Tag: RSEQ

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Jean-Guy Rimpel is simply trying to be the best

Jean-Guy Rimpel runs with the ball in a game against the McGill Redmen during the 2016 season. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Concordia Stingers running back has his mind set on just winning a championship

Jean-Guy Rimpel is not a running back many defensive players enjoy facing one-on-one. He bolts past, and often through, linemen, linebackers and defensive backs with ease.

Oftentimes, he can only be stopped when he is tripped up or when multiple players tackle him. Speed and strength are traits that rarely work cohesively, yet they allow him to be an explosive figure in the backfield of the Stingers offence. And that’s why Rimpel is one of the best running backs in U Sports.

“I’m a hard-worker. I can do everything; I can catch, I can block, I’m tall, I’m physical,” Rimpel said. “There aren’t a lot of running backs who can do everything.”

Rimpel led the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) in rushing yards last year with 514 yards and four touchdowns. Two years ago, in his rookie season, he finished fourth in rushing with 432 yards and five touchdowns. In his two seasons at Concordia, the Stingers have failed to make it past the conference semi-final, but Rimpel has his eyes set on the ultimate goal: a championship.

“I just want to win. I think back to those past two years—it’s pushed me to fight every game and just staying ready every game,” he said. “I know we have the potential to bring the Vanier Cup to Concordia.”

“I know we have the potential to bring the Vanier Cup to Concordia.”

This off-season Rimpel said he pushed himself to improve on his weaknesses.

“As a running back, I do make mistakes. I do drop balls, I do make the wrong reads sometimes, but I’m giving the hours to improve,” he said.

Like many others on the team, including head coach Mickey Donovan and quarterback Trenton Miller, Rimpel echoed what seems to be the team’s unofficial motto this year.

“We’re going to play week-by-week and reach our goals,” he said. “Every week, we’re at 0-0 whether we win or lose. We’re trying to take every team seriously. We’re hoping that this [mentality] can help take us to the end.”

Jean-Guy Rimpel carries the ball against the Laval Rouge et Or during the 2016 season. Archive photo by Ana Hernandez.

A former standout Division 1 all-star with the Collège Édouard-Montpetit Lynx, Rimpel has been proving he has the talent and drive to be a top player on the Stingers offence.

During the first game of the season, against the Université de Montréal Carabins, Rimpel put up 42 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns. However, the Stingers ended up losing that game 37-19.

“I think it was a really good game,” Rimpel said. “A really good start for the team, even though we lost. We came back against one of the best teams in the country, and that shows how competitive we are as a team.”

Rimpel and the Stingers bounced back with a 23-22 win in an away game against the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Aug. 31. Rimpel had 163 yards and 28 carries, and he scored a touchdown.

Rimpel is familiar with the pressures of being a student-athlete. But he said he had some help from one of his role models, his older brother.

“He really pushed me to succeed school-wise so that I could go play football in university,” said Rimpel, who is working towards a certificate in arts and science. “He was also a student-athlete, but he tore his ACL. He understands what it takes to have success.”

For Rimpel, the end goal doesn’t seem to be set in stone.

“Obviously if I get a shot to play in the CFL, I would give it everything,” he said. “But right now, I’m focused on getting my degree.”

Main photo credit: Brianna Thicke.

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A one-game-at-a-time mentality for the Stingers

The Concordia Stingers are a team full of veterans, and they will try to continue winning with a new head coach in 2018. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Head coach Mickey Donovan doesn’t want players looking too far ahead into the season

After finishing third in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) conference with a 4-4 record last year, the Concordia Stingers football team is looking to make the jump to the next level.

However, the team isn’t looking too far into the season.

“We’re taking it one day at a time, one game at a time,” said head coach Mickey Donovan. “This conference is too good to look ahead, and [too good] to have bigger goals than that. My approach is taking it week by week and taking care of business when we have to.”

Starting quarterback Trenton Miller agreed with his coach’s approach to the season. “We don’t have any expectations this year for the team,” he said. “The mentality this year is that we are playing for each other, and we have everyone’s back no matter what.”

“The mentality this year is that we are playing for each other, and we have everyone’s back no matter what.” – Trenton Miller

Heading into his fourth season as head coach, Donovan is looking for difference-makers to step up, be leaders and take command of the field.

“We’re creating better depth and better competition out there on the field,” he said. “Guys are understanding that because they’ve been with us for three or four years.”

That depth is being bolstered by a string of new recruits, led by defensive back Jersey Henry from Vanier College, who Donovan mentioned caught his eye.

Quaysie Gordon-Maule carries the ball on a kick return against the UdeM Carabins. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Statistically, the Stingers were an average team last year, finishing in the middle of the pack in most categories. The team also allowed the second most points in the RSEQ last season. They will need their defence to be a lot stronger if they want to beat the two teams that finished above them last year, the Université de Montréal Carabins and the Laval Rouge et Or.

On the flip side, the offence, led by Miller, finished first in the conference last season in passing yards, with 2,403 yards, an average of 7.4 yards per throw.

The Stingers rush game last season relied heavily on running back Jean-Guy Rimpel, who ran his way to 514 yards, along with four touchdowns. Rimpel led the RSEQ in rushing yards, nearly 100 yards more than the next leading rusher. Miller also picked up yards by running, with 116 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

This season should see the same results, with Rimpel leading the charge on the ground. Miller said he’s looking at the offensive line and running backs to play well this year.

“They have worked really hard, and I think people will see that,” he said. “This team has prepared well and is ready for the season.”

“But honestly, we don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Miller added. “Talk is cheap — it’s time to prove it. Hype was our worst enemy last year. This year, we are embracing the grind, and we are ready to show it.”

The Concordia Stingers opened their RSEQ season with a home loss against the Université de Montréal Carabins by a score of 37-19. They play again on Friday, Aug. 31, in an away game against the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or.

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Defense wins football games

The Stingers have improved their record to 2-2 this season. Photos by Ana Hernandez

The Concordia Stingers defeated the St-Francis Xavier X-Men at home on Saturday

A last-second defensive stand by the Concordia Stingers defense allowed the team to pick up a 17-11 victory against the St-Francis Xavier University X-Men on Sept. 24 during homecoming at Concordia Stadium.

“We had a good pre-game scouting report from our defensive-coordinator Patrick Donovan,” Stingers defensive end Andrew Barlett said. “We had a great week of practice. Everyone was fast to tune in and make the plays that they needed to. Big time players made big time plays.”

The Stingers came out of the gate fast, taking a 9-0 lead just five minutes in, after a touchdown by Stingers wide receiver James Tyrell and an X-Men safety.

The X-Men would end up finding their groove later into the first half, eventually taking an 11-10 lead deep into the second quarter. The Stingers came back with a field goal by kicker Andrew Stevens, and added a point from a missed field goal to take a 14-11 lead going into halftime.

In the first half, the Stingers only generated 186 yards of total offense. Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan, said the offense needs to get better and it has been struggling for the last few games.

“It’s been the same story for four weeks,” Donovan said. “Offensively we can move the ball, but we get into that red zone and it’s done. We’re not finishing when we need to finish. I feel like a broken record because we’re not getting the problem solved.”

In the second half, the Stingers opened with a field goal to bring the score to 17-11 and relied on their defense to hold the lead for the rest of the game.

The X-Men were unable to get deep into the Stingers zone and were kept to 353 yards of total offense. During the X-Men’s final possession, the team was finally able to chip away at the Stingers defense, and with four seconds left on the clock, the X-Men had one last play to steal the win from the Stingers.

Concordia will take on the Bishop’s Gaiters in their next match.

X-Men quarterback Tivon Cook threw the ball into the end zone but it was batted down by a Stingers cornerback.

“You’ve got to think about personal pride and the teammate standing next to you,” Barlett said about the team’s calm demeanor during the final moments. “You’ve got to look to the sideline to see your brothers who have fought hard all game. You have to go as hard as you’ve ever gone in a game.”

Despite being disappointed in his team’s performance, Donovan was happy that his team picked up the win and brought their record up to 2-2.

“We got to get some momentum going our way,” Donovan said. “With a win, that’s one positive we can take with us. We need to get better, watch the film and fix the mistakes that we keep continuously making.”

The Stingers next game will be against the Bishop’s Gaiters in the Shrine Bowl at home on Oct. 1.

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Reflection time with Kaylah Barrett

The Concordian: You obviously had a great season, but you were also nursing some injuries. Tell us about that.  

Kaylah Barrett had an outstanding season, scoring a career high in points and taking home conference MVP. Photo by Josh Schaefer

Kaylah Barrett: It started out with my back and it just floated around throughout the season. I couldn’t really do anything because we were playing. I just had therapy sessions and kind of went along with it and hoped after the season I could rest. Then my fingers were getting jammed, and it was just a consistent thing, but it was nothing that stopped me from playing. I had therapy for most of the year and continued to play. It’s just a mental thing for me. Pain is just something you got to suck up. It’s all in your head. You just play through the game and after you can worry about bumps and bruises, and crying and whatever else that happens.

 You missed the last game of the regular season. Was that because of your injuries?

KB: Pretty much. There was no point in going into the playoffs injured. We already knew the deciding rankings for what was going on. It was okay to sit out for that one game.

 How much did you take away from the team’s eight losses this season? 

KB: We’ve had a lot of big ones. A couple of upsets. Us and McGill are rivals. The two wins and two losses against them were really rough for us. Also, they had the deciding game for the finals so it was hard. We just have to learn from our experiences and next year hopefully we get new recruits and build a stronger chemistry on the team and we’ll be able to go, hopefully, 16-0.

Does it hurt more when you lose to McGill? 

KB: It does. Especially in their gym. They have such a big fan base. When they’re here, they feel it. We got our two wins [at home]. When we go to McGill, it’s always overwhelming for us.

 Last year, you were the RSEQ Rookie of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year. This year, you’re the MVP. Do you feel like you’ve done it all? 

KB: No. I still feel like I can go on. Last year, if you looked at my stats, I really didn’t shoot at all. Every year is an improvement for me. I hope to keep building.

 You’re one of the first Stingers in a long time to get these awards, let alone in a row. How does that feel? 

KB: It’s really overwhelming for me. It just kind of hit me, like oh my gosh, I have a record of something-something I can keep for myself.

 You just came back from Saskatchewan. You scored 34 points against Regina. What was it like playing such a big game on the road? 

KB: Those 34 points were not easy. It was really hard for us in the first quarter, but we tried our best. They’re the No. 1 ranked in the country, so we were obviously the underdogs. And it was tough on the road after all the travelling. It was kind of awkward. I had a couple of people yelling out my stats from Quebec. They were trying to throw me off, but it didn’t really work. The fan base was just like, “Who is that girl? She plays for Quebec. Playing the No. 1 team and she’s scoring like that.” They’re just kind of shocked that I did so well during that game.

 You’re like an unknown there.

KB: Yeah, exactly.

 A lot of students struggle to multitask. You take your team to provincial finals. How do you balance your time with the Stingers with your academics?

KB: In pre-season, it’s a lot harder than the regular season for us, because we travel much more often. Our coaches are very supportive; they’re very concerned with our schoolwork and they try to be involved as much as possible. They know our schedules, they know our deadlines.

Still, if you’re on the road, you have to make time to get your schoolwork done. How do you do that? 

KB: It’s really hard, but once you see everybody around you doing their studies, it’s motivation, like “Oh my God, I feel guilty; I need to start studying.” When we were travelling to Saskatchewan, in the airports—we had a lot of layovers. As soon as we sat down and someone pulled their books out, we were like “alright, let’s go.” Everybody pulled their books out. It’s a team thing. Everyone comes together and helps each other.

 What are your plans for the summer?

KB: I plan on going home for a month just to see my family and my friends for a bit. In June, I plan on coming back and working hard with some of my teammates. Our therapist will give us workouts to do over the summer. Our coaches will be here to help us out. Pretty much develop our game as a team, more chemistry, bring in the new recruits, so hopefully next year we can have a better season.

 So then it’s safe to say you’re definitely coming back and remaining a Stinger next year?

KB: [laughs] Yes!

What are your expectations for the next season? 

KB: I can only hope to exceed for next season. You’ve seen the talent that we have on our team. I feel like we can definitely go No. 1 in Quebec and possibly—no, definitely, make it to nationals. We’re definitely going to be a big threat next year.

We spoke about all of your awards. What are your personal goals? Where do you go from here? 

KB: I kind of want to follow in my brother’s footsteps. He plays over in Europe. I hope that when I’m done, I can go and play overseas, if it’s possible. I got to make the right connections and whatnot. Hopefully I can have a good four years of university so I can do that.

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Stingers head to Prairies for must-win game

After losing in the RSEQ finals to McGill on Friday night, the Concordia women’s basketball team finds itself down, but not out.

Kaylah Barrett led Concordia by Bishop's but the Stingers fell to McGill later in the week. Photo by Navneet Pall

Given the format of CIS women’s basketball, Concordia will have an opportunity to play in a four-team consolation tournament going on in Saskatoon from March 9 to 10. Whichever team wins the two-game, single-elimination tournament earns a seed at the national championships in Calgary.

Concordia will be facing the University of Regina on Friday night and if they win, they will face the winner of the other semi-final game, either Brock or the University of Saskatchewan, in the finals. Concordia will be in tough however, as Regina was the No. 1 ranked team in the country, but was upset in the Canada West final against UBC.

If the Stingers run the table in the tournament, they will head to nationals in Calgary beginning on March 17. A loss sends Concordia home to reflect on a season that was perfect after six games, before an injury-filled, tumultuous second half began to derail the team.

Much like the regular season, the RSEQ playoffs were a roller-coaster ride for the Stingers.

Beginning last Tuesday night, Concordia was facing Bishop’s at Concordia’s gym.

The Gaiters jumped out to an early 24-7 lead after the first quarter, silencing the home crowd, and filling the gym with an uneasy tension amongst the Stinger faithful. It looked as though Concordia would be playing its final game of the season.

Then “the Kaylah Barrett Show” began. The league’s MVP took the team on her shoulders and led the Stingers back into the game.

Barrett scored 10 of her game-high 21 points in the second quarter. She was also a menace on the glass, grabbing 11 rebounds in the game, six coming at the offensive end of the floor. Concordia outscored Bishop’s 20-7 in the frame and had retaken all the momentum and pulled to within three points at halftime.

Concordia would never look back. The Stingers amassed a nine-point lead by the end of the third quarter en route to the 65-53 victory.

Playing in the RSEQ finals on Friday in the home gym of crosstown rival McGill, it was a similar situation for Concordia. The Stingers once again found themselves down early, trailing 16-6 after the first quarter. Unlike against Bishop’s, though, the Stingers couldn’t make the same surge against the first-place Martlets.

Concordia went into halftime trailing by 14 and fell behind further in the third quarter. To the Stingers’ credit, they played hard until the very end, outscoring McGill 20-8 in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late as McGill won the game 56-49 to clinch its first RSEQ championship since 1996, and secure a berth in the national championships.

Kaylah Barrett again led Concordia in scoring with 24 points. Natasha Raposo came off the bench and scored 13 points in just 17 minutes on the court.

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Mighty Stingers looking to quash potential playoff upset

Concordia will face Laval in the opening round of the playoffs on Wednesday. Photo by Navneet Pall

Concordia wrapped up its season with two blowout wins on the weekend after falling out of the CIS top 10 for the first time since late November.

Concordia will face Laval in the opening round of the playoffs on Wednesday. Photo by Navneet Pall

The Stingers finished first in their conference with a 14-2 record, but suffered a loss to last place Bishop’s on Feb. 10, clearly weighing on the minds of those who vote for the top 10.

If Concordia is looking to send a message to the country, now is the time to do it. Feeling overlooked by the rest of the CIS, the Stingers will have a chance to prove themselves on a national stage—that is, if they can make it out of their conference.

The RSEQ playoffs begin Wednesday against Laval, with Concordia looking to return to the CIS national championship tournament for the second straight year.

Concordia has been dominant against the Quebec schools this year, but a streaking McGill team that seems to be peaking at the right time poses the greatest threat to the Stingers. Right now the teams seem to be on a collision course to meet in the RSEQ finals on Saturday.

However, with the RSEQ playoffs operating on a single-game elimination format, there is no room for error. Overlooking an opponent, like what happened a few weeks ago against Bishop’s, can send even the most talented teams home earlier than expected.

Concordia coach John Dore isn’t taking anything for granted. “At this stage it’s like starting a new season,” he said. “It’s basically a two-game season to see who makes it out of Quebec. I’m happy how we played to close out the season. We’ve approached things one game at a time all year and that’s not going to change.”

If Concordia were to make a return trip to nationals, it would certainly be an underdog in the tournament. Despite the intra-conference success, Concordia has yet to beat an out-of-conference opponent ranked in the CIS top 10. The road to a championship, barring a major upset, will also run through the Carleton Ravens, who completed their season with a perfect record.

Dore is refusing to look that far ahead though, saying his team’s focus is on Wednesday and nothing else.

This year’s playoffs will also be the final time guard Decee Krah and forward James Clark will step on a basketball court in Stingers uniforms. Both players are in their final year of eligibility and a championship would no doubt be the perfect way for them to end their tremendous collegiate careers.

The regular season is over. All of the practices, days at the gym and long bus rides amount to this. A series of do-or-die games for players to achieve the ultimate goal: winning the final game of the season.

And it all starts Wednesday.

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Playoffs a chance for Concordia to hit the refresh button

Kaylah Barrett battled injuries and still won RSEQ mvp. Photo by Navneet Pall

It was a tale of two seasons for the Concordia women’s basketball team. A 6-0 start was accompanied with a 2-8 finish, leaving the Stingers with an 8-8 record, and a second place finish in the RSEQ.

Kaylah Barrett battled injuries and still won RSEQ MVP. Photo by Navneet Pall

 

The second place finish means Concordia gets home court for at least the first round of the playoffs, a huge advantage seeing as  the  Stingers have not won a game on the road since a Jan. 20 victory in Ste-Foy against Laval. Likewise, Concordia will be facing the Bishop’s Gaiters who are 1-7 on the road this season but a solid home record carried them to a 7-9 season. Bishop’s lost both games they played in Concordia’s gym this season.

Many of the Stingers’ struggles can be attributed to nothing more than bad luck. The team was bitten by the injury bug coming out of the Christmas break. Natasha Raposo, one of the team’s best outside shooters, missed a significant chunk of time. Kaylah Barrett, who was recently named RSEQ player of the year, saw her production drop dramatically later in the season as she was forced to play through hand and back injuries.

Barrett sat out for Concordia’s final  game of the season hoping to rest up for the playoffs.

Concordia dropped its final two games of the year, a 44-42 home loss to UQAM, and a 16-point blowout loss against Laval on the road.

While no team wants to back in to the playoffs, the final two games meant very little in the standings as the Stingers were virtually locked in to second place, and it was more important for the team to rest some players.

The team’s struggles down the stretch would soon be forgotten if Concordia was able to win the conference and advance to the national championships in Calgary. However, an early exit on home court would be a disappointing end to a season that had began so promisingly and with high expectations.

Bishop’s has been a middle of the pack team for most of the season, but games between the Gaiters and the Stingers have been very close.

Save for a 71-40 blowout Stingers victory that snapped Concordia out of a five-game losing streak on Feb. 10, all the games between the two teams have been decided by four points or fewer.

Concordia is the more talented team, but a lot will depend on just how healthy Barrett actually is. The Stingers are the best team in the conference defensively, but have had spurts where they’ve shot the ball horrendously. If the shots aren’t falling on Tuesday night against Bishop’s, it could spell trouble for the Stingers.

However, if the offensive is clicking, the Stingers should be able to advance into the next round, and likely face top-seeded McGill. Concordia and McGill split the season series this year.

It has been a Jekyll and Hyde season for Concordia. The playoffs will provide the opportunity to see the team’s true identity.

 

The game is Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at Loyola. 

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See ya later Gaiters

Riddled by injuries in the past weeks, the Stingers went from a team drawing attention nationally to a team hovering near .500, battling for a home playoff game.

Concordia thrashed Bishop’s at home. Photo by Navneet Pall

With the third place Bishop’s Gaiters visiting on Friday night, Concordia came out playing quality basketball and turned in its largest margin of victory this season, with a 71-40 win.

The Stingers built up a 13-point lead in the first half, but Concordia watched a halftime lead of the exact same margin dissipate last week in a loss to Laval.

Coach Keith Pruden was determined to keep his team from befalling the same fate against Bishop’s. “I told the team [at half] it’s the same [lead] we had against Laval last week and that we had to maintain the intensity level we had in the first half and we just had to execute a little bit better and we did both those things,” he said. “I’m very happy with [the team’s] effort.”

Concordia held Bishop’s to just 15 points in the final half, including a fourth quarter in which the Stingers outscored their opponents 21-6, sealing the game with an exclamation mark.

Guard Kaylah Barrett, who has been battling thumb and lower-back injuries and struggling mightily lately, broke out of her slump, scoring 19 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists.

“I’m busted up everywhere but I just try and play through it,” said Barrett, who has not been participating in full-speed drills in practice.

Concordia dominated Bishop’s statistically, outrebounding the Gaiters 53-34 and forcing 26 turnovers, while only turning the ball over 15 times themselves.

“We played with a lot of heart compared with the other games [during the losing streak],” said Concordia guard Magalie Beaulieu, who was second in scoring for the Stingers with 11 points. “Other nights we let teams back in the game, but tonight we played better defence and offence and with much more heart,” she said.

With the win, Concordia remains in sole possession of second place with a record of 7-5, which would give them at least one home playoff game in the first round of RSEQ playoffs, but will be jockeying with Bishop’s (5-7) for the coveted two-seed the rest of the season.

The Stingers will also continue to be without Natasha Raposo, one of the team’s best perimeter shooters, who is out with an injury. The team will be forced to move forward though, as they hope to build momentum going into the playoffs.

Concordia’s next game is a rematch with Bishop’s this Friday night, on the road at 6 p.m.

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Cellar dwellers topple division leading Stingers

Jerome Blake is guarded by Sean Monplaisir in the Stingers loss. Photo by Navneet Pall

Playing the Bishop’s Gaiters, the RSEQ’s last-place team who only had one win coming in to Friday, it seemed the Stingers would be able to record their 11th win of the season. Instead, Concordia was upstaged on its home court by a hungry Bishop’s team looking to slay the Goliath of the Quebec conference.

Jerome Blake is guarded by Sean Monplaisir in the Stingers loss. Photo by Navneet Pall

While it is undeniable that Concordia is a more talented team than Bishop’s, the games are not won and lost on paper.

“They outworked us and they outplayed us,” said coach John Dore. “We weren’t prepared and they deserved to win. We played better in the first half, but just weren’t focused in the second half.”

The Stingers trailed by a point after the first quarter, but came out strong to start the second, going on a 12-3 run at the beginning of the quarter, taking a 37-26 lead midway through the second, and went into the break with an eight-point lead.

Whatever momentum Concordia had built up, though, was gone coming out after halftime.

Bishop’s outscored the Stingers 23-13 in the quarter and took a slim, two-point lead in the final quarter when Mukiya Post hit a jump shot in the last minute of the third.

It was all Bishop’s in the beginning of the fourth quarter, as the Gaiters built a 13-point lead with just over two and a half minutes to play. To give the Stingers credit, they refused to fold.

Kyle Desmarais, who led the Stingers with 18 points, made back-to-back three-point shots on consecutive possession to pull Concordia within eight points.

Trailing 75-68 in the final minute of play, the Stingers went on a 7-2 run and had a chance to tie the game after Sean Monplaisir missed a free-throw that would have virtually clinched the victory for Bishop’s.

This allowed the Stingers to run one final play to tie the game. Concordia got the ball to Decee Krah, who struggled on the night, scoring eight points on just two-of-12 shooting. Krah, however, missed a difficult 25-foot three-pointer, giving Bishop’s the upset victory.

Afterwards, Coach Dore stressed the importance of not overlooking weaker teams like Bishop’s. “You have to respect your opponents and come out ready to play every night,” he said.

Despite the loss, Concordia still remains in first place in the RSEQ, two wins ahead of McGill, but the Redmen only have three games remaining, while the Stingers have four.

The Stingers will have a chance to avenge the loss as they face Bishop’s again this Friday night at 8 p.m., on the road in  Lennoxville.

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6-0 feels long ago

The Concordia Stingers started the season off with six wins, but are now in the throes of a five-game losing streak. Currently sitting in third, they trail first-place McGill by six points. Photo from archives.
The Concordia Stingers started the season off with six wins, but are now in the throes of a five-game losing streak. Currently sitting in third, they trail first-place McGill by six points. Photo from archives.

Just two weeks ago, the Concordia Stingers were the class of the RSEQ. The team was riding a six-game winning streak and was poised to run away with the conference.
My, how things have changed.
Lately the Stingers have underperformed, resulting in a five-game losing streak. They now trail first place McGill by six points. This past weekend, Concordia was facing two of the conference’s weaker teams and was expecting to snap out of its struggles. Unfortunately for the Stingers, the games aren’t won on paper.

On Friday night, Concordia hosted a feisty Laval Rouge et Or squad who they defeated twice this season, but only by a combined six points.
This time, though, it was Laval’s turn to eke out a win. Concordia amassed a 13-point lead in the first half, only to watch the wheels fall off in the third and fourth quarters. Laval outscored the Stingers 17-6 and 21-15 in the final two quarters, leaving the Loyola gym with a 56-52 victory.
This wasn’t the end of the Stingers’ troubles; the weekend reached its nadir on Saturday. Matched up against last place UQAM, a team Concordia had blown out twice already this season, the Stingers seemed to get back on track early, outscoring UQAM 24-13 in the opening quarter.
But when it rains it pours.
The Stingers imploded in the second quarter getting outscored 21-11 and were unable to regroup in the second half. After grinding out the third, Concordia brought a five-point lead into the game’s final quarter, only to allow UQAM to run away with the game in the final 10 minutes, leaving the Stingers with their most lopsided loss of the season.
The frustration around the team is undoubtedly building as head coach Keith Pruden is refusing to allow any players or coaches to speak with the media. Pruden himself could not be reached for comment either.
The recent play of Kaylah Barrett is also cause for concern. After a blazing start, Barrett has struggled during the losing streak, not scoring more than 12 points in a game and shooting just 20 per cent from the field. The uncharacteristic struggles leave people to wonder whether or not Barrett is playing with an unknown injury.
Concordia is now battling for second place with the Bishop’s Gaiters, who they are two points ahead of in the standings.
Concordia is hoping to gain some ground on Bishop’s Friday night at 6 p.m. when the two teams meet at Loyola.
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Sports

Stingers get back on track with weekend sweep

Taylor Garner battles off defenders in Concordia's victory over UQAM. Photo by Navneet Pall
Taylor Garner battles off defenders in Concordia's victory over UQAM. Photo by Navneet Pall

After watching an archrival end their perfect season last week, the Concordia Stingers were anxious to get back on the court this weekend against Laval and UQAM and atone for the loss to McGill.

Concordia turned in two impressive performances, beating Laval 80-59 on Friday at home, and then picking up a 73-62 win at UQAM.

The slow starts and periods of lackadaisical play that plagued the Stingers in recent weeks were addressed this week during practice, and the changes were noticed come game time.

“I think it was our attitude on the team [that made the difference],” said coach John Dore. “The guys had a wake-up call. We had better practices, we were more focused and intense, and maybe had a bit better understanding of what we need to do.”

While he was happy with his team’s effort, Dore was never too concerned with the overall motivation level of his team. “The guys should get excited about playing the games, that’s why we work so hard in practice,” he said. “They’re here because they want to be here, so it shouldn’t be hard to get motivated.”

On Friday night, it was guard Kyle Desmarais leading the way for the Stingers with 18 points and seven assists. Despite falling behind by nine points early in the game, Concordia battled back to take a lead into the second quarter and would not trail again in the game.

Concordia faced a quick turnaround from the Laval game and was on the court against UQAM on Saturday. The Stingers jumped out to an early 17-4 lead, and though they let UQAM back into the game, Concordia dominated play for the most part and was never seriously threatened late in the game. Rookie guard Jerome Blake led the Stingers in scoring with 16 points in just 19 minutes coming off the bench.

With five games remaining in the season, Concordia has a six-point lead over second place McGill. Thus far the Stingers have been right on par with coach Dore’s preseason expectations.

“I thought we had a chance to be in first place and I sort of expected to be in first place,” said Dore. “I don’t know if I expected [to be in first by six points]. Our goal right now is to create some distance from the pack.”

Dore has never been one to rest players down the stretch, even if playoff seeding has been determined, but given some tough late season scheduling it is not something that has been ruled out.

 

Concordia’s next game is this  Friday at 8 p.m. against Bishop’s at Loyola.

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Sports

What happened to the winning ways?

The Concordia Stingers started the season off with six wins, but are now in the throes of a five-game losing streak. Currently sitting in third, they trail first-place McGill by six points. Photo from archives.

For the first time since the season began, the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team can no longer look at the very top of the standings to see its name.

McGill wore pink in Saturday's win to raise money for breast cancer. Photo by Julian Mei

A loss to the McGill Martlets on Saturday night, Concordia’s third loss in a row, has dropped the Stingers into second place, a win behind McGill, though Concordia has played one less game.

Concordia went into Saturday’s game coming off a road loss the previous night at Bishop’s, and was hoping to get revenge against the Martlet team that handed the Stingers their first loss just over a week ago at the Loyola campus gym.

However, It was not the Stingers’ night.

Concordia shot just 27 per cent from the field, compared to McGill’s 40 per cent. The Stingers started slow and found themselves trailing by five after the first quarter. While they awoke in the second frame, a sluggish start to the third sent Concordia into the final quarter trailing by eight points.

Ice cold shooting prevented the Stingers from mounting any type of comeback.

Stingers coach Keith Pruden spoke about the inconsistencies that have been resulting in the recent losses. “We’re only playing defence the way we should be about every second possession and we’re only executing well on offence every third possession and that’s just not enough,” he said.

Despite the recent struggles, Pruden is not ready to press the panic button just yet. “There’s still quite a few games left, and we’re still 6-3. We’re still right there near first place. I would be worried if [the recent problems] were things we could not correct, but I believe these are things we can correct, the question is whether or not we will correct them.”

Pruden also said that although the goal was to go undefeated, it wasn’t something he was counting on. Pruden did not let players speak to reporters after the game.

While it would be unfair to place the losing streak on one person, it has not helped the Stingers’ cause that their best player, Kaylah Barrett, has gone in a mini-slump of her own. After averaging 22.3 points per game to begin the year, Barrett has averaged just 11.3 during the losing streak.

The Stingers will take the court next against the Laval Rouge et Or at Loyola campus at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3.

 

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