Tag: men’s hockey

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Stingers winning streak snapped by Voyageurs

laurentian
Despite the loss, the Stingers are still five points behind second-place McGill. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Laurentian came into game on 10-game losing streak

In a spirited affair, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team’s four-game winning streak came to an end. They lost 4-2 to the Laurentian Voyageurs Saturday night at the Ed Meagher Arena.

Entering the game on a 10-game losing streak, the Voyageurs were determined not to lose. Voyageurs goaltender Mackenzie Savard stopped 42 of 44 shots, and came up big with a dazzling, sprawling save late in the game to conserve the victory.

“Their goalie played really well. We have to give them credit; they played a really tight game,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement. “We will do a lot of videos, but we have to work harder over sixty minutes if you want to win.”

Indeed, the Stingers seemed to be in control of this game, dominating the Voyageurs at both ends of the ice. Yet their powerplay went cold, unable to score on any of their four opportunities. Savard went on to make key saves, especially in the first period.

“I think it got away from us in the first, and when they scored we played well from behind,” said Concordia forward Dylan McCrory. “Their goalie made some pretty big saves. You put 40 shots on a guy and they win. That’s pretty good regardless. Either we need to learn how to score better, or he played really well. Probably a bit of both.”

Down 1-0 early in the second period, the Stingers tied the game after a top-shelf from the left circle by Hugo Roy. With the tempo shifting and the young home crowd chanting, Concordia pressed with their fast and gritty style of play to end the second period.

The Stingers entered the third period laughing and laid back. But five minutes in, Voyageurs defenceman Marc-Antoine Gagnon’s wrist shot from the point beat traffic in front of the net, and eventually went past goaltender Marc-Antoine Turcotte. This ended up being the turning point of the game, as the Voyageurs wound up getting the last laugh.

“We couldn’t score, obviously,” said defenceman Carl Neill. “It’s kind of frustrating. We had a good sequence going the past couple of games, and I think we got a little too confident.  Doing the things we should—we weren’t doing it necessarily. I think it’s a bit of a wakeup call for us, and shows if we play a simple game, we got a chance to win.”

The Stingers did manage to make it exciting for the young fans in attendance, as the night commemorated minor hockey in the region. Stingers defenceman Bradley Lalonde scored with just under 30 seconds remaining to make it 3-2. The Voyageurs would add an empty-net goal with six seconds left in the game, for a final score of 4-2.

The Stingers face a tough test next week traveling to play against Carleton and Queen’s University.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

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Stingers win again after falling behind early

The Stingers and Gaels met for the first time since their playoff series last February. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Men’s hockey team getting hot with final push towards the playoffs

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team beat the Queen’s Gaels 4-3 in comeback fashion on Friday night at the Ed Meagher Arena.  

The Stingers win after finding themselves down 2-0 when the Gaels scored two quick power-play goals on penalties from Philippe Sanche and Anthony Dumont-Bouchard in the first period. This was the third consecutive win in which the Stingers trailed by two goals at some point in the game.

Following the second goal, the Stingers got back to their game plan, and came out hard in second period.

“After the two quick goals, we had to find our game quickly,” said captain Philippe Hudon. “I think we executed the game plan perfectly but we need to work on not falling behind early.”

Defenceman Carl Neill extended his team lead in points to 24. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Five minutes into second period, Jean-Philippe Beaulieu put the Stingers on the board. The Stingers continued to press throughout the second, which led to a power-play goal from defenceman Simon Bourque. “It felt great to score my first but the win is what matters most,” said Bourque following the game, who scored his first goal as a Stingers.

With only 17 seconds left in the second period, the Gaels regained the lead with a scramble in front of the net. The Stingers came back in the third, and tied it up almost immediately with a perfectly placed shot by forward Zachary Zorn.  

“Zorn and his line had a really good game and that’s why you need depth in the lineup,” said had coach Marc-André Élement.  “Zorn hadn’t played much since Christmas but he stood out when we needed him most tonight.”

Defenceman Carl Neill, who leads the team in points, scored the game-winner with just over four minutes to go in regulation. He finished the game with a goal and an assist. Neill was a leader for the Stingers’s defence that went short a player early when Philippe Charbonneau left the game with an injury.

“We have to give the [defence] credit, they played very well as five [players],” said Élement. Along with Charbonneau, goaltender Anthony Dumont-Bouchard was also pulled out after the second period due to injury. Both players will be evaluated before Saturday’s game.  

This was also a Stingers game in collaboration with Bell Let’s Talk, in efforts of raising awareness about mental illness. Fans at the game received hats and noisemakers as part of the campaign.

With the win, the Stingers have now won four-straight games and eight of their last 10. They are hoping to build on their recent success Saturday night against the Laurentian Voyageurs at 7:30 p.m. at the Ed Meagher arena.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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Simon Bourque sets his sights on the future

Simon Bourque said he chose Concordia because he felt comfortable here. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Former Habs draft pick left professional hockey to study at Concordia

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team announced on Nov. 29 that defenceman Simon Bourque, a sixth-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, would commit to the team in January.

It was big news for the Stingers and U Sports when the 22-year-old signed a letter of intent announcing he would join them. Stingers head coach Marc-André Élément said on the Stingers’s website that Bourque will have an immediate impact on the program. He added that the defenceman “is an exceptional player, student and leader,” and many teams were after him.

The Longueuil native played nearly 250 games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Rimouski Océanic and Saint John Sea Dogs, winning the league championships in 2015 and 2017.

Bourque also played in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the St. John’s IceCaps and the Laval Rocket, affiliated clubs of the Canadiens.

In four games with the Stingers, they have three wins. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

On June 30, 2018, the Canadiens traded Bourque to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forward Joel Armia, goaltender Steve Mason, and two draft picks.

“The experience I gained during my career will allow me to come [to Concordia] with maybe a different vision of hockey and the way it is played,” said Bourque about his career the past few seasons. “I will be able to share that with the boys and, at the same time, it will add to my curriculum vitae,” he added.

Bourque explained that his decision of playing hockey at the university level and joining the Stingers is because he wants to earn a degree and focus on his career outside of hockey.

“I could not see myself continuing to play at a professional level without a bachelor’s degree,” Bourque said. “I wanted to have a security with that bachelor’s degree in my pocket when I decide [playing professional hockey] is over for me and move on to something else.”

The defenceman added that education has always been important for him, and he’s always achieved good grades in school. Despite Bourque’s hockey success, his intentions to complete a bachelor’s degree never changed.

“For sure, with the opportunity I had to play [hockey] at a professional level, I told myself to at least try and see after,” Bourque said. “However, I always had in mind to take that decision [of completing a bachelor’s degree].”

Bourque won two league championships while playing major junior hockey. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

After playing 46 games with the Laval Rocket last season, Bourque decided to pursue that dream, and that’s when Élement and the Stingers approached him. He saw himself as a Concordia student right away.

“It’s the team that had the best approach for me personally. I thought we had a fit,” Bourque said. “I thought me and Élément had a good personality match. I liked his program, and it corresponded with what I wanted to live. It was also in Montreal, so the location was good. Everything was fitting well together.”

Bourque’s arrival happens just after the midway through the Stingers’s regular season. The Stingers are in a tight battle in the standings, in sixth place with 25 points, just three points behind third.

“I want us to perform, that’s for sure,” Bourque said. “However, it is mainly about having fun and getting in the beat of university.”

Bourque describes his game as efficient and hates making mistakes. The defenceman occasionally joins the rush, but said he never forgets his main role.

“I always think defensively first,” Bourque said. “However, I am a defenceman who supports the offence a lot, and helps the forwards to produce offensively.”

Bourque, who wears number 74 with his new team, has played four games with the Stingers so far and has three assists. They have a 3-1-0 record with him.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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Stingers come from behind to win third-straight

The Stingers won both games this weekend after being down by two goals. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Captain Philippe Hudon: This win shows tremendous character

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team shocked their home crowd by defeating the first-place Ottawa Gee-Gees Saturday night at the Ed Meagher Arena. With eight games remaining in the regular season, the 3-2 shootout win couldn’t have come at a better time.

“We needed more emotion. It was part of my pre-game speech,” said head coach Marc-André Élement. “We’re in front of our fans, in our barn for the first time after Christmas, it was important to get that win and play well.”

Although it was a shaky start, through the team’s strong defensive play, the Stingers managed to stay competitive by killing off four early power plays and avoiding disaster.

The Stingers won both games this weekend after being down by two goals. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Down 2-0 after the first period, the Stingers got their first goal from captain Philippe Hudon. A lucky deflection flew over the helmet of Gee-Gees goaltender Graham Hunt midway through the second period, igniting the crowd.

With the momentum shifting, and the game getting physical, assistant captain Philippe Sanche started to lead by example. His heart and tenacity were evident, which helped the Stingers’s special teams.

“We managed to win some battles down low and create some chances, and we finally got the tying goal late in the game,” said Sanche.

Nearly five minutes into the third period, Hudon capitalized on the Stingers’s only power play of the game by tying up the score with a juicy rebound shot from Sanche.

Overtime solved nothing, bringing the game to a shootout. After two saves from Stingers goalie Anthony Dumont-Bouchard, Sanche scored the only goal with a beautiful wrist shot.

“I practiced it a lot during our practices,” Sanche said. “I try to keep it simple and beat the goalie with a quick release shot—it worked again tonight.”

This is the third-straight win for the Stingers, and second in as many days after they beat the McGill Redmen 5-4 on Friday. The two big wins this weekend certainly didn’t go unnoticed by Concordia’s captain.

“It’s probably one of the toughest weekends that we’ve had on the schedule so far, and honestly it’s incredible for us to have pulled it off. It shows tremendous character,” Hudon said. “Against McGill, we were down by two goals, and were again tonight. In both games, we managed to battle back. I sure hope it’s going to give us the boost we need for the last stretch.”

With the Stingers peaking at the right time, it was an all-around team effort at both ends of the ice.

“We’re playing well as a team,” said defenceman Carl Neill. “We have a game plan and modify it against the team we play every night. Tonight, the boys stuck to it. Give credit to our special units, obviously, that’s what won the game for us—Dumont as well.”

The Stingers play twice at home next weekend, with the first game on Jan. 18 against the Queen’s Gaels at 7:30 p.m.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

 

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Stingers dominate in 9-2 win over Nipissing

Despite the four-game winning streak, the Stingers head into the break in seventh place. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Concordia heads into break with four-game winning streak

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team beat the Nipissing Lakers 9-2 at the Ed Meagher Arena on Dec. 1.  

The Stingers dominated all aspects of the game: they outshot the Lakers 60-20, they got more hits, and they had puck possession for most of the game. Concordia also went 6/12 on the powerplay, and forward Hugo Roy scored their first goal of the game on a five-on-three advantage. Roy led the Stingers with four goals in the game.

Hugo Roy (left) scored four goals in the win. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

After defenceman Carl Neill scored late in the first period, the Stingers opened the second with three consecutive goals, forcing the Lakers to change their goaltender.

Concordia took advantage of its opportunities on the power plays and was able to build a solid lead early in the game. Concordia spent most of the time in the offensive zone forcing the Lakers to take penalties. It seems like the Lakers spent too much energy defending and didn’t have enough to attack at the other end of the ice.

It was a physical game and the Stingers won most of the battles along the boards. They were also faster than the Lakers with a quick transition game to leave their zone and go on the attack. The Stingers’s defencemen also contributed offensively, transitioning the play from zone to zone.

Even though the Stingers dominated most of the game in the offensive zone, they still played well defensively, blocking numerous shots.

The Stingers have now won four-straight games, a streak that started with a win in Nipissing. Concordia is now on break, with a 9-6-1 record, and will return on Jan. 11 to face the McGill Redmen on the road.

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Stingers win third-straight with comeback against RMC

The three-game winning streak is the highest of the Stingers’s season so far. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Concordia bounces back from 2-0 deficit to win 4-3

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team won their third-straight game Friday night. They defeated the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins 4-3 at the Ed Meagher Arena.

After a first period controlled by the visitors, the Stingers scored three unanswered goals in the last 40 minutes of play to defeat the Paladins. The Stingers finally broke the tie 41 seconds into the third period with a goal from forward Jean-Philippe Beaulieu.

Head coach Marc-André Élément said the Stingers will need better starts if they want to win their upcoming games.

“We didn’t show up in the first period,” Élément said. “We have to learn from that. However, our guys stepped up in the second and third period, allowing us to get two huge points tonight.”

After trailing 15 to 13 in shots after the first period, the Stingers came back strong and finished the game ahead 44-27 in that category.

“I think the big difference between the first period and the rest of the game is that we won our battles [for the puck] and kept it simple in the defensive zone,” said Stingers defenceman Charlie Roy, who scored his first goal of the season in the first period.

Defenceman Anthony Gingras, who scored the Stingers’s second goal, also got his first of the season.

Élément said the team made adjustments and played more aggressive in the second and third periods.

“I wasn’t shy to let the players know after the first period that they had to be better,” Élement said. “At university level, you can’t afford to make the kind of mistakes we made in the first period.”

The Stingers received 25 penalty minutes, while the Paladins received 12. Stingers forward Francis Brunelle received a game misconduct penalty in the third period for a hit from behind.

“It was definitely tiring [taking all the penalties],” said Stingers forward Jake Fletcher. “It seemed like there were penalties after penalties.”

Goalie Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 24 saves in the victory. It’s his sixth win this season, and his third-straight after the team’s 8-1 loss against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Nov. 17.

“You need to focus on the present,” Turcotte said. “It’s about paying attention to what’s happening around, just staying in the game.”

The Stingers play their last game before the holiday break this Saturday night against the Nipissing University Lakers. The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Ed Meagher Arena.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

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Stingers avenge loss with 4-3 shootout win against Redmen

Carl Neill scored while goalie Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 33 saves. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Hugo Roy, Carl Neill help Concordia snap three-game skid

Despite allowing a game-tying goal with 10 seconds left, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team beat the McGill Redmen 4-3 in a shootout win Friday night at the Ed Meagher Arena. This comes a week after the Stingers lost to the Redmen 6-3 at the McConnell Arena, in a game that had 75 penalty minutes.

“Last week was the first game against each other. [The players] don’t like playing them, but we did some video and we were more focused [tonight],” said head coach Marc-André Élement on what changed in terms of discipline, as there were 14 penalty minutes this game. “The guys played well and I’m really happy about that.”

Despite only 14 penalty minutes, the game was still physical, as is expected between Concordia and McGill. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

One difference between last week’s game and this one was that Marc-Antoine Turcotte was available to play in the Stingers’s net, making 33 saves, including five in overtime. He was hurt early in last Friday’s game, and missed Saturday’s game versus the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks.

“He played a huge game,” Élement said. “He kept us in the game and, in the shootout, he stopped the guys.”

The Stingers opened the scoring late in the first period when defenceman Carl Neill stepped out of the penalty box, grabbed the loose puck, and scored on the breakaway.

“To be honest, I was kind of lost, I had my stick halfway out my hand,” Neill said. “I looked back and saw I was on a breakaway, closed my eyes and [the puck] trickled in.”

The Stingers controlled most play in the second period, getting the majority of scoring chances, but came out on the losing end. Redmen forward Nicolas Poulin took advantage of two lucky bounces in the final three minutes of the second to go into intermission with a 2-1 lead.

“Both teams were waiting for opportunities, and we made mistakes on back-to-back shifts and it cost us,” Neill said.

Stingers forward Chase Harwell tied the game three minutes into the third, which Élement said was bound to happen.

“The first 15 minutes [of the second period] was our best of the season,” Élement said. “I just told the guys [at intermission], if we keep playing like this, we’ll have our chances, and the guys responded well in the third.”

After Stingers captain Philippe Hudon scored his second of the season to give his team the lead halfway through the third, Poulin scored his hat-trick goal to tie it. The Stingers didn’t let the late goal affect them as both teams swapped chances in overtime, with neither scoring.

Before Turcotte made the shootout-winning save on Guillaume Gauthier, forward Hugo Roy beat goalie Louis-Philip Guindon with a five-hole shot. “I knew what I was doing right off the bat, so it was either a goal or a shot in the chest,” Roy said.

The Ed Meagher Arena was full of energy – as you would expect for a Concordia-McGill game – and was loud up until the end.

“It was fun to see the rink that full, and of course it’s never a disappointing game with Concordia and McGill,” Neill said. “Tonight was real fun to see, and we came out on top, so I’m sure the fans are happy with that as well.”

With the shootout win, the Stingers break their three-game losing streak and improve to 5-5-1 on the season. They play the undefeated Ottawa Gee-Gees Saturday night on the road.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

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Stingers own worst enemy in 5-1 loss to Ridgebacks

Back-up goalie Olivier Tremblay started this game. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Men’s hockey team have now lost three in a row, and four of last five

Unable to generate any offence, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team lost 5-1 against the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks Saturday night at the Ed Meagher Arena.

Entering the game with two consecutive losses, the Stingers couldn’t generate enough shots on net and scoring chances to get the win—leading to a frustrated group of players.

“Guys are gripping their stick a little tighter,” said defenceman Carl Neill. “The past few games, we haven’t been able to put the puck in the net. Guys start to think back and worry—we’re putting too much stress on our shoulders.”

“It’s not an excuse—they played well,” said head coach Marc-André Élement about the Ridgebacks. “Their team were in the shooting lanes and played a really good game.”

The Stingers are now 4-5-1 on the season, but still sit in a playoff spot. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Down 3-0 early in the second, Neill scored a beautiful goal on a tic-tac-toe play which seemed to energize the crowd. With the momentum shifting midway through the second, the Stingers killed off an important penalty while also hitting the goal-post on a scoring chance.

Yet, with under two minutes left to play in the period, the Ridgebacks’s aggressive counter-attack led to another big penalty. On the power play, Tyler Mayea scored on a hard one-timer from the top of the right circle, a turning point in the game and a demoralizing backbreaker for the Stingers.  

Adding salt to the wound, while leaving the ice during the second intermission, Stingers’s goaltender Olivier Tremblay took an uncharacteristic roughing penalty showcasing his frustration.

“Indiscipline,” said Neill about what went wrong. “Our penalty kill isn’t doing the job and, when that’s the case, you can’t take too many penalties.”

Taking full advantage of the Stingers’s frustration and an uneventful third period, Ridgebacks defenceman Kyle Locke agitated Concordia players for the remainder of the game.

“It’s always like that in hockey, we have to keep our self-control,” said Élement. “I told the guys to relax. We’ll get back at work on Monday, do a lot of video work, and be ready for McGill next Friday.  We had a tough weekend, it happens, we just need to focus on the positives, let go of the negative and build on that.”

On a positive note, Élement showcased his leadership abilities by calling an unexpected time-out with just under 10 minutes to play. He could be seen encouraging and motivating his players with vigor, even though the game was out of reach.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen. 

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Concordia-McGill rivalry crosses the line in physical affair

As expected, the McGill-Concordia rivalry heated up when the schools face-off in men’s hockey on Nov. 9. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

75 penalty minutes as Stingers take 6-3 loss to Redmen

The McGill Redmen men’s hockey team beat the Concordia Stingers 6-3 in their first meeting since the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East final last March. But the biggest story from Friday night’s game at McGill’s McConnell Arena wasn’t the nine goals scored, it was what happened at the start and end of the game.

Olivier Tremblay had to come in to replace Marc-Antoine Turcotte in nets. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Less than two minutes into the game, a Redmen player fell into Stingers goalie Marc-Antoine Turcotte, who left the game with an injury. Stingers rookie goalie Olivier Tremblay, who started two games this season, came in to replace him, and allowed five goals on 39 shots.

“I have to look at the clips and see what happened there,” said head coach Marc-André Élement. “But Tremblay did a good job.”

In the final minute of the game, with the score 6-3 for the Redmen, Concordia’s Zachary Zorn laid a heavy hit on a Redmen who was trying to get to his bench. In reply, McGill’s Jordan Fournier went after Philippe Sanche, who was wearing a full face mask for the game. He broke Sanche’s face mask, which injured him, and both players were given two-minute minor penalties for roughing.

“When you know that there’s a player on the other side wearing a [full face mask] because he’s injured, and he goes at him […] They took advantage of that, and for me, that’s unacceptable,” Élement added.

After the scrum, the Redmen ended up on the power play for the dying seconds of the game, which confused Stingers defenceman Carl Neill.

“It’s disgusting,” Neill said. “Stuff like that doesn’t have a place in the game, especially for a guy like Sanche, who doesn’t do anything […] You have to know where to draw the line and, when he’s spitting blood after, it’s never a good sign.”

The two physical incidents were indicative of the game in between. The Stingers had 40 penalty minutes on 16 infractions, while the Redmen had 35 on 12 penalties, including a five-minute major and a 10-minute game misconduct on Nikolas Brouillard for a check-to-the-head. Concordia’s Charles-Eric Légare also received a ten-minute misconduct for a hit-from-behind.

“It’s part of the game,” Neill said. “We have to regroup and come back tomorrow, nothing we can do about it now.”

Stingers rookie forward Chase Harwell played in his first game against McGill, and said it didn’t fail to live up to its hype. “I knew it was going to be crazy, all the guys told me about it,” Harwell said. “But that’s my kind of game, so I loved it.”

Special teams were the difference in this game. After Brouillard’s major penalty midway through the second period, the Stingers had a 3-2 lead and a seven-minute power play. Instead of capitalizing to put the game away, they allowed a short-handed goal and took a penalty themselves.

“Sometimes, when you don’t score on the power play, you lose the momentum and they get it,” Élement said. “Our special [teams] have to be way better, we gave up too many goals on the penalty kill and power play.”

The Redmen went 3/10 on the power play, scoring the game-winning goal on the man advantage. The Stingers went 1/7 with the extra player.

The Stingers will be able to avenge this loss next Friday, Nov. 16, when they host the Redmen at the Ed Meagher Arena. But first, they host the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks Saturday night.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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Stingers win against Rams in penalty-filled game

Rookie Zachary Zorn scored a shorthanded goal on a night filled with penalties. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Concordia beats Ryerson 6-4 for second win in a row

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team beat the Ryerson Rams 6-4 in a penalty-ridden game at the Ed Meagher arena on Oct. 20. Both the Stingers and the Rams went into the game coming off overtime wins the night before.

“[Our team] played well,” said head coach Marc-André Élement. “We were really happy about the weekend we had, picking up a good four points.”

The Stingers scored 10 goals in two games this season. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Much like the night before, the Stingers came out firing quickly and most of the play was in the Rams’s end. The Rams took three penalties in a row, and rookie forward Chase Harwell scored on the second power play. Forward Hugo Roy added another goal on a five-on-three to open a 2-0 lead for the Stingers, but the Rams came back within one when Hayden McCool scored a minute later. By the end of the period, with a 2-1 Stingers lead, there were a total of 16 penalty minutes.

“It was a matter of time,” said defenceman Carl Neill about the amount of scoring chances the Stingers got the past two games. “We’ve missed lot of chances this year and it took a little greasy game yesterday to get us going.”

The second period played exactly like the first, with six more minor penalties. Rams Matt Mistele and McCool added two more goals early on to momentarily take the lead. That was until forward Philippe Sanche and rookie Zachary Zorn scored two goals back-to-back midway through the period. Sanche’s goal was on the power play, while Zorn scored shorthanded.

The Stingers handed the Rams their first lost of the season. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

The Stingers were up 4-3 after two periods, but Mathew Santos scored early in the third for the Rams to tie it. The Stingers took back that lead with five minutes left in the third, as Roy scored again on the power play. As desperation set in for the Rams, Harwell scored his second goal on an empty-netter to seal the win for the Stingers.

“We were facing a lot of adversity, so we changed a bit of our game plan and the guys played well,” Élement said. “We had been practicing a lot of stuff like power play and it showed this weekend.”

By the end of the game, there were 19 minor penalties for 38 minutes, and only one goal was scored at even strength.

With the Stingers win, they improve to 3-2-0 on the season and hand the Rams their first loss of the season. The Stingers kick off a four-game road trip on Oct. 26, with their first game against the Western Mustangs.

Main photo by Gabe Chevalier. 

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Sanche overtime goal seals win for Stingers

The Stingers and York Lions met up for the first time since March, when they played in the OUA bronze medal game. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Hugo Roy’s two-goal effort helps in come-from-behind victory

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team won in an overtime thriller Friday night against the York Lions at home, 5-4.

The Stingers took on the hard-charging York Lions at the Ed Meagher arena for the first time since the the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) bronze-medal game in March. Concordia took that game 3-2 on that occasion.

“It’s a huge win,” head coach Marc-André Élement said about Friday’s game. “I think we showed a lot of character. It’s a huge comeback for us. There’s a lot of relief among the guys that we can score some goals.”

The first period was a straight slugfest and included a rash of Stingers penalties. The first resulted in a Lions goal by Scott Feser. By the end of the period, despite the four penalties, the Stingers had a 15-10 advantage in shots.

Bradley Lalonde scored his first goal for the Stingers. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

The second period played much of the same as the first. But this time, the Stingers’s defence came up strong, allowing four shots against. Stingers defenceman Bradley Lalonde opened up the scoring with a top-shelf shot and tied the game five minutes into the period. Another slew of penalties fell onto the Stingers, which the Lions fully capitalized on. Josh Lafrance scored to put the Lions back up 2-1.

The third period opened quick on the scoring chart for both teams. Concordia’s Hugo Roy scored on the power play just over a minute in, which was quickly followed by a Lions goal by Morgan Messenger. Midway through the period, the pace settled down a bit. The Stingers struck again, as Roy scored his second of the night to tie the game at three.

“I think I played good hockey.” Roy said. “I had a good third and I think it’ll help me tomorrow and into the season.”

The craziness of the third period didn’t end there. Lions Alex Mowbray added a goal on a four-on-four situation to take the lead with less than five minutes left. A roughing penalty by the Stingers shortly after looked to end their chances at a win. But it was forward Charles-Éric Légaré who scored a short-handed goal to tie the game with under two minutes left. The Lions received an interference penalty with 10 seconds in the game, to send the Stingers to overtime with a power play.

The overtime started and finished within 15 seconds thanks to the Stingers’s power play. Forward Philippe Sanche took his shot and buried the rebound to win the game for the Stingers 5-4.

“[Hugo Roy] is a fast skater and he creates offence,” Élement said. “This is a huge two points for us. We’ve still got to work on some stuff though.”

The Stingers improve to 2-2-0 heading into the second game of the weekend against the Ryerson Rams on Saturday night.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen. 

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Stingers fall 3-1 to Patriotes

The Stingers and Patriotes renewed their rivalry from last season, with UQTR getting the first win. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Marc-André Élement: “Mistakes in third cost us”

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team were defeated 3-1 by the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes at the Ed Meagher Arena Saturday night.

It was a good game for the Stingers until the third period. They got numerous scoring chances in the first 40 minutes of the game, and led 21-19 in shots on goal after ttwo periods, but the score remained tied at zero.

“I think we played good for 40 minutes,” said head coach Marc-André Élement. “Then, we had some breakdowns in the third period.”

The Patriotes came up strong in the final period, with Christophe Boivin opening the scoring five minutes in.

There were seven minor penalties in the game. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

The Stingers’s lone goal was scored by defence Alexandre Gosselin on the power play. Gosselin’s goal midway through the third period evened up the game for just a minute before Mathieu Lemay scored the game-winning goal for the Patriotes. The Patriotes’s three goals were less than eight minutes apart, with Samuel Hould scoring the third goal.

Élement said the Stingers’s mistakes in the third period determined the game’s outcome.

“We made some mistakes that should not happen, especially in the defensive zone,” Élement said. “There was miscommunication at one point. They have a really good top line, and when you give those guys time and space, that’s what happens.”

Animosity and physical play increased throughout the game. The Stingers received three minor penalties, while the Patriotes received four.

“Mentally, you need to be sharp for 60 minutes,” Élement said. “I think that as soon as you try to go and do everything by yourself, it creates chances for the other team. If you don’t stick to the game plan, you’re never going to have success, and that’s what happened in the third period.”

Stingers centre Chase Harwell missed nearly a period of play following a collision that caught him in the face during the second period. Harwell came back with a full face mask midway through the third period.

“I’m fine,” Harwell said. “I just had a couple of stitches, but it’s fine now.”

The Stingers fall to a 1-2-0 record this season. Stingers goalie Marc-Antoine Turcotte finished the game with 34 saves.

The Stingers will play the York Lions on Oct. 19, and the Ryerson Rams the following night, both at home.

Main photo by Gabe Chevalier.

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