Tag: Ottawa Gee-Gees

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Stingers win fifth-straight game over Gee-Gees

fifth-straight game
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 baseball team sweeps doubleheader versus Ottawa Gee-Gees

Shortstop Bruce Tejada and pitcher Justin Benoit walk towards the dugout in a game versus the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 16. Photo by Ben Fraser.

Concordia bats come alive with 22 runs in first two wins of the season

The Concordia Stingers baseball team’s hitters have finally awoken from their off-season slumber. The Stingers bats exploded for 22 runs in a doubleheader against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 16 at home.

In the first game, the Stingers defeated the Gee-Gees 14-4 in five innings due to the 10-run difference mercy rule. The Stingers were down 3-0 after the first inning but stormed back for an 11-run second inning. Second baseman Kyle Hazel, shortstop Bruce Tejada and first baseman Stefan Brady scored seven runs batted in (RBI). Starting pitcher Thomas Loubser Munn, who pitched all five innings, allowed eight hits and had eight strikeouts.

In the second game, the Stingers continued their offensive outburst, winning 8-4. Third baseman Michael Makarios had an excellent game, with two hits, a walk and a RBI. Hazel once again was brilliant, collecting a hit, a walk and two RBIs.

In the top of the fourth inning, Hazel showed off his defensive ability by snagging a line drive and tagging the runner out at second base.

An outing like this is something Hazel had been hoping for. “We needed to get [our first wins] out of the way,” he said. “[Wins] like this really boost our confidence.”

Matthew Adams-Whittaker warms up before a game versus the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 16. Photo by Ben Fraser.

With the Stingers losing 4-3 in the top of the fifth inning, starting pitcher Shane Mullen was pulled from the game. Relief pitcher Justin Benoit replaced him, and went three innings while only allowing three hits. He did not allow a single run while the Stingers offence scored five more runs.

Benoit said after the game that the offence’s performance made his job a lot easier.

“It makes you feel like you can just go out there and throw your pitch, and if it doesn’t go your way, you have a little leeway,” he said. Benoit showed complete confidence in the hitters, and said he thinks they will have strong games in the future.

“I think we’ve got a solid offence who are just starting to wake up […] and I think they are capable of scoring 10 [runs] a game,” he said.

Manager Howie Schwartz, who was pleased with his team after the short sweep, said he knew

the offence would break out eventually.

“I wanted the wins to come sooner than this, but I’m very happy. We needed it just to get a boost,” he said. “It’s a 16-game season, so we can’t let too much get

away.” While he’s happy the offence broke out, Schwartz said he still believes there is work to be done.

“[The hitters] are finally getting their timing [right],” he said. “But a couple of guys still need to get their confidence up.”

Schwartz added that he thinks the Stringers can be a top team this year. “I have no doubt that [the team can win a championship]. I think our pitching and fielding are as good as anyone else [in the league].”

On Sept. 17, the Stingers added two more wins against the Université de Montréal Carabins, by scores of 2-0 and 9-5. Their record is now 4-4. Their next game is Sept. 20 at home against the McGill Redmen.

Main photo by Ben Fraser.

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