently sit in first place with a 18-5-2 record while the Stingers sit in fourth, four points behind the Redbirds at 16-7-2.

The Redbirds and Stingers are coming in as two of the hottest teams in the OUA East division. With eight wins in their last 10 games, McGill has sprung up four seeds into the top spot of the division since returning from the Christmas break. Winners of seven of their last 10 games, Concordia has made noise as well. They have maintained a top four position in the division all season, and are safely in the race for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It will be a dogfight to see which teams come out on top in the tightly-contested division.

This game will also be the rubber match of the season series between the two teams. The Stingers won their first regular season game of the year when they beat McGill on Oct. 5, while the Redbirds got their revenge with a 1-0 shutout of the Stingers on Nov. 23. It will be the only game this season where the two teams meet at Ed Meagher Arena, unless a potential playoff rematch is in the cards come February.

The 2024 edition of the Corey Cup game appears to have all the ingredients of a barn-burner. As the regular season winds down and the two rivals meet one final time, the atmosphere at Ed Meagher Arena should be electric.

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Stingers hockey teams split their weekend games as playoffs near

The women's hockey Stingers celebrate against the Bishop's Gaiters Photo credit to Concordia Athletics

Men’s team drops defensive duel while women’s team continues its winning ways.

Ed Meagher Arena was home to a busy weekend of Stingers hockey. The men’s hockey team faced off against the Queen’s University Gaels on Jan. 20. Winners of their last six matches, the men’s hockey team sat in second place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division standings coming into the game.

Prior to puck drop, only two points separated the top spot in the division from fourth. Queen’s came in five points behind the Stingers, making this contest highly anticipated.

The first period kicked off with a Queen’s penalty that saw Concordia earn their first power play opportunity of the game. As the Stingers maintained possession in the Queen’s defensive zone, forward Vincent Nardonne found defender Simon Lavigne who fired a shot by Gaels’ goaltender Christian Purboo, making it 1-0 Concordia.

Not long after the Stingers tally, Queen’s forward Dalton Duhart, who is currently third in USports for points scored, tied the game 1-1.

As the second period got underway, the physicality between the two teams was increasing as the penalty minutes were adding up. Despite earning a four-minute double-minor power play late in the second frame, the Stingers could not capitalize. They finished the period with 19 shots but Purboo stood tall. Defensively, the Stingers kept high-danger opportunities to the outside of the Queen’s attacking zone, keeping shots away from their own goaltender Jordan Naylor. Neither team would find the back of the net in the second period.

The final frame got off to a quick start. The opportunistic Gaels team buried their second goal of the game coming just two minutes into the period. Shortly after, the Stingers earned an extended five-on-three power play with a chance to tie the game. More chances, but Queen’s made the timely saves, killing the penalty and gaining back the momentum. 

Gabriel Proulx (right) and Dalton Duhart (left) battle for the puck behind the net.
Photo Credited to Concordia Athletics

Stingers’ head coach Marc-André Élément discussed the team’s power play struggles postgame. “You have to give [Queen’s] credit,” Élément said. “They blocked a lot of shots and we will take a look at the video to see where we could improve. They did a good job and we need to execute a little bit better.”

The Stingers continued to claw away with chances in the offensive zone but could not buy a goal. The Gaels added an insurance marker and took the game by a final score of 3-1.

The lack of scoring seen in the men’s game was thrown out the window when the women’s game took place the following day.

The Stingers women’s hockey team faced off against the Bishop’s Gaiters on Jan. 21 in hopes of keeping their undefeated record alive. Concordia entered the game with a perfect 17-0-0 record, atop the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) division standings and the USports women’s hockey rankings for yet another week.

The first period got off to an action-filled start. Stingers forward Émilie Lavoie got the scoring started with a breakaway goal put top shelf behind Gaiters’ netminder Erika Gagnon. In the next five minutes of play, Bishop’s scored back to back goals to get a lead of their own, but this would be short-lived as well.

Just nine seconds after the Bishop’s go-ahead goal, Stingers defender Léonie Philbert scored to get the momentum back on the home side. Forward Rosalie Bégin-Cyr followed this up with a wrist-shot goal, giving the Stingers a 3-2 lead after the first period.

With frustration building for the Gaiters in the second frame, the penalty minutes continued to add up. The Stingers saw themselves on five power plays in the period, three of which they would score on. Both teams traded even-strength goals, resulting in a 7-3 score after 40 minutes of play.

The Stingers changed their game plan in the final period, sitting back on their offensive forecheck and maintaining solid defensive play. The Gaiters were held to just four shots in the third period, earning the Stingers the 7-3 victory on home ice.

Despite splitting the two games over the weekend, both Stingers teams sit in good positions with the playoffs around the corner. The men’s team will go on the road for the next two games and return home for their final three. They hit the ice next on Jan. 25 against the Royal Military College Paladins. Meanwhile, the women’s team sits peacefully atop their division in the RSEQ with seven regular season games remaining. They will face off against the Carleton Ravens in their next game on Jan. 26.

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Concordia’s men’s hockey team to battle for OUA bronze and a spot in the National Championship

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.

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The Concordia Stingers’ strong third period leads to an 8-2 win against the Ottawa Gee-Gees

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.

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Men’s hockey: Concordia, UQTR in U Sports top 10

Concordia Stingers men's hockey vs. UQTR Patriotes at the Ed Meagher Arena, Nov. 19, 2022. Credit: KYRAN THICKE/ Concordia Athletics

Concordia and UQTR are the only two Quebec universities in the U Sports top 10 rankings

After two weeks at number 10 in U Sports rankings, the Concordia Stingers’ men’s hockey team has climbed up two spots this week and is now ranked eighth (rankings updated as of Nov. 22).

The only other Quebec university in the U Sports top 10 is the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), ranked third.

Having won nine of their 14 games so far, the Stingers’ depth has allowed them to have a great first half of the season despite battling injuries.

“I think the fact that it’s not only one guy contributing, it’s the whole group, that makes it easier,” said Stingers’ head coach Marc-André Elément. “And [it’s] tougher for the other teams to play against us when a lot of the guys are contributing to the success.”

The Stingers’ goaltending depth was tested early on when their rookie starter Jonathan Lemieux got injured.

“Even when Jonathan was hurt, Jordan [Naylor] came in and he got a shutout last week,” Stingers’ captain Phélix Martineau said. “We’ve been pretty fortunate with what our goalies gave us so far.”

Lemieux, who has played 10 games so far, has a save percentage of .930, putting him fourth in the OUA, slightly ahead of the other Quebec university in the U Sports top 10.

The UQTR Patriotes’ starting goaltender Alexis Gravel’s .922 in eight games has him ranked sixth in the OUA.

Gravel has played in most of the Patriotes’ games, or dressed as the backup, except on three occasions — Nov. 4, 5, and 11.

“It was an internal decision in the hockey program,” said the UQTR Patriotes’ head coach Marc-Étienne Hubert on why his starter didn’t play on Nov. 4 and 5. Hubert declined to comment further on the situation.

Since his return against Concordia on Nov. 12, Gravel has started four of UQTR’s games, including two back-to-back games on Nov. 18 and 19, and backed up on Nov. 26. He continues a solid season with only one loss so far.

The Stingers’ statistic of 29 goals against allowed all season long doesn’t go unnoticed, as they are ranked second for this statistic. Only the University of New Brunswick has fewer goals against at 24.

“Everybody’s playing well,” Elément said about his team. “I think we’re probably one of the only teams that had three goalies playing in the regular season and we’ve been lucky that all the guys are contributing and playing well so that’s good for our program.”

He said that something the Stingers will look to improve on for the rest of the season is defensive-zone coverage and 5-on-5 offence.

Martineau also shared that it feels good to be rewarded by being in the top 10.

“We know we have a special group and I think that group can go far, so it’s just a matter of doing it now,” he concluded.

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The Concordia Stingers defeat the Nipissing Lakers 1-0 in overtime

Concordia Stingers' men's hockey vs. Nipissing Lakers on Oct. 29, 2022. Credit: KYRAN THICKE/ Concordia Athletics

44 shots in regulation weren’t enough for the Stingers to end the game

The Concordia Stingers pocketed a second straight victory last week in front of a large audience at the Ed Meagher Arena on Oct. 29 and won 1-0 against the Nipissing Lakers. It was their fourth win of the season.

The Stingers outshot their opponents 11 to eight in the first period. At the end of the first period, Stingers’ forward Tyler Hylland was hooked on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot.

Hylland attempted to fake a shot and backhand the puck in between the Lakers’ goaltender Zach Roy’s legs, but Roy got the best of him.

“I just tried to open him up a bit,” said Hylland, the Stingers’ alternate captain. “I have to give him credit. He kept his team in it until the very end.”

The second period was similar, as the Stingers outshot the Lakers 14 to nine. The Stingers had their best chance at winning the game midway through the second period, as Roy gave two rebounds in the slot. But he stopped them anyway.

“The goalie on the other side played very well,” said Stingers’ head coach Marc-André Elément. “Sometimes there’s nights like that where we’re doing the right things but the puck doesn’t go in.”

The Stingers added more pressure in the third period by taking another 18 shots. The Lakers also took two late penalties that allowed the Stingers two power plays in exchange. However, with Roy stopping every shot at that point, they were ultimately unsuccessful.

It was not until the first few minutes of overtime that Stingers’ forward Isiah Campbell received a pass from his teammate Samuel Desgroseillers in the neutral zone to form a two-on-one against Roy. Campbell skated past the defender and barely slid the puck past Roy’s blocker side to win the game in overtime.

“It definitely felt nice,” said Campbell, referring to the only goal of the game. “[Roy] played a hell of a game, but we found a way, and that’s all that matters.”

This game was also Stingers’ goaltender Jordan Naylor’s first of the season. He earned his first victory and shutout by stopping all of the Lakers’ 24 shots.

“We were a bit snake-bitten there,” said Naylor in regard to the struggle to get a goal past Roy. “But it feels really good to get my first win as a shutout and get a win with the boys,” he continued with a smile.

“He played an unbelievable game,” said the game-winning goal scorer about Naylor. “He’s been working hard in practice, and he definitely deserved it.”

The Stingers improved to a 4-2 record this season and stopped the Lakers from getting their first win of the season. The Stingers will head to the nation’s capital as they will face the Ottawa Gee-Gee’s on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.

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Colour Commentary: Carey Price returns

A new chapter for the Montreal Canadiens began on Friday night.

Carey Price returned to the Bell Centre on Friday night, where he would be given a heart-warming welcome from the crowd. This would be the NHL’s highest paid goaltender’s first game since Montreal’s 1-0 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 7 in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens have had a rough season without their star goalie and have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. 

The Canadiens’ netminder allowed two goals against 19 shots in his return versus the New York Islanders. The Habs would go on to lose 3-0, after Islanders forward Brock Nelson scored an empty-net goal late in the third period. 

For the game, Nelson would get a goal and an assist, with two shots on goal. The Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin also had an impressive performance, shutting out the Canadiens and making 44 saves. 

Despite the loss, the Canadiens and Price have come a long way. Price has had many hurdles since his last game in July. He had knee surgery on July 23 and has struggled during his recovery. He also entered the NHL’s player assistance program on Oct. 7 before the start of the 2021-22 season.

This is only the beginning of a new chapter, only time will tell what’s in store for the Canadiens’ star goaltender.  

 

Graphic by Madeline Schmidt

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Ontario Tech 6, Concordia 4: Stingers season cut short

The men's hockey playoffs came to a close this week after a loss to the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/THE CONCORDIAN

Stingers men’s hockey team show resilience in disappointing loss in OUA East quarterfinal

After a difficult week, the Stingers couldn’t match the execution of the Ridgebacks in a tense battle at Ed Meagher Arena on Mar. 16.

Ahead of their quarterfinal matchup, Concordia lost key players during practice, including defenceman Alexandre Desgagnés who suffered a wrist injury. Regardless of the circumstances, the team was unable to play to its full potential.

“In this league, if you want to win, you have to play for sixty minutes. We didn’t do that tonight,” said Marc-André Elément, the Stingers head coach.

This game marked the end of a solid overall season for the men’s hockey team. CATHERINE REYNOLD/THE CONCORDIAN

Concordia started strong thanks to Maxim Trépanier, who opened the scoring at around four minutes into the game with the assistance of Zachary Zorn and centre Jeffrey Durocher. 

Durocher added another point near the 10 minute mark, thanks to passes from Trépanier and Concordia’s captain Phélix Martineau. However, this wasn’t enough to overcome the dynamic offence of Ontario Tech. Thanks to the effort of Nicolas Tardif, Jack Patterson and Sean Ross, the road team maintained a 3-2 lead by the end of the first period.

Martineau was able to tie the game in the first minute of the second period. Shortly after, the Ridgebacks scored to retake the lead and held the Stingers scoreless for the rest of the period.

“I feel like we were working hard, but I think we weren’t mentally ready when it mattered most,” Martineau said.

The Stingers briefly came back to life at the end of the third period, when right-wing forward Alexander Katerinakis scored as the result of passes from Martineau and Trépanier. Unfortunately, the spark wasn’t enough to overcome two more goals scored by Ontario Tech in the last three minutes of the game.

Ultimately, even with a disheartening conclusion to the season, the toughness and determination of the players and the coaching staff was on display to the bitter end. 

“I’m proud of the way we battle with injuries. I’m not someone who’s going to use that as an excuse. They just outworked us,” concluded Elément.

Despite the loss, fellow Concordians had fun coming out in person to support the home team. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/THE CONCORDIAN

Photos by Catherine Reynolds

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Concordia’s men’s hockey team hold Ottawa scoreless in a 2-0 victory

The Stingers improved their regular season record to 8-6-0 on Saturday, Mar. 5. Kyran Thicke / Concordia Stingers

Stingers’ goaltender Jacob Delorme comes up big in a 42-save performance to get his first shutout with the Stingers

The Ottawa Gee-Gees tested the Concordia Stingers in their third consecutive matchup, however, Jacob Delorme was up to the task and helped his team get the 2-0 victory over Ottawa last Saturday, March 5.

“It was a good game,” Delorme said. “We lost Wednesday in Ottawa so we wanted to beat them, and right now the standings are really close for the playoffs, so it was a big win for us.”

Despite the Gee-Gees starting to pressure the Stingers right out of the gate, it was Paycen Bjorklund who opened the scoring for the Stingers around 14 minutes into the game, from a pass by Vincent Nardonne.

The second period was the busiest for the goaltenders, but it also remained scoreless. Ottawa had some good chances to tie the game, but Delorme made all 18 saves.

Concordia didn’t allow as many shots in the final frame, as they were also pressuring to double their lead. Alexander Katerinakis was able to do that after beating Ottawa’s defence with Isiah Campbell with about two minutes remaining in the period.

The last two minutes of the game were very intense, as Ottawa pressured to try and tie the game. The Gee-Gees’ late push resulted in a Concordia penalty in the last two minutes, and Ottawa pulled their goaltending for a 6-on-4 opportunity. However, the Stingers did a great job defensively, and Delorme continued his perfect performance. Concordia took another penalty with 15 seconds remaining, but it was too late for Ottawa to come back.

“It was a tight game,” said Marc-André Elément, the Stingers’ head coach. “Our guys battled and played hard tonight and we got the win so it’s huge.”

With two games in hand, Concordia currently ranks third in the division, right behind Ottawa. Having played against the Gee-Gees four times in the last five games, Delorme said they would be ready to potentially face them in the opening round of the playoffs, if that were to be the first series.

 

Photograph by Kyran Thicke 

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Concordia’s team effort stands out in 5-2 victory over Ottawa

The Stingers men’s hockey team bounced back in the second half of back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, and got the win in their first home game in 2022.

The Concordia Stingers’ team effort persisted throughout 60 minutes, as they came together to take the 5-2 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Feb. 26.

This was the Stingers’ second game in two nights, bouncing back after a 0-4 defeat against the UQTR Patriotes on Friday.

The Stringers struck early with Maxim Trépanier opening the scoring only a minute and a half into the game. The first period ended with shots 13-11 in favour of Ottawa, while Concordia’s goaltender Jordan Naylor stood on his head and kept his team in the game.

“In the first period we were a little hesitant, we had to get our legs back,” said Tyler Hylland, centre for the Stingers. “We hadn’t played back-to-back games in a couple of months, so I think the guys were feeling it out, but I think we found our legs in the second period, and we finished strong, so it went well.”

Right at the beginning of the second frame, Ottawa scored twice in a minute and took the lead in what was a pretty back and forth game up to that point.

About seven minutes into the second frame, two Ottawa players collided with Naylor. Trainers joined him on the ice to evaluate him, but he remained in net until the end of the period.

It didn’t take too long for Concordia to tie the game afterwards, with a goal by Alexandre Desgagnés around the midway mark of the period, which gave the Stingers some momentum back.

They found themselves on the powerplay a couple of minutes later, where Jeffrey Durocher capitalized and gave his team the lead again.

Naylor didn’t return for the final period, and Jacob Delorme came in instead after having played the previous night as well. Stingers head coach Marc-André Elément said that Naylor didn’t sustain an injury and that he will be okay.

Hylland doubled the Stingers’ lead around 12 minutes into the third period after creating a turnover and having a breakaway chance.

“It was kind of a broken play in the d-zone, a turnover, and I kind of saw the opportunity that I could maybe get it by them, and I took it, and then I went in on the goalie and put it five-hole,” Hylland said.

The Gee-Gees pulled their goaltender with two and a half minutes remaining, leading to Trépanier, who had opened the scoring early on, to seal the win for the Stingers with an empty-net goal.

Delorme continued Naylor’s effort and stood tall, stopping all 11 shots he faced in that period, while the defence also did their job and kept blocking shots.

Although the final shots were 39-30 in favour of the Gee-Gees, the Stingers weren’t giving them many good scoring opportunities, and if they did, the goaltenders made the saves.

“I think we were ready for tonight’s game,” Elément said. “We have a good team and we needed to compete tonight, and I think the guys showed a lot of character when we were down… And [when] you’re losing your goalie going into the third period, and your other goalie steps in, that’s a big big team effort there.”

Elément added that Delorme kept them in the game in the final frame. He also mentioned how important the defence was in the game, highlighting Kyle Havlena and Marcus Tesink’s performances in particular.

“It was a big team effort tonight and I’m really happy about the win.”

 

Photograph by Kaitlynn Rodney

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Sports

Concordia’s special units put to work in dominant 7-4 win over McGill

The Stingers men’s hockey team get the win in their first game back since Dec. 4, 2021

The Stingers dominated a very fast-paced and physical game against the McGill Redbirds on Feb. 15, ultimately taking the 7-4 victory in their first game in over two months.

“It just feels good to be back on the ice, to be able to play a game was awesome,” said Stingers captain Phélix Martineau. “It was really fun to be able to play with the boys again, and to get out with a win was good too.”

Concordia capitalized early on, with a goal by Paycen Bjorklund. Even though McGill responded quickly, the Stingers kept pressuring their opponents.

It took less than three minutes for Nathan Lavoie to find the back of the net and for the Stingers to regain the lead. Jeffrey Durocher would later score on the power play, for what would be the Stingers’ first of four powerplay goals of the night.

After 20 minutes of play, the Stingers outshot McGill 19-3, and had a 3-1 lead.

The second period wasn’t as smooth as the first, with intensity rising between the two rival teams. It started with a couple of penalties against McGill, giving Concordia a bit of time with a 5-on-3 advantage, on which Martineau capitalized. A few seconds later, Tyler Hylland scored on the one-man advantage.

After the Stingers’ fifth goal, the Redbirds switched goalies at the midway mark of the game. As the night went on, the intensity and physicality increased, as the two teams faced off for the fifth (and last) time this season.

It was the Stingers’ turn to find themselves short-handed, and the momentum seemed to change in the Redbirds’ favour, who proceeded to score to cut their deficit in half, as the second frame ended with the Stingers ahead 5-3.

“We started well, but then we took a lot of penalties,” said Martineau. “But we ended up on top so it’s a good win for us, a good way to get back at it.”

Seven minutes into the third period, the Redbirds scored, finding themselves only one goal away from tying the game. About a minute later, McGill once again found themselves shorthanded and Charles Tremblay scored the Stingers’ fourth and final powerplay goal of the night.

“We’ve been working on special units,” Stingers head coach Marc-André Elément said. “We’re going to have to look at some stuff… but overall it was a good game.”

The last seven minutes of the game were the most intense, with frustrations building and many penalties taken on both sides.

If there was a chance for McGill to come back, it was denied by Isiah Campbell who gave Concordia a three-goal lead with about four minutes remaining.

At the end of the night, Tremblay had a powerplay goal and two assists, and Alexander Katerinakis three assists.

The special units the Stingers have been working on got tested in this game, in which a total of 20 penalties were called, 12 for McGill and eight for Concordia.

“We’ve been working on our powerplay since the last game we played, we’re trying some new stuff so it’s good to be able to build off that for the nine games we have left,” Martineau said.

The team is now looking forward to finishing the season after it was disrupted by the Omicron wave in December.

“All the guys were excited, I think we had a really good start, a couple breakdowns afterwards, but I’m really proud. It wasn’t an easy situation with [going from] practicing every day, not knowing what was going to happen, and then not practicing at all,” Elément said. “I’m really happy, the guys are happy that we’re back, and hopefully, we’re going to keep going.”

 

Photograph by Matt Garies / McGill Athletics 

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