Pink in the Rink – The Concordian

Both Stingers hockey teams are back in the win column, combined 3-0-0 record over the weekend.

It was an eventful weekend at Ed Meagher Arena—the home for the latest Stingers hockey homestand and the 2023 Pink in the Rink weekend.

For the third time in their program’s history, the Stingers hosted the Pink in the Rink event which consisted of a bake sale, an auction filled with prizes, and the women’s team sporting limited-time pink jerseys. All proceeds raised were donated to the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.

Head coach Julie Chu spoke on what it meant for the team to take part in an event like this for such a good cause. “When we get a chance to run events for positive change, that’s what we want to do and we take a lot of pride in that,” she said. “With everything that we put into it, we also wanted to make sure that when it came down to being great on the ice, we were able to do so.”

The Stingers women’s team kicked off the action with their game against the Bishop’s Gaiters on Nov. 17. Prior to the opening face-off, a ceremonial puck drop took place to honour breast cancer survivors—a beautiful way to begin the weekend.

Concordia came out of the gate hemming the Gaiters in their defensive zone, outshooting them 10-0 in the first half of the opening frame. Eleven minutes in, the Stingers got rewarded with the first goal of the game off a mid-slot deflection by forward Émilie Lussier.

The Gaiters knotted it up five minutes later, but the Stingers responded with a goal of their own. This one came from forward Émilie Lavoie, bringing the score to 2-1.

The second period of the game consisted of a similar outcome. Concordia scored three unanswered goals to open a 5-1 lead towards the end of the period. The Gaiters closed the gap to 5-2, but the Stingers added another three goals in the third, securing the big 8-2 victory.

Lussier, Lavoie, and forward Caroline Moquin-Joubert all scored multiple goals and brought momentum into their second game the following day.

After a quick turnaround, the Stingers hit the ice against the Carleton Ravens on Nov. 18. The game had a slow start compared to the day prior—the Ravens and Stingers tied at one after 20 minutes of play. The two teams exchanged goals to open the second period, followed by the Stingers’ third power play goal of the game, making the score 3-2 in favour of the home team.

In the third, the Stingers ran away with the game. Three more goals, including a hat trick from forward Jessymaude Drapeau, topped off another victory for Concordia.

“We stuck with it. We wanted to make sure that we stayed to our habits and kept our mindset in a good spot even if we were in a tight game,” coach Chu expressed postgame.

The team has now improved to a perfect 10-0-0 on the season, holding first place in the RSEQ standings as well as on the U Sports’ women’s hockey power rankings list.

The Stingers men’s team then took to the ice for the second leg of the day. This game was a big one for the Stingers as they had lost four out of their last five games after starting the year 6-1-0. They faced off against Ontario University Athletics West Division opponent Lakehead Thunderwolves. The first period saw the Stingers firing on all cylinders.

A deflection by captain and forward Phélix Martineau off a seeing-eye shot from defenseman Simon Lavigne saw the Stingers jump in front of the Thunderwolves 1-0. One minute later, Stingers forward Loïck Daigle found the puck on his stick all alone in the slot and fired it past the Lakehead goaltender making it 2-0. The Stingers went on to add two more goals before the intermission, leading 4-0 after the first period.

After Lakehead got on the board early in the second period, Stingers forward Isiah Campbell responded by scoring two goals to extend the Concordia lead to 6-1 going into the third period. Despite conceding a late goal, Stingers forward Mathieu Bizier added two third-period goals to cap the 8-2 statement win. Head coach Marc-André Élément spoke postgame about his team’s victorious effort.

Isiah Campbell vs. Lakehead
Photo Credit: Concordia Athletics

“Tonight we played well—we managed the puck properly and that’s why we had success,” Élément said. “There were some guys on our team who scored some big goals tonight that will translate with them continuing to produce offensively, hopefully [this win] will motivate them to keep trending in the right direction going into the winter break.”

Three well-earned wins and a fundraiser for a great cause were the highlights of a very successful weekend for the Stingers hockey community. The teams will be back in action this week with the men’s team playing at McGill on Nov. 23 and the women’s team at the Université de Montréal Carabins on Nov. 24.

Jérome Bédard Guillemette wants to continue funding research for breast cancer

When Jérome Bédard Guillemette first joined the Concordia Stingers football team in 2015, he knew he wanted to raise money for some sort of cause. When his best friend’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, he finally knew what that cause would be.

“That shook me to the point where I started thinking about my mother, my sister, my girlfriend, and my girlfriend’s mother,” Bédard Guillemette said. “I said, ‘I don’t want anybody to lose a woman they love to breast cancer.’”

His friend’s mother beat the cancer and is currently in remission. On Feb. 9, the fourth-year defensive lineman donated his hair to Locks of Love in hopes of raising at least $1,500 for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. The Stingers women’s hockey team were hosting their first-ever Pink in the Rink event, and Bédard Guillemette cut his hair after the team beat the Montréal Carabins 3-1 at the Ed Meagher Arena.

“I’m really proud of our girls and what they did for Pink in the Rink,” said head coach Julie Chu. The players had a bake sale the day before during a men’s game. “Every one of us has someone [affected by cancer]; unfortunately that’s how it is. But we want to find the cure and hopefully little things like this help us.”

Bédard Guillemette grew his hair and beard throughout his four years at Concordia, only trimming to keep it maintained. He doesn’t know if he will grow his hair out as long as it was again.

“It takes a lot of time and dedication to grow [hair] and keep it clean to donate,” Bédard Guillemette said. “For sure I’m going to donate money again, but it’s something we have to keep on doing because we’re never going to stop research.”

Having seen what his friend’s mother went through with breast cancer, Bédard Guillemette wants to let others know they’re not alone.

“People are trying to do their best to raise money for research,” he said. “You have to keep on fighting because it’s a hard and long fight.”

Photos by Mackenzie Lad.