Tag: RSEQ

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Stingers take home RSEQ championship

rseq championship
The Concordia Stingers women's hockey team won their first RSEQ title since 2005. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Women’s team dominates second half in 3-1 win over the Carabins

In their third and final match-up against the Université de Montréal Carabins on Sunday, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team dominated huge chunks of the second and third periods to claim the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship. Sophie Gagnon, Marie-Pascale Bernier and Claudia Dubois all scored for the Stingers in game three, as the team managed to once again hold off a late surge from the Carabins.

Head coach Julie Chu has won medals at Olympics, World Championships and the 4 Nations Tournament as a member of the United States national team. Now, she’ll add RSEQ champion to the list. This is her first banner as coach for the Stingers, and for her, this title is huge.

“This was about our team coming together as a family and executing in the end and doing a great job. That’s what happened today, and that’s what I’m proud of,” Chu said after the game.

The Stingers will return to nationals after finishing fourth last year. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team forced game three on Saturday after beating the Carabins 3-2 in game two.

Game three was scoreless after the first period of play. The Stingers and Carabins generated quality chances, but goalies Katherine Purchase of Concordia and Marie-Pier Chabot of the Carabins turned away every opportunity.

The Stingers shot chart. By Nicholas Di Giovanni

The Stingers’s first goal of the game came from Sophie Gagnon, who had been playing with high energy throughout the series and was rewarded when she planted herself in front of Chabot on the power play. Stingers forward Stéphanie Lalancette set up in her usual power-play position, just inside the face-off circle, and tee’d off a slap shot. Chabot made the initial save, but Gagnon managed to bang home the rebound.

In game one of the series, the Stingers were unable to generate those types of quality chances and let the Carabins dictate the pace of the game. In games two and three, the team used their speed to control the puck up high in the offensive zone. That’s where the Stingers were able to begin their attacks, and it’s part of the reason they won the title.

“What [the team] does every single day to work and be committed to the process, that’s why we’re successful right now,” Chu said.

The Carabins came into this game as the superior physical team, and had previously used their size to outmuscle the Stingers.

Late in the second period, the Carabins responded with a goal of their own. A rebound from Purchase turned into a scramble, and the Stingers goalie was unable to track the puck before Marie-Pier Dubé jammed it into the net. The game remained tied going into the third period.

Coming out of the gate hot was a big talking point for the coaches and players after the two previous games. Only 53 seconds into the third period, the Stingers delivered. Audrey Belzile forced a turnover in the neutral zone for a two-on-one break with linemate Marie-Pascale Bernier. Belzile slid the puck over to Bernier, who appeared to fan on the shot, but got enough on it to slide it past a sprawling Chabot.

Two minutes later, it was Claudia Dubois who added the third goal for the Stingers. Dubois forechecked the Carabins defenders hard, won the puck from the corner and brought it behind the net. She made a quick turn for the wraparound, and just waited for Chabot to open her pads up before firing the puck five-hole.

After that, the Carabins brought the attack. They pulled Chabot with two minutes left in the game. Belzile took a penalty at the same time to give the Carabins a six-on-four player advantage. The Stingers penalty kill went to work, throwing themselves in front on everything.

Time wound down, and the Stingers cleared the bench to celebrate their first RSEQ title since 2005. Friends and family of the team joined them on the ice as Concordia Athletics Director D’Arcy Ryan presented them with their medals.

Standouts from the game include Purchase, Chabot and Stingers forward Keriann Schofield, who turned in an impressive performance of drawing penalties and being a general disturbance for the Carabins.

The Stingers will now get set for the National Championships, to be hosted by Western University in two weeks. According to Chu, the team will get Monday off, but they will be back on the ice on Tuesday to prepare.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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Stingers stumble in game one of RSEQ final

Stéphanie Lalancette said the Carabins play a physical game. Photo by Matthew Coyte.

Stéphanie Lalancette scored two points in overtime loss to Carabins

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team fell to the Université de Montréal Carabins 3-2 in overtime in game one of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) final. Forwards Claudia Dubois and Stéphanie Lalancette each scored a goal for the Stingers. This loss comes after the Stingers defeated the Ottawa Gee-Gees in three games in the first round.

The Carabins and Stingers were the top two teams in the RSEQ division all season, finishing first and second respectively.

The Stingers are slow starters, and this game was no different. They started the game on their heels, almost overwhelmed by the energy of the Carabins, who were playing in front of a packed CEPSUM Arena.

“The first 10 minutes, we didn’t play well,” said head coach Julie Chu. “Montréal outplayed us. We didn’t have the intensity. It looked like we were nervous, which was not something that we expected.”

Later in the first, the Stingers had a power play, and the team had the opportunity to apply some pressure of their own after a rough start. On the first face-off in the Carabins’s zone, the Stingers won the face-off back to their defence, who mishandled the puck before sending an attempted shot off the shinpads of Laurie Mercier from the Carabins. With the puck, Mercier took off past the defence, and went on a breakaway against rookie goaltender Alice Philbert. Mercier faked the forehand shot, went to her backhand and roofed the puck over a sprawling Philbert for the short-handed tally.

The Carabins spent most of the game in the Stingers’s zone. Photo by Matthew Coyte.

The Carabins maintained pressure for the majority of the first period. It wasn’t until near the end of the first that Concordia managed to get any sort of momentum rolling.

The Stingers started the third period on the power play, and 30 seconds into the period, Dubois, who led the team in scoring during the regular season, scored to tie the game 1-1 off a rebound from a Lalancette one-timer.

The move of the night came in the third period from the Carabins’s Marie-Pier Dubé, who took a cross-ice pass, crossed the Stingers’s blueline, toe dragged around both defenders and somehow managed to poke the puck past Philbert to give Montréal a 2-1 lead.

Once again forced to play from behind, the Stingers responded five minutes later. Lalancette took a stretch pass along the right side of the ice and found herself in a one-on-one against the Carabins defender. She moved to the middle of the ice, gripped it and ripped her wrist shot over the glove of the Carabins goalie.

Even with the tying goal, Lalancette said her team didn’t do enough to generate chances.

“We didn’t keep control of the puck,” she said. “We were missing those offensive chances to attack the net.”

After three periods of play, the game was tied at two-a-piece and headed to overtime.

Every meeting between the Stingers and Carabins this season has gone to extra time. The Stingers won the first three meetings, and the Carabins won the last two regular-season games.

“In overtime against them, we know that it’s not going to be easy,” Lalancette said.

The overtime period didn’t quite go the way the Stingers had probably planned. They were barely able to leave their own zone, commiting a number of turnovers that led to quality chances, and forced them to play on the defensive. During that pressure, Carabins forward Alexandra Labelle fired the puck just over the blocker of Philbert for the win.

The result was disappointing for the Stingers, but not unsurprising according to Chu, who simply said the team didn’t play their best hockey.

“We’re [two teams] that are really well matched.” Chu said. “There’s a lot of great hockey ahead, and it’s going to come down to that little bit of extra effort that the teams are going to give.”

Lalancette said the Stingers need to use their speed for game two in the best-of-three series.

“Next game, we’re going to have to come out of the gate and attack them better,” Lalancette said. “They’re a big team; they like to play physical.”

Game two of the final will take place at the Ed Meagher Arena at Concordia’s Loyola campus on Saturday, March 3 at 3 p.m.

Main photo by Matthew Coyte.

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Stingers advance to first basketball final since 2012

The Stingers will now play in their first RSEQ final in six years on Saturday at McGill. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Home-court advantage helps Concordia beat Laval Rouge et Or, 72-63

With the help of a raucous home crowd, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team kept their championship hopes alive by beating the Laval Rouge et Or in the semi-final of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) playoffs with a score of 72-63 on Feb. 28.

The Stingers won their last three regular season games to finish with a record of 11-5, which was good enough to secure second place in the RSEQ, giving them home-court advantage against the Rouge et Or to open up the playoffs. The Stingers beat Laval just four days earlier in an exciting regular-season final, and it seems this momentum carried over to the playoffs.

“I’m very proud of how we stayed composed, focused, disciplined and executed down the stretch,” said head coach Rastko Popovic after the win. “We got the stops when it mattered.”

The Stingers were dominant in the first half, using fluid passing to find open outside shooters, and protecting the rim from any Laval attacker. With five minutes left in the second quarter, Stingers guard Ricardo Monge hit a three-point shot to put Concordia up 16 points, but by the time the buzzer sounded at half, Laval was only down by eight points. The Stingers led 38-30 after two quarters.

Stingers guard Jonathan Koud scored 10 points in the RSEQ semi-final win against the Laval Rouge et Or. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

The Rouge et Or came out with a ton of energy to open the second half, and their fans who made the trip from Québec City to Concordia were becoming increasingly loud as they continued to chip away at the lead. Laval forward Alexandre Leclerc opened up the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, giving the Rouge et Or their first lead of the game, at 55-54.

Concordia remained calm and weathered the storm. With eight minutes left in the game, Monge came up with a steal and then hit shots on back-to-back possessions to give Concordia a lead again. The Stingers defended well enough in the fourth to allow only 11 points, and they scored 18 points to secure the win.

Monge and guard Jonathan Koud, who were both honoured as second-team RSEQ all-stars in a ceremony prior to the game, were extremely impressive on the court. Monge looked noticeably composed throughout the game, despite the hectic environment and frequent momentum swings.

“I came in ready,” Monge said. “I came prepared to the game to do all I had to do to perform.” The fourth-year player finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists to go along with a steal and a block.

Koud struck fear into the hearts of Laval defenders with his quick drives off the dribble, and was effective at creating chances both inside and outside. He finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

Stingers centre Olivier Simon also played well, as Laval had no answer for him close to the basket in the paint. He displayed a wide variety of post moves and finished with a soft touch, scoring 17 points. Simon had a 70 per cent field goal percentage and made all three of his free throws.

The Stingers will play the top-seeded McGill Redmen on Saturday, March 3 at McGill in the RSEQ final. It’s the first time the Stingers play in the final since 2012, when they won.

Simon stressed that having beaten McGill once this year, his team doesn’t fear their top ranking. “It’s war,” he said. “It’s a playoff game, anything can happen.”

Stingers forward Ken Beaulieu was also presented with an all-star honour. He was named to the first all-star team for the third time in his career. Concordia players Anthony Sanogo and Matthis Guerut both took home all-rookie honours.

Main photo by Kirubel Mehari.

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Stingers set to tip off RSEQ playoffs

The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team will face the Laval Rouge et Or in the RSEQ semi-final. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Head coach Rastko Popovic says team needs to forget about past semi-final losses

Any university basketball fan knows the end of February means the start of playoffs. After a long regular season, the best teams battle across the country to determine who will win their conference championship. For an eighth-straight season, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team will compete in the playoffs.

“It’s going to be fun, and we are excited to get to this time of the year,” said head coach Rastko Popovic. “We are looking forward to the challenge.”

The Stingers will host the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) semi-final against the Université Laval Rouge et Or on Feb. 28. The Stingers went 2-2 against the Rouge et Or this season. They lost the first game, 83-66, on Nov. 12 in Quebec City, then lost the second game at home on Jan. 25, before winning the third game two days later on the road, 84-61. On Feb. 24, the Stingers beat the Rouge et Or, 71-59, in their final regular-season game before the playoffs.

“We kind of adjusted what we wanted to do defensively [after] the first game,” Popovic said. “We have to force them to do things they don’t like. They’re not a great shooting team, and we’ve done a good job this year at mixing up some defences versus them.”

The Rouge et Or have three of the top scorers in the RSEQ with Frantson Démosthène, Joël Muamba and Alexandre Leclerc. Popovic said Démosthène scores a lot in the paint, Muamba’s speciality is mid-range shots, while Leclerc could score from three-point range.

The Stingers will eventually have to beat McGill if they want to win the championship. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

“You’re not going to fully stop them because they could put the ball in the basket,” Popovic said. “For us, it’s important to make sure we don’t give Leclerc any open threes, or don’t give Démosthène any offensive rebounds and second-chance points.” The head coach added that limiting those players’ scoring chances is easier said than done.

As for the Stingers, they will need to rely on their veterans to provide offensive scoring. Fifth-year forward Ken Beaulieu, third-year centre Schneiders Suffrard and fourth-year guard Ricardo Monge led the Stingers in scoring this season.

Popovic said Monge, the team’s captain, has consistently worked hard for most of the year. “He does [well] on both ends of the floor every night,” Popovic said. “He often has to guard the best [player] on the other team.”

Popovic added that Beaulieu had a strong second half of the season, improving his rebounding. “We’re going to need Ken to do all the little things to help us win.”

Beaulieu, Monge and Suffrard are the only players on the team who experienced the Stingers’s two semi-final losses in the past two seasons.

In the 2015-16 season, Popovic’s first as head coach, the Stingers had a 10-6 record but lost to the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins, who had a 7-9 record, in the first round. Last season, the Stingers once again had a better record than the Citadins but lost in the do-or-die game.

“Hopefully they’ve learned from those situations,” Popovic said about his team. “Sometimes, you have to go through those situations to learn what’s necessary to win.”

However, Popovic said he will need his players to focus on playing the game against the Rouge et Or, and forget about the past.

“The team that makes the least mistakes is going to win the game,” Popovic said. “We have to follow our game plan and really understand what’s necessary to beat Laval.”

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

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Stingers rally to win final regular-season game in double overtime

Stingers forward Sophie Gagnon (right) had a goal and an assist in the game. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

Sophie Gagnon scores winner ahead of playoff clash versus Gee-Gees

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team beat the Ottawa Gee-Gees 3-2 on Feb. 18. Forward Sophie Gagnon scored the double overtime winning goal to close out the regular season at the Ed Meagher Arena.

The first period woes for the Stingers continued on Sunday afternoon. Ottawa’s Sara Lachance scored the opening goal just six minutes into the game, and a slow pace led to another Gee-Gees goal late in the period by Julie Levesque. The Gee-Gees finished the first period up 2-0.

“Our effort at the drop of the puck has to be a lot better,” said Stingers head coach Julie Chu. “That’s something we’ve had to work on throughout the season. It’s time for our players to step up and start faster than they have. They learned a valuable lesson today.”

As the Stingers have done multiple times this season, they picked up the pace in the second period. Forward Audrey Belzile found the net after a pass from forward Marie-Pascale Bernier to get the Stingers on the board. This was Belzile’s team-leading 11th goal of the season, and she finished the regular season with 18 points. The Stingers held the Gee-Gees to a mere four shots all period.

Concordia dominated the third period, but could only manage one goal by forward Claudia Dubois, assisted by Brigitte Laganière, halfway through the period. Once again, the Gee-Gees only managed four shots on net, while the Stingers took 18. Despite outshooting the Gee-Gees 39-18, the game headed to double overtime.

The first frame of four-on-four overtime was not enough to break the tie, so the game needed a second frame of three-on-three overtime. With plenty of room available, Gagnon used her speed to get up the ice and found an opening to seal the win for the Stingers.

Fifth-year forwards Alexandria D’Onofrio and Keriann Schofield (middle) played their final regular-season game with Concordia. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

Following the game, six Stingers seniors were honoured as their Concordia hockey careers come to an end this season. Forwards Alexandria D’Onofrio and Keriann Schofield, defencemen Audrey-Anne Allard, Marie-Joëlle Allard and Caroll-Ann Gagné, and goalie Frédérike Berger-Lebel were among those presented with flowers and framed photos.

Concordia finished the season with a 14-4-2 record, in second place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). The Stingers will play the Ottawa Gee-Gees in a best-of-three semi-final series.

Coach Chu said she does not plan to take anything for granted in the series. “This game was down to the wire, and it’s going to be a great series. It’s going to be a battle, and we have to be able to handle the pressure.”

Game one of the series will be at the Ed Meagher Arena on Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Game two will be in Ottawa on Feb. 24, and game three, if necessary, will be back at Concordia on Feb. 25.

Main photo by Sandra Hercegova.

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Setting up goals from anywhere

Even though Audrey Belzile leads the Stingers in goals, it has been Stéphanie Lalancette (pictured) feeding her passes. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Second-year forward Stéphanie Lalancette is near the top of the league in assists

In a women’s hockey game against the Carleton Ravens on Feb. 4, Concordia Stingers forward Stéphanie Lalancette earned an assist while sitting on the bench.

Midway through the second period, Lalancette carried the puck into the offensive zone before running out of room in front of a Ravens defender. She dropped the puck to her linemate, Audrey Belzile, then headed to the bench for a line change. As Lalancette got off the ice, Belzile circled around and scored a top-shelf goal.

A point from the bench for Lalancette on a Belzile goal. That’s the type of season Lalancette is having: one filled with assists. Belzile scored four goals in that game, and Lalancette assisted on three of them.

It’s clear that Stéphanie Lalancette and Audrey Belzile also have a good relationship off the ice. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“I think [I am] more of a passer,” Lalancette said. “I like the feeling of being able to pass and [help] my teammates score.”

Lalancette is tied for the third-most assists in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), with nine total. Five of those assists were on goals by Belzile, and the other four were by the other player on her line, Lidia Fillion.

Even though Lalancette is the passer on that line, she scores goals too.

“I bring a lot of energy, and I could change a game in just one shift,” Lalancette said. “I bring a lot of scoring chances in just one shift.”

Head coach Julie Chu said Lalancette is always giving her full effort, be it at practice or in games.

“If you ever come to our practice and watch Steph, even on a simple warm-up drill, the way she’s ready and explodes on that drill, you don’t see that all the time,” Chu said. “Because she has that mentality of getting better, working and making the most out of every moment, that’s why it’s translating to the games and why she’s such a dominant player for us.”

Stéphanie Lalancette scored her first two goals of the season against the McGill Martlets on Oct. 21. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

In her rookie season last year, Lalancette scored six goals and added 10 assists. This season, she already has seven goals to go along with her nine assists in 17 games.

Belzile said she enjoys being on a line with her playmaking teammate. “I like her speed. She sees me well, and I see her well,” Belzile said. “We have good chemistry, and we just fit together.”

Although Lalancette is feeding Belzile goals with the Stingers, the pair played on rival teams in CEGEP. Lalancette played for the Limoilou Titans, and Belzile played for the St-Laurent Patriotes, two of the top teams in college hockey. “Before we were enemies, but now we’re really good friends,” Belzile said.

In the 2014-15 season, Limoilou beat St-Laurent in the final, and the year after, Limoilou eliminated St-Laurent in the semi-final en route to winning the RSEQ championship. Lalancette said that championship experience helped her bring a winning mentality to the Stingers.

She played with many current Stingers at Limoilou, including forwards Claudia Dubois and Marie-Pascale Bernier, and defencemen Claudia Fortin, Audrey-Anne Allard and Aurélie Hubert. Lalancette said playing with her CEGEP teammates at Concordia is a fun experience.

“We knew each other, so it helped us in our everyday life and on the ice too,” Lalancette said.

In her rookie season last year with the Stingers, Lalancette continued her winning streak. Despite finishing the season with a 10-9-1 record, the Stingers upset the Université de Montréal Carabins in the first round of the playoffs, and secured a spot at nationals, where they finished in fourth place.

“It was a great feeling,” Lalancette said about their trip to nationals last March in Napanee, Ont. “As a first-year, you never [expect] that.” On the subject of what the team’s goals are for this season, Lalancette asserted: “We expect to win. We want to win the playoffs of the RSEQ, and go to the nationals and really have a winning mentality.”

Stéphanie Lalancette battles a McGill Martlet during a game on Feb. 10. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Even though Lalancette has up to three more seasons left with the Stingers after this one, she doesn’t stop thinking about her future in professional hockey. She said her goal is to play for Les Canadiennes de Montréal, but needs to focus on school in order to get a job outside of hockey. She’s currently studying leisure sciences.

Lalancette said she’s studying leisure sciences because that’s what she enjoys in school, and it helps her on the rink too. “I can bring a lot of stuff on the ice. I like being around people and just helping as much as I can.”

Through two seasons playing with the Stingers and studying at Concordia, Lalancette knows the challenges of being a student-athlete.

“It’s a lot of work,” she said. “You need to be on time for everything; you can’t be late; you need to prepare yourself for every week and just be sure you’re ready on the ice and you’re ready to study too.”

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

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Stingers split basketball doubleheader against McGill

Stingers guard Caroline Task attempts to make a shot against the McGill Martlets on Feb. 10. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Women’s team breaks eight-game losing streak, while the men drop the ball

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team clinched a tight win to break an eight-game losing streak, while the men’s team failed to keep up in the basketball doubleheader against McGill on Feb. 10. The women won 67-62, and the men lost 86-63.

Women’s Game

After finishing the first quarter leading 14-11, the Stingers kept their lead for most of the game. The team held on against a tenacious Martlets squad that nipped at their heels until the final buzzer, including a 25-point fourth quarter.

The first quarter was a good team effort for both sides in terms of scoring. In the second, however, Stingers guard Caroline Task claimed the lead for the Stingers, putting up 10 points. McGill only managed to sink eight points in response to Concordia’s 20 by the end of the second quarter, making the score 34-19 for the Stingers at halftime.

The Stingers extended their lead to 53-37 in the third quarter with Task putting up seven points and guard Sabrina Stambouli scoring six.

In the final quarter, the Martlets tried to stage a late comeback, with Alex Kiss-Rusk scoring eight out of the 25 points McGill claimed in the fourth. Stingers guard Jazlin Barker and forward Coralie Dumont carried Concordia over the finish line, scoring seven points a piece in the fourth to help the hosts secure their victory.

Concordia’s #7 Garry Merisier goes for a dunk against the McGill Redmen. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Men’s Game

McGill took an early lead in the first quarter with all five starting players getting at least two points, and three of them scoring four or more. Forward Francois Bourque scored six for the Redmen.

Stingers guard Jonathan Koud lead Concordia in scoring in the first quarter, putting up nine points to help keep the score close. The high-scoring first quarter ended 27-21 in favour of McGill.

The Redmen extended their lead in the second, with guards Alex Paquin and Dele Ogundokun scoring eight and seven points, respectively. Stingers forward Schneiders Suffrard scored seven points in the second quarter, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback, as the Redmen led 53-39 at halftime.

Scoring was more even in the third quarter with Concordia scoring 14 points and McGill scoring 13, but the Redmen still had a 66-53 lead.

Concordia ran out of steam in the fourth quarter, only managing to put up 10 points against McGill’s 20. Veteran forward Ken Beaulieu only managed to put up two points for the Stingers in the fourth quarter.

The women’s team improved to a 4-9 record, while the men’s team remains in second place in the division with an 8-5 record. The next game for both teams is on Feb. 15 away against the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins.

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Preparing for the season months in advance

The Stingers men’s team beat the RSEQ champions, Montréal Carabins, 2-1 on Feb. 4. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

What the Stingers soccer coaches are looking for during the winter season

After playing in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) fall season, the Concordia Stingers soccer teams returned to the pitch for the winter season. The teams use the winter season for training, and even though they play seven games against teams in their league, results aren’t a priority for head coaches Jorge Sanchez and Greg Sutton. The Concordian talked to each coach about how they use the winter season to prepare their team for the fall.

Women’s team

The women’s team missed the playoffs by two points in the fall season, finishing in sixth place out of eight teams with a 3-7-4 record. Head coach Jorge Sanchez has the luxury of keeping almost his entire team intact for next season, as only graduating midfielder Alice Grandpierre is certain to leave the team.

“We have a good core of players, so it’s about figuring out who’s good in the system,” Sanchez said. “Towards the end of the season, we discovered how we wanted to play, and we discovered certain tactical changes that worked. […] So it’s just reinforcing it and getting players comfortable with it.”

Madeleine McKenzie prepares to throw the ball in during a game on Feb. 4. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Sanchez noted that, even though the winter season is used to prepare for the fall season, he still wants his players to focus on staying competitive by winning.

“Part of the culture at this level is being part of a winning team, and you want to do that by winning games,” he said.

Despite frigid temperatures and a constant reminder that it’s not typical soccer weather outside, Sanchez said players know they need to commit to the Stingers in the winter as much as they do in the fall season.

“When we recruit them, we tell them if they come to Concordia, they will be playing soccer for an entire school year,” Sanchez said. “It’s not an off-season. It’s not a recreational time.”

Men’s team

The men’s team finished in sixth place out of seven teams in the RSEQ with a 3-8-1 record. In November, Sutton told The Concordian the season was marred by injuries, and there wasn’t enough experience on the team to replace the injured players.

In the winter league, he’s looking to play some younger players and players who didn’t compete as much during the fall season.

“We use [the winter season] as a testing ground for some of the guys who didn’t get to play in the fall, to see how they’re growing,” Sutton said. “And for our guys who played a regular role in the fall season, they need to continue to improve.”

During the team’s first three winter games, Sutton said forwards Simon Malaborsa, who led the team in scoring last fall with six goals in 12 matches, and Peter Campbell, who had two goals, have impressed him the most.

“When you have guys who come from the fall and they had a good season, you expect them to do that in the winter, and those two guys have done that,” Sutton said.

The Stingers also have two players on their winter team who didn’t play in the fall. According to Sutton, twins Andres and Martin Lopez had to sit out the season after transferring from the United States, but they will be playing next fall.

“Those two have a great ability on the ball,” Sutton said. “Now, we just need to make them understand what it takes to be successful in our league and the physicality they need to come with.”

So far this season, the men have a 3-0 record, and the women are 2-1. Their next games are on Feb. 11 at the Stingers Dome against McGill.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad. Video by Matthew Coyte and Antoine Heuillard.

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Stingers win fifth-straight game over Gee-Gees

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 drop doubleheader at home against McGill

Concordia Stingers guard Ken Beaulieu dunks against the McGill Redmen on Jan. 11. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Women lose halftime lead, while men fall short in tight game

The new year has yet to be good to Concordia’s basketball teams, as the Stingers lost both games in their doubleheader at home against McGill on Jan. 11.

Women’s game

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team lost to the McGill Martlets by a score of 70-55. The game was tight in the first half, going back and forth with not much ground given on either side. Concordia went into halftime leading 34-31.

In the second half, the Martlets erased the deficit and slowly built up their lead. When asked about the most prominent factor in losing this game, head coach Tenicha Gittens was critical of her team’s rebounding effort. “We have to be better on the boards,” she said, adding that they have to “find a body and box out.”

The Martlets won the game by out-hustling the Stingers on rebounds, especially at the offensive end, where they secured 19 offensive rebounds, many of which led to second-chance points. Gittens explained that, when her players don’t secure rebounds, it makes it tough for them to get in transition and use their speed, limiting most of their offensive talent.

Guard Aurelie d’Anjou Drouin led the team in scoring with 10 points coming off the bench, while guards Caroline Task and Sabrina Stambouli each scored nine points.

Forward Marvia Dean shoots a free-throw against the McGill Martlets on Jan. 11. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Men’s game

The men’s team played the second game of the doubleheader, and again weren’t able to stop McGill, as they lost to the Redmen by a score of 88-81.

The game was back and forth to say the least, with eight lead changes and four ties throughout. The Stingers looked best in the first half when, at one point, they were leading by 13 points. Eventually, McGill began to pressure the Stingers in Concordia’s half of the court, hoping to create turnovers and close the gap. The plan worked. Soon enough, Concordia’s lead was gone, and they were instead playing catch-up.

Guard Ken Beaulieu made a valiant effort to help the Stingers complete a comeback, leading the team with 24 points—14 coming in the fourth quarter alone—and adding seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.

The Redmen were proficient in the paint, scoring 52 points within close range, compared to 38 from the Stingers. The abundance of high percentage shots and a couple of timely threes by guard Dele Ogundokun of the Redmen in the fourth were enough to put the nail in Concordia’s proverbial coffin.

Both Concordia Stingers basketball teams will get their shot at redemption against McGill. They play a doubleheader at McGill on Jan. 13, with the women playing at 4 p.m. and the men at 6 p.m.

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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 buzzing their way onto all-star teams

Frédérique Rajotte, in her final year as a Stingers, won RSEQ and U Sports MVP titles. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Rugby centre Frédérique Rajotte headlines award-winners as U Sports MVP

The fall season for Concordia Stingers varsity teams has come to an end, with multiple athletes being named all-stars. Rugby centre Frédérique Rajotte headlined the Stingers award-winners after being named the Most Valuable Player of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) and U Sports. The Concordian breaks down all the individual accolades won by Concordia’s athletes.

Women’s Rugby

Rajotte led the team with 15 tries this season. She was named to the RSEQ’s first all-star team, and U Sports’s first all-Canadian team. Joining her on the RSEQ first all-star team was second row Laetitia Royer, who was also named to the second all-Canadian team.

Five Stingers made the RSEQ’s second all-star team: prop Emilie Bélanger, centre Alex Tessier, winger Olyvia Faille, flanker Geneviève Kasa-Vubu and hooker Melissa Wood.

Despite the players’ individual accomplishments, the Stingers went 4-3 during the regular season. They then lost in the RSEQ semi-final against the Laval Rouge et Or.

Men’s Rugby

The men’s rugby team went undefeated in the regular season and playoffs before winning the RSEQ championship by a score of 35-7 against the ETS Piranhas on Nov. 12.

Centre Charles Debove finished fifth in the RSEQ in scoring with nine tries, but nonetheless earned the conference’s MVP honours. He also made the RSEQ’s first all-star team, alongside seven other Stingers.

Centre Samuel Montminy, fly-half Moritz Wittmann, winger Jean-Christophe Vinette, second row Jackson Marquardt, fly-half Jonathan Banks, and back rows Andreas Krawczyk and Lucas Hotton all made the first all-star team.

The second all-star team included five Stingers: prop Nicolas Krawczyk, back row Malcolm Baird, scrum-half Sebastian Iaricci, winger Julien Mac Kay Cantin and hooker Nicholas Smith.

Running back Jean-Guy Rimpel finished as the RSEQ’s leading rusher with 708 yards. Archive photo by Ana Hernandez.

Football

The league’s five coaches and the commissioner chose the RSEQ all-star football team. They unanimously voted Stingers running back Jean-Guy Rimpel onto the team. He finished the season as the league’s leading rusher, with 708 yards. (In comparison, the player with the second-most rushing yards had 348.) Rimpel also scored six touchdowns.

Cornerback Khadeem Pierre earned the title of RSEQ Defensive Rookie of the Year, and was named to the all-star team. He had 19 total tackles this season, adding three interceptions and one forced fumble.

Offensive lineman Maurice Simba and linebacker Mickaël Côté joined Rimpel and Pierre on the all-star team.

Quarterback Trenton Miller led the RSEQ in passing yards per game, with 297, despite playing only four games. He also threw the third-most touchdowns in the league, with six. Receiver Jarryd Taylor finished second in the RSEQ for receiving yards, with 574 in seven games. Both Miller and Taylor were not included on the all-star team.

The Stingers went 3-4 during the regular season before losing in the semi-final against the Université de Montréal Carabins.

Soccer

Both soccer teams missed the playoffs, with the women’s team going 3-7-4, and the men’s team going 3-8-1. One athlete from each team made it onto their respective all-star teams.

Defender Olivier Georges was named a RSEQ all-star for the fourth time in his career, and made the second all-star team for the third time. Georges, who was the team’s captain, played in all 12 games this season.

Midfielder Chama Sedki led the women’s team with four goals and three assists, and was named to the second all-star team. This was the first time the second-year computer engineering student made the all-star team.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

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