Tag: RSEQ

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Stingers split tightly-contested doubleheader with UQAM

uqam
Stingers guard Ricardo Monge is fifth in league scoring, averaging 15 points per game. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Men’s team extends league-best record while women fall for third-straight game

The Concordia Stingers basketball teams split a pair of games against the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins Thursday night at the Concordia Gym. It was the first of two doubleheaders between the schools this weekend.

Men’s game

The Stingers won the game 70-67, but it was a game filled with inconsistency. “I was very disappointed with how we executed on both ends, offensively and defensively,” said Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic.

The Stingers started the game strong, collecting rebounds and drawing fouls, and got up to a quick 7-2 lead within the first three minutes. They soon found themselves down 12-7 after the Citadins put together a 10-0 run to pull ahead, but the Stingers ended the quarter up 15-14.

Their lead fell apart very quickly as the Stingers found themselves down 30-20 just over halfway through the second quarter. Popovic called a timeout to rejuvenate his guys. “I just told them they will beat us if we play this way, and they responded well,” Popovic said.

After the timeout, the Stingers went on a 12-2 run and went into halftime tied at 32. The third quarter saw the Stingers fall behind 51-44 six minutes in. However, they closed the period by cutting the Citadins lead down to 55-51.

The fourth quarter was the team’s best, which saw Stingers guard Ricardo Monge score six points to grab a 61-58 lead. He finished the game with 11 points, three assists, and three steals.

The Citadins took back the lead with three minutes remaining, but the Stingers used their home-court advantage to dominate the last minutes and win.

Popovic said the Stingers reduced their turnovers in the second half, from 13 to three, which helped them win.

Guard Caroline Task (#7) was limited to six points in the loss. Photo by Victoria Lewin.
Women’s game

The Stingers entered the game Thursday night looking to snap their two-game losing streak. While the game was close, the Stingers lost to the Citadins, 68-63.

The first quarter saw the Stingers and Citadins trade chances. However the Citadins, who came into the game with a 1-8 record, had a 19-18 lead after the opening quarter.

The second quarter was led by Stingers star guard Myriam Leclerc, who helped her team grab a 33-30 lead at the half. Leclerc led all scorers with 17 points after two quarters, and finished the game with 29 points.

The Stingers’s momentum started to slip away in the third quarter. The Citadins’ centre Inga Aleksaite dominated the early part of the quarter on both ends of the floor. Despite this, the Stingers were able to keep the game close by putting up a 6-0 run to end the quarter, but were still down, at 51-49.

Concordia tied the game at 61 with two minutes left in the fourth after some good defence and rebounding. However, the game slipped away from the Stingers, as the Citadins scored seven points in the final minutes, and Concordia only scored two.

“UQAM came in hungrier than us,” said head coach Tenicha Gittens. “They came in and took it from us.”

The men’s team improved to 10-2 on the year while the women dropped to 7-5. They each play the Citadins today at UQAM, with the women tipping off at 2 p.m.

Main photo by Gabe Chevalier.

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Stingers close in on first place with win over Carleton

The Stingers and Ravens meet one more time this season on Feb. 1. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Forward Sophie Gagnon scores twice as Katherine Purchase collects third win

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team beat the Carleton Ravens 5-2 Sunday afternoon at the Ed Meagher Arena. Forward Sophie Gagnon scored two goals and added an assist in the victory.

The Stingers won all four games played against the Ravens so far this season, outscoring them 19-3. They also won two of those by shutouts.

In the two games this weekend, the Stingers scored nine goals. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Stingers head coach Julie Chu was pleased with how her team competed against the Ravens, a team she calls a hard-working opponent. Chu wanted to see consistency from her team throughout the game.

“From start to finish, you could see it,” Chu said. “They scored a late goal. They don’t give up. And so for us, I think it’s trying to have to same intensity, focus, and urgency toward the way that we play.”

The Stingers took the lead early in the first period when forward Lidia Fillion scored her third goal of the season. “It was really great to see that our girls came out on fire in that first period,” Chu said. “They put us in a good place, and just kept getting better and better.”

Gagnon then added two goals in less than six minutes to give the Stingers a decisive 3-1 lead in the first. The forward gave credit to her teammates for her performance.

“I’m just at the right place at the right time,” Gagnon said. “When we need to put it [the puck] in the net, I do so.”

With two goals against the Ravens, Gagnon now has five goals and two assists in her last four games. Chu described her forward as a warrior.

“[Gagnon] is not afraid to go to the net,” Chu said. “She competes in every moment, and I think that’s a big reason why she’s been successful over her career. She has that great determination. She’s willing to go through a knee, go through a wall to get a play done.”

Gagnon said the team had good zone exits against the Ravens, which created good offensive opportunities and helped the whole team produce in the game.

The first of Gagnon’s two goals was on the power play, and Rosalie Begin-Cyr scored a second power-play goal for the Stingers in the second period. Chu said the team really worked on reading plays and executing them at the right time.

“Today, I thought we did a really good job of moving the puck quickly, tape to tape,” Chu said. “Then, when we had opportunities to shoot and find shooting lanes, we were able to execute on those. That was really big.”

The Stingers finished the game with 39 shots, while the Ravens finished with 12. Goaltender Katherine Purchase registered her third victory of the season.

With an 8-4-3 record, the Stingers are still in third place, but sit three points behind first place, with five games remaining in the regular season. They play their next game on Feb. 1 in Ottawa against the Ravens.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

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Only the men’s basketball team able to get win against Laval

Stingers veteran Ricardo Monge scored 14 points in the win. Photo by Clare Redman.

Women lose back-to-back games against #1 seed Rouge et Or

The Concordia Stingers basketball teams split a doubleheader against the Laval Rouge et Or at home on Jan. 26. The men’s team won 90-76 while the women’s team lost 81-63.

Men’s game

The men’s team entered the game with high motivation after suffering a tough loss earlier in the week against Laval. The Stingers led by 14 points in the third quarter, but the Rouge et Or came back to win.

The Stingers looked to continue their winning streak at home and extend their conference-leading 8-2 record. Laval and Concordia began the game with a back-and-forth struggle, as both teams traded baskets throughout the first half.

Despite scoring 23 points in each the first and second quarter, Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic said his team could have played much better. “I thought we didn’t play well at all in the first half,” Popovic said.

These high expectations for his team is one of the many factors that has led to the winning record for the Stingers this season. The Stingers methodically followed their game plan in the second half. The ball movement from the starters to the reserves is what allowed the Stingers to slowly wear down their opponent as they forced 14 turnovers, which led to 16 points scored all game.

In contrast, Concordia only had seven giveaways the entire game. By the end of the third quarter, the Stingers held their largest lead of the game with seven points and in the fourth, their consistency on both ends was too much for Laval.

One of the game’s brightest stars was forward Aleks Simeunovic. After suffering a knee injury a year ago, he returned with the team this season and made an instant contribution. His two three-pointers came in the second half, one of which was at the end of the third quarter, giving the Stingers a huge momentum boost.

Simeunovic attributes his performance to the trust his team had in him during his recovery and return to the court. “[It] feels really good to be back out there again and playing,” he said. “My teammates have my back and the biggest thing is that they believe in me. They trusted me, so when I get on the court, it’s just easy to do my thing.”

The camaraderie on this team has been apparent from the beginning of the season. Both the coaches and players understand the importance of that bond as the playoffs approach.

“We keep stressing with our guys everyday in practice that we don’t care who shoots–we want good shots and it showed tonight,” Popovic said. With five games remaining in the regular season, the Stingers look forward to continuing their success.

Women’s game

The Rouge et Or remained undefeated all season, entering the game with an 8-0 record, while the Stingers’s was 7-3. With McGill in hot pursuit of the second seed in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) behind Concordia, this game held extreme significance for the Stingers.

The game began with the Rouge et Or establishing their dominance in the paint. They took advantage of their taller centres and forwards to force switches with screens and dominate in front of the basket.

The Stingers struggled in the first quarter with turnovers and rebounds, allowing Laval to jump to an early 24-11 lead. The Stingers came back strong in the second, rallying behind Myriam Leclerc who scored a game-high 17 first-half points.

Midway through the second quarter, the Stingers had put together a 10-4 run by using their quickness to get steals. Stingers guard Elise Roy fought hard at both ends, supplying the kind of energy the Stingers needed to claw their way back into the game.

With the lead cut to seven in the second quarter, Laval responded with a 14-7 run of their own, ending the half with a 48-24 lead. The second half began the way the game started, with Laval using their good ball movement, keeping the Stingers guessing. Their good strategies began to open up easy opportunities from the outside, as Laval made all four of the three-point shots they took in the second half.

By the end of the third, Laval held a 19-point lead. The fourth quarter saw what the Stingers could bring as they opened with a quick 8-0 run, cutting the lead to 11 points. The Stingers forced 17 turnovers in the game and continued to play tough defence down the stretch. Although Concordia scored most of their points in the fourth quarter, Laval was able to match their opponents with 20 points in the quarter.

Despite the tough loss, the Stingers remain in second place in the conference.

Both the men and women play a home-and-home series against the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins next weekend.

Main photo by Clare Redman.

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Stingers split doubleheader at home against McGill

With a 7-1 record, the Stingers sit on top of the RSEQ standings. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Ricardo Monge scores 22 in the win; Myriam Leclerc drops 26 in a losing effort

The Concordia Stingers basketball teams split a doubleheader against McGill Thursday night at the Concordia gym. It was the first set of a back-to-back series between the rival schools.

Men’s game

The men’s team defeated the McGill Redmen 86-69, as they dominated on all aspects of the game. Despite a slow start during the first five minutes when McGill took an 11-2 lead, Concordia stayed focused and got right back in the game.

From good defence to three-point shots made, the Stingers executed perfectly and that’s what allowed them to succeed. After scoring just 12 points in two games last weekend against Bishop’s, point guard Ricardo Monge came out really strong. He finished the game with 22 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds. Head coach Rastko Popovic described his game in one word: fantastic.

“I was trying to come out aggressive,” said Monge about bouncing back from last weekend. “I just took advantage of the miss-match we had.”

“Overall it’s a good win,” Popovic said. “There are still things we need to improve. We’ll have a good practice and be ready for Saturday.”

Popovic acknowledged that McGill was missing their best player and league-leading scorer, Alex Paquin, which affected them. But he added that a hand injury to Concordia veteran Cedrick Coriolan also affected play.

The head coach was satisfied by the play of guards Anthony Sanogo and Oge Nwoko. Sanogo had 12 points in 27 minutes coming off the bench, while Nwoko had eight points in 13 minutes. “I’m really impressed with how those guys stepped up,” Popovic said.

After two-straight games of scoring 18 points, Coralie Dumont had 14 points against McGill. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.
Women’s game

The women’s team lost 63-58 to the Martlets after a tough battle. Concordia didn’t have a strong start to the first half, and were down by 11 points at halftime.

They bounced back in the second half and, even though McGill increased their lead to 16 points, Concordia came back and took the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Despite a game-high 26 points from point guard Myriam Leclerc, the Martlets scored eight-straight points to close off the game and seal the win.

Despite a good finish that almost resulted in a win, head coach Tenisha Gittens was quite unhappy after the game. She said her team did not have a good start. “We couldn’t put the ball in the basket,” Gittens said. “To me, it’s not the end of the game [that matters]. We started the game poorly […]; we didn’t do a good job defending.”

Gittens also said her team didn’t work hard enough during the week, which contributed to the loss. “Unfortunately, I knew that this would happen because of the way we practiced,” the head coach said.

She also gave credit to McGill and expected that they would be ready to play their first game of 2019: “They have one of the best coaches in the country,” Gittens said. “I think we had some sparks, but at the end of the day, it was not enough.”

The men improved their record to 7-1, while the women dropped to 6-2 on the year.

Main photo by Gabe Chevalier.

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Stingers lack killer instinct in 5-1 loss

The Martlets are now six points ahead of the Stingers in the standings. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

McGill has beaten Concordia in all three meetings this season

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team were defeated 5-1 by the McGill Martlets Saturday afternoon at the Ed Meagher Arena. The Martlets have now won the three meetings played so far between the teams this season.

The Martlets took control early in the game when they scored in the opening minute. The Stingers’s lone goal was by forward Lidia Fillion, scored in the last minute of the first period, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Despite having 37 shots on net, the Stingers only managed to score once. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Stingers head coach Julie Chu said the score early in the game didn’t reflect the team’s effort. “We had two crossbars, and [had] different plays,” Chu said. “It could have been a very different first period outcome.”

Chu added that her team played a good second period, but missed many scoring chances. “We had a lot of chances, a lot of odd-man rushes, and it’s our job to bury them out and make sure we score on those,” Chu said. She added the Stingers didn’t have that “killer instinct.”

According to Fillion, the Stingers couldn’t find the scoring touch. “We had a lot of momentum, but we missed that finishing,” Fillion said. “We missed that second effort, the little spark that made us score.”

“I think we’re still playing good hockey,” Chu said. “We created chances, and that’s step one. But at some point, we have to find a way to have that little extra hunger and be able to put it past a good goaltender.”

Stingers goaltender Alice Philbert was pulled from the game in the third period after conceding five goals on 28 shots.

The two teams will meet again on Jan. 25 at McGill. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

“I think at some point it’s time to get a little bit of a change. Then, we get an opportunity to get Katherine [Purchase] some ice-time as well, and get some feeling to the puck,” Chu said. This was Purchase’s first game of the season, as she’s been out with an injury. “I’m not going to stand here and say that we lost because of Alice. We’re not that type of team,” Chu added.

The Stingers finished the game with 37 shots, while the Martlets finished with 34. Forward Audrey Belzile said that everyone has to work on themselves for the next game.

“We have to focus on ourselves [for tomorrow], and stop focusing about others,” Belzile said. “If it doesn’t go well, [then] we support each other. When we are trailing, we need to stop looking at the negative and look at the positive.”

The Stingers will be in action against the Carleton Ravens on Jan. 13 at 3 p.m. at the Ed Meagher Arena.

Main photo by Gabe Chevalier. 

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Stingers lose rivalry game 3-2 against Martlets

Forward Audrey Belzile (pictured) hit two posts in the game. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Concordia heads into winter break third in conference

A third-period push wasn’t enough for the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team to comeback against the McGill Martlets on Saturday afternoon. The Martlets beat the Stingers 3-2 at the Ed Meagher Arena in the rivalry game.

“It’s a game of bounces, and in the first period we had a few breakdowns that [gave] McGill a few bounces that we didn’t get,” said Stingers head coach Julie Chu. “For sure it was a fun game, it was back-and-forth and very much like a playoff-atmosphere game.”

The Stingers and Martlets will face off in the first game after the break. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Early in the game, the Martlets displayed why they are ranked third in the country by U Sports. Emilia Cotter opened the scoring five minutes in, before Concordia’s Marie-Pascale Bernier tied the game four minutes later. McGill continued to fire shots on goalie Alice Philbert, and finally got one past her midway through the first for the lead.

After outshooting the Stingers 13-8 in the first, the Martlets extended their lead to two goals just three minutes into the second. “We have to tighten up so we don’t give those opportunities,” Chu said. “Even their third goal was a tough bounce that deflected weird and ended up going in.”

The Stingers stormed back during the second period. A power play gave them the energy they needed and created multiple scoring chances, only goalie Tricia Deguire to stop them. Stingers forward Audrey Belzile even hit a post in the second, only to hit a second post in the third. Concordia did cut the lead in half with an early third-period goal by Sophie Gagnon. It seemed to energize the team and the crowd at the Ed Meagher Arena, as they outshot McGill 18-7 in the final period—but couldn’t tie the game.

“I thought the third period we were tremendous, we were all over them and buzzing, plus we had a lot of good opportunities,” Chu said. “At the end of the day when we play a good team in one of the best leagues [in the country], we’re going to go back-and-forth, and some chances will go in, and others won’t.”

With 10 games played, the Stingers are halfway through their season and have a 5-3-1 record heading into the winter break. They sit third in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec conférence, four points behind McGill.

The Stingers host the Theresa Humes Tournament from Dec. 28 to Dec. 30, before returning to league play against McGill on Jan. 12.

“We’ve worked really hard and grown as a team [this season],” Chu said. “But the key for our girls is to focus on their exams and to make sure to still get some work-outs in December.”

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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A look at the 2018 Stingers all-stars

The men’s rugby team led all fall teams with the most all-star players. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Men’s rugby highlights individual accolades by Concordia athletes

The 2018 fall varsity season is coming to an end, and Concordia saw its athletes in football, soccer, and rugby represent the Stingers with pride. Some teams did better than others, while some athletes were recognized for their stellar performances. Here’s a breakdown of all the Stingers all-stars winners and Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) award-winners for the fall season.

Men’s rugby

Being the only Stingers team to win their championship this fall season, it’s no surprise the men’s rugby team have the most all-stars. Out of the 14 first-team all-stars, seven are Stingers: Stephen Martinez, Julian Alexander, Charles Debove, Thomas Goetz, Jackson Marquardt, Eliott Goussanou, and Lucas Hotton. Surprisingly, none of these players won any of the individual awards.

On the second all-star team, Dylan MacDonald, Michael Laplaine-Pereira, Jérome Lévesque, and Jonathan Banks represent the Stingers.

After winning their second-straight RSEQ championship, the Stingers finished fourth at nationals in Victoria, B.C.

Women’s rugby

Under new head coach Jocelyn Barrieau, the Stingers just missed the playoffs with a 2-5 record. The women’s rugby team was young—out of 28 players on the team, 21 were in their first or second year, with only two fifth-years.

Despite the amount of younger players, fourth-year veteran back Lia Hoyte was the Stingers’s sole representative on the first all-star team. Two of the other team’s backs, second-year Shawna Brayton and first-year Jasmine Baxter, were on the second all-star team.

Football

Like the women’s rugby team, the Stingers football team had a new head coach this season. Brad Collinson faced plenty of challenges, as the team went 2-6, missing out on the playoffs for the first time in five years.

The football team had two stars shining bright this season. Offensive lineman Maurice Simba and wide receiver Jarryd Taylor both made the first all-star team. Simba is draft-eligible for both the NFL and CFL, and will be one of the first players from a Canadian university to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January. Taylor led the league in receiving with 527 yards on 24 catches with two touchdowns.

Assistant coach Peter Regimbald, who was in his 50th and final season with the Stingers, also won the RSEQ’s assistant coach of the year award. He has been with the team since they were still known as the Loyola Warriors.

Women’s soccer midfielder Chama Sedki made the RSEQ second all-star team. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Women’s soccer

Following the theme of new coaches, the women’s soccer team, in their first season under Greg Sutton, finished with a 4-9-1 record, 13 points out of a playoff spot. Regardless, it’s tied for the most wins they’ve had in a season since 2013.

Even though forward Sarah Humes and defender Claudia Asselin finished tied ninth in league scoring with five goals each, only midfielder Chama Sedki made the second all-star team. Sedki played in 12 games, scoring three goals and adding three assists.

Men’s soccer

On the men’s side, the Stingers had their worst season since 2014, finishing with a 1-10-1 record. It’s at least one win better than their winless season four years ago. Forward Yazid Dawiss led the team with two goals, while eight other players had one goal each. No players made the RSEQ all-star teams.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

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Stingers win back-to-back RSEQ championships

Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Men’s rugby goes undefeated two years running

The Concordia Stingers men’s rugby team won their second-consecutive Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) title Saturday, beating the Bishop’s University Gaiters 22-20 at Concordia Stadium.

The Stingers haven’t lost a game since Oct. 2016. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

A successful three-point penalty kick by the Stingers with six minutes left to play made the difference in what was a really tight game from start to finish. The Gaiters controlled most of the first half, scoring first on a try from Robert McGovern. They led 14-12 at halftime.

“We weren’t really happy with our ball skills,” said Stingers head coach Craig Beemer after the game. “We were playing a little too loose and made extra passes. We really focused on our body height [in the second half]. We made sure in contacts that we were holding on to the ball.”

The game was played in windy conditions, which led to dropped balls and even missed penalty kicks on both sides.

“We knew there would be a lot of wind today,” said Stingers’s back row Zachary Pelletier. “The kicks have been so important today for our teams. We had to work hard until the end.”

That win against the Gaiters also confirmed back-to-back undefeated RSEQ seasons for the Stingers. They haven’t lost a game since October 2016, when the Gaiters beat them in overtime of the quarter-final.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into this,” Beemer said. “It’s really a long process. I have a lot of coaches who did an amazing job and, more importantly, I had 50 players, on a weekly basis, working hard to get better.”
Beemer said his team’s depth has grown in his three years with the Stingers, and has played a big role in the back-to-back titles.

“We’re also not really looking at what other people are doing, but looking internally [at] how can we get better every day,” Beemer said. “Winning is a result, but that’s all it is for us. It’s what we do on week-to-week, how we build to become better individuals and then, by becoming better individuals, putting in the team concept.”

The Stingers needed a strong second half after trailing at halftime. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

The Stingers are now heading to the 2018 Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship, held in Victoria, BC from Nov. 21-25.

“This is something that was on our minds at the beginning of the season,” Beemer said. “However, we haven’t talked about it in the last weeks. The [players] knew it was something they could have the opportunity [to play] for at the end of the year.”

The Stingers lost their two games played in last year’s tournament. Beemer added that the team knows what to expect and is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

“We’re looking to build on momentum from last year,” Beemer said. “We know there’s gonna be a lot of great teams out there.”

Pelletier said his team will use the next days to make sure they are ready for their opponents.

“We have two other weeks to work [before the Championship],” Pelletier said. “There will be really good teams there. We have to be ready. We just need to keep working hard.”

Main photos by Hannah Ewen.

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Devon Thompson is leading on and off the ice

Devon Thompson was voted as captain in her fifth season with the Concordia Stingers. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Fifth-year forward named captain in final season with Stingers

During Devon Thompson’s first season on the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team in 2014-15, they beat the McGill Martlets for the first time in 44 regular-season games.

“That night, our team got together and [celebrated] because we won a regular-season game,” Thompson said. “Now it’s kind of changed, and we’re pissed off any time we lose a game like that.”

The Stingers finished the 2014-15 season with a 8-7-5 record, and a 6-12-2 record in the 2015-16 season. Fast forward a few years, Thompson is now in her fifth year with the Stingers, who won the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship in March.

“When I take a step back and look at it, it’s crazy how much we’ve grown,” Thompson said. “Being expected to win is great, and it is pressure, but [head coach Julie Chu] tells us, ‘Pressure is privilege.’”

Thompson had a career-high 15 points last season, helping the Stingers win the RSEQ championship. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

This season, the players voted Thompson as co-captain alongside goalie Katherine Purchase, but since goalies can’t wear the “C” on their jerseys, Thompson has it.

“It was honourable to be [named captain],” Thompson said. “There are a lot of good leaders on and off the ice, so to get that recognition from my teammates was pretty special.”

Chu describes Thompson as the “mamma bear” of the team. “Devon is a truly kind person that cares about the people around her,” she said. “That’s what she does in her leadership, she builds those relationships, checks in on people and obviously does a great job on the ice.”

Purchase is also a fifth-year player on the team, so her and Thompson started their Stingers journey together.

“People think that, because she’s a goalie, she sticks to herself, but she’s always had a really big voice in the locker room,” Thompson said. “For me, she’s the one player I’ve played five years with, so we definitely have a special relationship.”

Last season, Thompson finished with a career-high of six goals and nine assists, good enough for sixth-most points on the team. She played on a line with Claudia Dubois and Sophie Gagnon, who had 20 and 17 points respectively. Along with forward Audrey Belzile, Gagnon and Dubois are the assistant captains this season.

“That group of girls, they’ve been stand-out players every year they’ve been here,” Thompson said. “But also it’s a testament to them-they don’t take anything for granted, they work hard, and they’re the first people on the ice, and last ones off.”

The last two captains of the women’s hockey team, Tracy-Ann Lavigne and Marie-Joëlle Allard, were both drafted by Les Canadiennes de Montréal in the professional Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Thompson said she learned about hard work from each of them, and that they never took a day off.

Thompson added that Lavigne and Allard proved you don’t just have to be a good player to be a good captain, but you need to be a good person outside the rink. “If I could be half the captain they were, I would be pretty happy,” Thompson said.

Part of being a captain on a varsity team is having so many new student-athletes on the roster. The Stingers have 12 rookies from Québec, Ontario, the United States, and the Netherlands, so the leadership group will have to make sure the new players integrate well into the team.

Head coach Julie Chu described Thompson as the “mamma bear” of the team. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

With players from all over the world, there isn’t just one language spoken in the dressing room. Thompson said some of the French-speaking players tend to be a bit more shy speaking English, but she tries to be a vocal leader so they feel more comfortable. “If you speak the language, you’re going to pick it up eventually,” the psychology student said.

Thompson grew up in Châteauguay, in the South Shore, and hockey wasn’t the first sport she played. She started playing football because her brothers played, and wanted to compete with them. “My parents never really gave that gender excuse. Whatever my brother did, I could do,” Thompson said. “My brother played football, so I played too.”

The captain started playing hockey at eight years old, but still wanted to beat her brother Theo at it. When asked whether or not she’s better than him now, Thompson was sure of herself: “Oh yeah, definitely,” she said with a laugh.

Thompson also had hockey stars to look up to growing up, such as Marie-Philip Poulin, Catherine Ward and Caroline Ouellette, one of the Stingers’s assistant coaches.

“She’s intense, but brings poise. You know what to expect and she wants you to work hard,” Thompson said, who was in awe when she was first coached by Ouellette. “She doesn’t let you take a rest or have excuses. If you want to have [anyone’s] mentality, you would want her mentality.”    

The fifth-year forward isn’t too sure what she wants to do after her career with the Stingers is over, but said she enjoys coaching younger kids. “I’m just focused on this year and taking it all in, then worry about all that in April,” Thompson said.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

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Stingers rugby head back to RSEQ final with 17-0 win

The Stingers gave up less than 10 points for the fifth time this season. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Sherbrooke Vert et Or latest victim of undefeated season

The Concordia Stingers men’s rugby team remains perfect and is headed to the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) final after beating the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or 17-0 on Nov. 3 at the Concordia Stadium.

“We had a great season, but this win doesn’t mean anything yet,” said centre Charles Debove, who didn’t play in the game. “We need to stay humble about it and get ready for the finals.”

It was a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon as fans gathered to watch the semi-final. Although the Stingers hosted it at the Concordia Stadium, it almost felt like it was a home game for the Vert et Or, as there were probably more Sherbrooke fans in attendance than Stingers fans.

The Stingers will host the Bishop’s Gaiters in the RSEQ final. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Within the first minute of the game, the Vert et Or had a great chance to strike first. Sherbrooke’s Clément Tisnerat, awarded rookie of the year, blocked a Stingers kick, and tired to recover the bouncing ball and return it for a try. Instead, he tapped the ball forward and the Stingers regained possession.

It was a defensive affair for most of the first half as the score remained 0-0 almost until the end, and neither defence gave up any ground. Finally, the Stingers got close to the try zone and capitalized. Eight-man Lucas Hotton was able to plow through several Sherbrooke defenders to take the seven-point lead.

It was quite the physical game and both teams jawed at each other. Both teams did a good job of securing the ball considering how cold and rainy it was. Concordia extended their lead to two possessions, making it 10-0 as Moritz Wittmann kicked a drop goal early in the second half. During the later part of the game, it started to sloppy, as both teams seemed to be quite tired, letting scoring chances slip right through their fingers.

Every time Sherbrooke marched down the field, the Stingers defense tightened up and came up with a big play—they simply would not allow the Vert et Or to score. This was representative of how their defence was all season long—they gave up less than 50 points in six regular-season games. Sherbrooke got frustrated at their inability to put points on the board, yelling at the ref and spiking the ball down.

The Stingers’s Malcolm Baird ended up getting another late try to win the game. The Stingers will play the Bishop’s Gaiters in the RSEQ final game next Saturday at Concordia at 2 p.m.  

Main photo by Gabe Chevalier.

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Stingers break goalless drought in 2-1 win over Carabins

Audrey Belzile broke the Stingers's goalless drought after nearly three hours of hockey. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Audrey Belzile scores team-leading second goal and adds assist

One week after losing 1-0 to the Université de Montréal Carabins, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team avenged the loss with a 2-1 win Friday night. Forward Audrey Belzile scored a goal and an assist in the win at the Ed Meagher Arena, and was named the first star of the game.

Audrey Belzile scored a goal and earned an assist in the win. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

“[Belzile] has been great for us all year,” said head coach Julie Chu. “She wants to win, she’s a great competitor, and loves the fact that she can take on the role [of a leader].”

Heading into the game, the Carabins were ranked as the top team in the country by U Sports, while the Stingers were third. Both teams played cautious hockey in the first period, knowing their opponent was able to pounce off any mistake. The Stingers had a relentless forecheck, pinning the Carabins in their zone for most of the period, but couldn’t force their opponents to make any errors.

“I thought our girls did a great job of having a great forecheck to energize our team,” Chu said. “Ultimately our forecheck is our defensive play because we didn’t have the puck […] We did a great job creating opportunities from that.”

Despite the Stingers’s strong play in the first period, the Carabins scored less than 30 seconds into the second period. Stingers defence Brigitte Laganière turned the puck over in front of Stingers’s goalie Alice Philbert, and the Carabins’s Jessica Cormier made her pay with the opening goal.

“You have to put it in the back of your mind,” said captain Devon Thompson. “We played a first good 20 minutes of the game, so the first 20 seconds of a [period] won’t change it.”

Before this game, the Stingers didn’t score a goal in nearly 140 minutes of play, since their opening game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees. They were also facing Carabins goalie Maude Trevisan, who hadn’t allowed a single goal in two games this season. The scoring drought ended after nearly three total hours of play when Belzile put the first goal past Trevisan.

All five regular-season games last season between the two teams were decided by a goal. This game was no different. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

“Honestly it felt good,” Thompson said about ending the goalless streak. “It had been a little while we hadn’t put one in the back of the net.”

Teams traded scoring chances throughout, with Trevisan keeping the Stingers from scoring most of the game. On the other end, Philbert made key saves when we needed her to, including a few diving stops, finishing the game with 28 saves.

“We’ve had to lean on her and she made some big saves in that third period,” Chu said. “There were times we just left people a little more wide open than we would like to.”

Midway through the third period, Belzile took advantage of a Carabins’s mistake in the neutral zone to break in on a two-on-one. She passed the puck over to rookie Maria Manarolis who just got the shot by Trevisan for the game-winning goal, and her first goal with the Stingers.

“What we’re happy about is that everyone contributed,” Chu said. “We build this [winning] culture and believe in everyone on this team, so when our opportunities come, we are ready.”

The Stingers now have a 2-2-0 record and host the Carleton Ravens on Nov. 4 at 3 p.m.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

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Stingers shutout 3-0 in second consecutive game

The McGill Martlets scored three times in the third period to beat the Stingers on Sunday. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

McGill Martlets win in Concordia home-opener

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team were blanked for the second consecutive game on Sunday, Oct. 28. The McGill Martlets scored three goals in the third period and spoiled the Stingers’s home opener at the Ed Meagher Arena.

Missed opportunities and a slow start in the third period were reasons for the 3-0 loss against the Martlets. The Stingers had many scoring chances, but were unable to capitalize on any of them. The Stingers finished the game with 26 shots on goal, while the Martlets had 28.

“I think we didn’t have that much jump in the beginning [of the third period],” said head coach Julie Chu. “We did have a good penalty killing, which helps, but we need to have that intensity and the urgency to want to win right off the bat. It’s once they scored that we had a really good push.”

The Stingers and Martlets will meet four more times this season. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Chu added that the team wasn’t consistent enough throughout the game.

“I think we had some flashes. We had a really good shift, and then had a couple of fine ones, but not great necessarily,” Chu said. “So we’ll need to find a way to create momentum and then sustain it and try to continue to build off of each other.”

Forward Audrey Belzile said the Stingers didn’t take advantage of their opportunities.

“We had many two-on-one, but often shot the puck next to the goal, or our sticks were not on the ice for rebounds,” Belzile said. “We didn’t take advantage of our chances, and McGill took advantage of theirs. I think it was equal on that aspect, but we’ll need to be more opportunisticnext time.”

Starting goalie Alice Philbert said they need to do a better job at coming out at the start of the game.

“We can’t wait after the first goal [to start playing],” Philbert said. “We have to capitalize on our chances and shoot more on the net to get good scoring chances.”

For the Martlets, Sidonie Chard and Marika Labrecque scored, while Frederique Gauthier closed the game with an empty-net goal.

The Stingers will play the Université de Montréal Carabins on Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. It will be the second game between both teams this season, after the Carabins won 1-0 on Oct. 26.

Main photo by Hannah Ewen.

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