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Looking ahead at the Stingers’s 2018-19 season

2018-19 season
The women’s hockey team won their first championship since 2005 last season. Archive photo by Mackenzie Lad.

After two championships last year, sports teams aim to continue winning

It’s back-to-school season, but for sports fans, this also means the Concordia Stingers teams are back in action. The Concordian previews the 2018-19 season.

Football

Head coach: Brad Collinson

The Stingers had a 3-4 record last season and lost in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) semi-final to the Université de Montréal Carabins. A lot has changed for this team since they last played in early November. Rookie head coach Brad Collinson leads the charge for the football program, and he’s already facing some challenges with veterans leaving.

Quarterback Trenton Miller graduated from Concordia and is currently playing in Germany. Linebacker Mickael Côté and fullback Tanner Green were both drafted in the Canadian Football League (CFL), while running back Jean-Guy Rimpel left the team.

Adam Vance will have to take over as quarterback, but luckily for him, he will have Vince Alessandrini, Jarryd Taylor and James Tyrrell back as the top receivers.

It will be a learning year for Collinson and his team.

The men’s rugby team is keeping most of their players after winning the title. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

Men’s Rugby

Head coach: Craig Beemer

The men’s rugby team will look to repeat their RSEQ championship from last season. Craig Beemer should have most of his players returning, as Andreas Krawczyk was the only fifth-year player on the team last season.

This is Beemer’s third season as head coach and he’s brought in a lot of recruits since he took over. The team’s leaders, such as Charles Debove, Moritz Wittmann and Lucas Hotton all have at least two seasons left to play.

The Stingers went undefeated in RSEQ play a year ago, and it won’t be a surprise if they repeat it.

Women’s Rugby

Head coach: Jocelyn Barrieau

The women’s team didn’t share the same success as the men’s team, finishing the season with a 4-3 record and losing in the semi-final. But that wasn’t the biggest loss they took heading into this season, as veterans Alex Tessier and Frédérique Rajotte both graduated from the team.

Rajotte won the Stingers female athlete of the year award in April, and was named the U Sports top women’s rugby player last season. Both Tessier and Rajotte played a big part in bringing the Stingers to four straight RSEQ finals from 2013 to 2016.

It’s going to be a big hole to fill to replace them, but expect last season’s rookie of the year, Shawna Brayton, to step up.

Soccer

Head coach: Greg Sutton

This year both the men and women’s soccer teams will see a big change, as Greg Sutton will coach both programs. Sutton has been the head coach of the men’s team since 2013.

The men’s team had a 3-8-1 record last season and failed to make the playoffs. Rookie forward Simon Malaborsa was a bright spot, scoring six goals. Besides captain Olivier Georges having graduated, most of the team should stay on.

On the women’s side, they had a 3-7-4 record last year and also missed the playoffs. Captain Laura Lamontagne is leaving, but the team recruited Kathleen Hilaro, who is the captain of semi-pro AS Blainville to potentially replace her in the midfield.

Defender Imane Chebel could be a player to watch this season. She had a strong first season with the Stingers and played with the Algerian national team last spring.

Women’s hockey

Head coach: Julie Chu

The women’s hockey team also won a RSEQ championship last season, and much like the men’s rugby team, their core stars are staying this year. Defenceman and captain Marie-Joëlle Allard graduated but leading scorers Claudia Dubois, Audrey Belzile, Lidia Fillion and Sophie Gagnon are all still with the Stingers.

Third-years Stéphanie Lalancette and Brigitte Laganière both had break-out seasons last year and will look to continue their strong play. No recruits have been announced, but the Stingers said Lauriane Rougeau will return as an assistant coach after taking a year off to play in the Olympics.

Men’s hockey

Head coach: Marc-André Élement

Even though they finished third in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) last year, the Stingers will have a new-look men’s hockey team.

U Sports MVP Anthony Beauregard played professionally with the Laval Rocket at the end of last season. His linemate, and second-highest scorer on the team, Massimo Carozza, signed to play in Italy.

Without their stars, Élement recruited 12 new players, including forward Colin Grannary from the NCAA. Élement will need second-year defenceman Carl Neill to really lead the charge, and he has to hope some of the recruits can replace Carozza and Beauregard’s goal-scoring.

Women’s basketball

Head coach: Tenicha Gittens

It wasn’t a season to remember for the women’s basketball team as they finished last in the RSEQ with a 4-12 record. Guard Jazlin Barker graduated and the Stingers should benefit from three fifth-year players this year with Aurélie d’Anjou Drouin, Marvia Dean and Ashley Moss.

One bright spot last season was forward Coralie Dumont, who was named RSEQ rookie of the year and made the U Sports all-rookie team. She finished the season averaging 11.1 points/game, 6.9 rebounds/game, and had a team-high 39.8 field-goal percentage.

Men’s basketball

Head coach: Rastko Popovic

After losing in the RSEQ final against the McGill Redmen, the Stingers also lost graduating star forward Ken Beaulieu. Beaulieu was a dunking machine and will be hard to replace.

They still have point guard Ricardo Monge, guard Adrian Armstrong and forward Olivier Simon. Simon should see more playing time with Beaulieu gone. The Stingers played three preseason games and had eight new recruits on the roster, so expect to see a young team.

Wrestling

Head coach: Victor Zilberman

Long-time head coach Victor Zilberman led the Stingers to a team silver at U Sports nationals in 2018. Francis Carter won gold and was named as the U Sports MVP, as well as the Stingers male athlete of the year. Fifth-year Vincent De Marinis has left the Stingers to pursue an Olympic dream.

The women’s team should have a strong year with nationals bronze-medalists Jade Dufour, Laurence Beauregard and Amanda Savard all set to return.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad. 

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Colour Commentary: Athletes do not need to be loyal

Sports Editor Nicholas Di Giovanni gives his take on his latest in sports with his weekly Colour Commentary

Fans need to realize players aren’t bound to their teams

Should athletes be loyal? No, athletes do not need to be loyal to their teams, it’s as simple as that.

For anyone who follows soccer, there were three separate cases of “unloyal” players this summer. First, Brazilian forward Malcom was set to sign with AS Roma from French club Bordeaux on July 23, with Roma even announcing the signing on their website. The next day, while fans waited at the airport in Rome, Malcom received another offer from Barcelona, and accepted to sign with the Spanish club. Just like that, Malcom turned his back on Roma to join Barcelona.

Just a week later, Italian defender Leo Bonucci returned to the club that he left a year ago. Bonucci played with Juventus for seven years before leaving to join rival AC Milan last summer. He even scored in an away game against Juventus last season, and celebrated in front of his former fans. When Milan finished in seventh place, Juventus won the league and then signed superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Bonucci left Milan to return to Juventus, leaving both Juventus and Milan fans unhappy.

Finally, Belgian goalie Thibaut Courtois left Chelsea for Real Madrid. Sounds like a simple move for the average soccer fan, but during Courtois’ unveiling ceremony in Madrid, he kissed the Real Madrid badge and said,“I’ve never felt like kissing a club badge until today.” It’s not Chelsea fans who were upset by this, although some did call him a snake on Twitter, but Atlético Madrid fans — Real’s cross-city rivals — the club Courtois played for from 2011 to 2014, who were angry.

So between Malcom, Bonucci and Courtois, did any of them have to be loyal? It’s easy to argue Malcom should have kept his agreement with Roma. But that’s business, and who hasn’t bailed on one opportunity to pursue a greater one?

As for Bonucci and Courtois, sports fans create this false loyalty that they believe players must follow, as if they’re bound to the same employer their whole career. Bonucci can bounce between clubs as much as he likes, especially if he sees a better opportunity with his former team. For an athlete, ditching your former team and celebrating in front of their fans is not the most respectful thing to do, but that doesn’t mean the athlete can’t return to their old team. And I seriously don’t understand why Atlético fans are so upset about Courtois when he last played for them four years ago, and he’s been with Chelsea ever since. He can kiss whichever badge he wants.

Like any other person in the real word, athletes are not bound by loyalty to their teams. Sports is a business, and some fans need to realize that.

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New head coach trying to make an impact

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

Montreal Impact set to kick off 2018 season with new management and many new players

After a disappointing 2017 season, the Montreal Impact is preparing to kick off the 2018 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. They missed the playoffs by 11 points with a 11-17-6 record last year. Based on a new coaching staff and new players, The Concordian is trying to figure out how the Impact can have a bounce-back season.

Changing of the Garde

After losing nine of the last 10 games in the 2017 season, the Impact fired head coach Mauro Biello. In comes Rémi Garde, who further changed the team around by hiring his own coaching staff. Garde previously coached at Lyon in France and Aston Villa in England.

Besides keeping assistant coach Wilfried Nancy, Garde has brought in assistant coach Maxence Flachez, a former youth coach at Lyon; goalie coach Joël Bats, Lyon’s goalie coach for the past 17 seasons; and fitness coach Robert Duverne, who was Garde’s fitness coach when he coached Lyon and Aston Villa.

Garde is making a huge statement, and is clearly trying to run the club the way he did at Lyon. Will a European management style work in North America? Many past MLS coaches have tried with little success.

In order for Garde’s French style to be successful, he will need to adapt his tactics to a North American game. That’s not to say he needs to play the North American way, but rather change his French style to conform to a more physical, less-skilled MLS game.

Fresh faces on the field

The Impact has a new-look roster this season, with 10 new players replacing the 12 departed ones.

The biggest change came at defence, where the team needed it. Last season, they allowed 58 goals in 34 games, the seventh-worst mark out of 22 teams in the league. The Impact traded away leader and 2015 MLS Defender of the Year Laurent Ciman for full-backs Raheem Edwards and Jukka Raitala, while right-back Ambroise Oyongo signed in France and veteran Hassoun Camara retired. Garde signed six-foot-three defender Zakaria Diallo, and Canadian international full-back Michael Petrasso joined the team. The Impact hopes the new defence will solve their issues.

The midfield is also younger and more dynamic. Ignacio Piatti, 33, and Marco Donadel, 34, are the only midfielders over the age of 25. When attacking midfielder Blerim Džemaili returned to Italy to play for his former team, Bologna F.C.—which is part-owned by Impact owner Joey Saputo—the Impact acquired Algerian midfielder Saphir Taïder from Bologna. The Impact will miss Džemaili’s offensive skills and chemistry with Piatti, but Taïder is younger and more skilled, so it will be exciting to see what attack he can bring.

O Captain! My Captain!

With former captain Patrice Bernier retired, the Impact needs a player, or multiple players, to take over and become a leader. Goalie Evan Bush has been with the club since 2011, while Piatti is entering his fifth season with the Impact. Donadel, defender Víctor Cabrera and forward Dominic Oduro are the only other players who have been with the Impact since before the 2016 season. Each of them will need to step up their roles as leaders to integrate everyone into a unified team.

With an inexperienced group, the Impact needs maturity from their young stars. Samuel Piette, the 23-year-old Repentigny native, could be considered one of those leaders. The same goes for forward Anthony Jackson-Hamel, who scored the second-most goals last season, with nine.

With so many changes to the Montreal Impact, fans will see how they perform together starting March 4 in Vancouver against the Whitecaps.

Main graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

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On a soccer journey from Spain

Goalkeeper Gabriela Angoso Jimenez shares her story that has taken her around the world

At four years old, Gabriela Angoso Jimenez started playing soccer in her hometown of Madrid, Spain. Since then, she has played for several teams in Spain, the United States and now, in Canada, for the Concordia Stingers.

Angoso’s grandfather, José Luis Angoso, was a professional soccer player in Spain, but it was her older brother who encouraged her to start playing. At seven years old, Angoso had a trainer who saw she could play goalie, a unique position that requires a special skill set.

“[The trainer] thought I had a good vision of the game and I could demand from my players whatever I thought was necessary [to succeed],” Angoso said. “Being a goalie is very important. You need to be vocal [because you’re] the only person who sees everything [happening] on the field.”

Angoso said she’s a good player overall, but her best skill is encouraging her teammates. As a goalie, she’s often isolated behind the rest of her team, but said she loves the team atmosphere and the rush when she plays.

“[You’re] never alone, even when you feel like you are,” Angoso said.

Gabriela Angoso Jimenez grew up in Madrid, Spain, before moving to Montreal to play for the Stingers. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Angoso showcased her talent at 11 years old when her team, Real Madrid feminine, played against Atletico Madrid’s youth women’s team. She played as the starting goalie in a game she wasn’t originally supposed to play in, given she was the backup goalie at the time. The day before the game, the other goalie got injured, so Angoso replaced her. Her team won the game and ended up winning the league, with Angoso bringing home the title of Most Valuable Player for that game.

Between the ages of 16 and 18, Angoso lived in Montreal with her sister, and played soccer for Lower Canada College and the Lakeshore Soccer Club. She said her sister is her biggest supporter. Despite their 11-year age difference, and her sister now living in Vancouver, Angoso said they keep in touch daily and are very similar.

“We love adventure,” Angoso said. “She was one of the reasons I moved to Montreal in the first place. We think alike. We love change and new experiences.”

After living in Montreal with her sister, Angoso got a soccer scholarship for one year at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. While attending the school, her main focus was on playing soccer. She said studying at an American university wasn’t difficult on her academics because there was a bigger emphasis on playing soccer than studying. Now, a student-athlete at Concordia, she knows she has to set time aside to study in order to do well in school.

“I didn’t know how it was going to be coming here from the States,” Angoso said. “I used to play three times a day and would feel pressure [to not let my team down].” Now, at Concordia, she only dedicates about 20 hours a week to soccer. “It’s not as stressful, and I can still enjoy it.”

Regarding academics, Angoso originally wanted to study physical therapy, but her dad changed her mind. She is now studying psychology at Concordia. She has always valued his opinion the most, and he has always guided her in what to do—like moving to Montreal at the age of 16 to live with her sister.

“My mom was super opposed to it, but he thought it was the best thing to do, and so he kind of made me see what a great opportunity I had here,” Angoso said. “[Another example was] when I didn’t know where to transfer last year, but he told me it wasn’t about the present anymore, but about what I wanted to do in the future.”

Angoso said psychology is a field that relates to soccer and “how a goalie is different from other positions,” because it requires mental strength as well as physical strength. She’s also very curious about how the brain works. Once she finishes her studies at Concordia, she wants to get her master’s and PhD. Angoso said she hopes to become a sports psychologist.

Off the field, Angoso is a little bit shy. But once she opens up, she enjoys new activities, experiences and travel. Having lived in different places, Angoso “feels like [she’s] changed to adapt to make new friends and have a social life.”

Angoso said she can’t imagine not playing soccer. But if she wasn’t playing the sport, she said she would have still been doing some form of physical activity to keep busy. One of her hobbies is biking, and she tries to bike everywhere, if the weather permits.

In terms of pre-game rituals, Angoso always wears the same two pairs of socks and listens to the same five songs: “Born to Lose” by the cast of the TV show Empire, “Waves” by Kanye West, “Mi Gente” by J Balvin, “Silence” by Marshmello, and “Unforgettable” by French Montana.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins

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EA Sports misses the mark on gameplay in FIFA 18

The Concordian gives FIFA 18 a yellow card for its bad gameplay. Screenshot.

Bad ball control actually makes this year’s soccer video game worse than last year’s edition

FIFA 18 gets a yellow card for bad gameplay this year, and it’s almost a straight red. EA Sports’s newest edition of the soccer video game is, surprisingly, worse than FIFA 17.

The most frustrating part of this year’s gameplay is the player’s ball control. Bad ball control, or as soccer fans like to call it, bad touches, was a problem in FIFA 16. Although EA fixed this in last year’s edition, it’s back. Every player seems to be bad at controlling the ball in the game, including Juventus superstar Paulo Dybala, who is one of the best dribblers in the world.

Ball control is at its worst when a player receives a strong pass in the midfield—the ball bounces off his feet and goes flying in front of him, which leaves the ball open for your opponent to take. Yet even when your opponent takes the ball, they can’t control it and lose it right away. It’s a never-ending cycle that has teams alternating possession in the midfield, making gameplay terrible.

The game’s realism is one of its rare bright spots. Screenshot.

To avoid playing a sloppy game in the midfield, playing out wide with wingers and fullbacks is the best option. Crossing is a lot better this year. EA added three new crossing styles to the game: a driven cross, a high cross and a scoop cross. All three are effective at finding an open man in the box to blast a sweet volley or a powerful header past the keeper.

Tackling and physical play is also different in FIFA 18 compared to FIFA 17. In last year’s game, EA integrated a physical gameplay that benefitted stronger players who were able to easily out-muscle weaker opponents both on and off the ball. In FIFA 18, all players are weak and go down easily. It’s stereotypical for soccer players to go down with the slightest of touches, but this is a video game, and seeing your player drop to the ground when you’re trying to score with him is infuriating.

Presentation is probably the best it has ever been in the FIFA franchise. The FIFA 18 website promotes new, immersive stadium atmospheres, which feature fan-made signs all over the stadium, team-specific chants, pre-game traditions and new player-fan interactions during goal celebrations. It’s probably the best part of the game, but the good-looking presentation only masks the bad gameplay.

Fans of the franchise can only hope EA will update the 2018 edition through downloadable patches to improve the gameplay.

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Stingers honour Erica Cadieux in draw versus UQTR

The Stingers women’s soccer team hands gifts to the family of Erica Cadieux for donation. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Concordia collected donations, gifts for Children’s Hospital in memory of former student-athlete

The Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team tied 2-2 against the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes in the Erica Cadieux Memorial Game on Sept. 22.

For a 12th year in a row, the Stingers held a game in memory of Cadieux, a former Stingers soccer player. She played for Concordia from 1992 to 1994, while double-majoring in political science and Spanish.

Cadieux was killed after being hit by a car while walking with her 18-month-old daughter, who survived, in Beaconsfield on Jan. 27, 2006. Every year since, her family and friends gather at Concordia Stadium to remember her.

“We can’t express enough our gratitude to the university for this honour,” said Yolanda Cadieux, Erica’s mother. “It’s just been wonderful for our family.”

Yolanda said that after Erica’s death, some of her former Stingers teammates wanted to come up with a way to honour their friend.

“We wanted this to be a meaningful thing, something she would be proud of,” Yolanda said. “We decided the Montreal Children’s Hospital would be our focus, and we would try and raise money [for the hospital].” While Erica was a student at Concordia, she volunteered in the neurological wing of the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

The Stingers women’s soccer team accepted donations and gifts for kids at the game, which they send to the Children’s Hospital. This year, the Stingers said they received over $500 in donations, plus multiple children’s toys and games.

This year’s game featured a different way to honour Erica—her family, her former teammates and Stingers alumni gathered for a reception before the game.

“We had former players here from the late 1980s,” said head coach Jorge Sanchez. “We told [the current players], ‘Some of you weren’t even born when they played here, but you all have something that unites you together.’” Current and former players shared their connection with soccer and the Stingers, two things Erica loved most.

“[The Stingers were] everything for Erica,” Yolanda said. “It was what made Concordia great for her, because I think there’s something about the friendship you have in a sports setting that transcends the school.”

Every year, Erica’s widowed husband, Carlo Spadafora, would bring their daughters, Bianca, 13, and Olivia, 12, to the game. But this year, Spadafora and the two girls were unable to make the trip to Montreal from Sault Ste-Marie, Ont. Yolanda said she was disappointed her granddaughters, who play soccer like their mom did, couldn’t go.

“I think when my granddaughters called me and told me they weren’t coming, I said, ‘You have to realize that this is a tremendous honour for the university to hold a special game in memory of your mom,’” Yolanda said.

However, the rest of Erica’s family, including her parents, sisters, nieces and nephews, were present. It gave the game a fun, family atmosphere, something rarely seen at Stingers soccer games.

Midfielder Laura Lamontagne passes the ball against the UQTR Patriotes on Sept. 22. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Concordia got off to a weak start when defender Kate Evoy made a bad pass to the keeper, Olivia Desgroseilliers. UQTR’s Valerie Noel intercepted the ball, got past Desgroseilliers and ran in to score just 10 minutes into the game.

Evoy redeemed herself in the 27th minute when she sent forward Sarah Humes on a breakaway with a long pass. Humes made no mistake, blasting the ball past the helpless UQTR keeper.

Just two minutes later, midfielder Chama Sedki scored from a free kick 35 yards away from the net. The Stingers carried the lead into halftime, but the Patriotes tied the game at 2-2 in the 55th minute when Magali Gravel scored off a corner kick.

“I thought we had our chances just like they did, and it could have gone either way,” Sanchez said. “It was one of those games where teams were risky to try and get the win, and we ended up with the tie, so we shared the pain.”

Before the memorial game, the Concordia men’s soccer team lost 3-1 to UQTR. On Sept. 24, the women won 1-0 against the McGill Martlets, while the men lost 3-0 to McGill. Both teams will have an away game against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Sept. 29.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins

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Grandpierre takes pride in her size

Alice Grandpierre plays with the ball during a practice with the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

At five-foot-four, the midfielder from France plays an aggressive style that surprises opponents

Alice Grandpierre may be an aggressive Concordia Stingers midfielder today, but she didn’t always like soccer.

Grandpierre’s story starts in Chateau-Thierry, France, where she was born. Growing up in France, she was actually a gymnast and never played soccer. In fact, she said she disliked the sport and thought it was a waste of time.

However, when her father’s job forced her family to move to China when she was 14, Grandpierre had to give up gymnastics, as there was no team at her new school. In search of a new athletic activity, Grandpierre decided to give soccer a chance. This is when she fell in love with the game.

“I love the sport. It’s part of my life now,” she said. When it comes to watching soccer, though, she has a particular preference.

“I am more interested in watching women play soccer than men,” Grandpierre said. “For me, as a woman, it is more interesting to see them play.”

When Grandpierre started playing in China, her first coach saw her athleticism and put her in the midfield—an athletically demanding position. She played all four years of high school, excelling at midfield where she continues to play today.

Alice Grandpierre’s soccer journey didn’t start until she was 14 and living in China. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

When she got to Concordia, head coach Jorge Sanchez recognized that she belonged there. However, it took some time to get used to playing 11-a-side soccer with the Stingers, as she had only played seven-a-side in China. “It was hard, but I eventually got the hang of it because I worked for it,” Grandpierre said.

 

Her favourite thing about playing soccer is that it allows her to be aggressive towards her opponents.

“I love coming in hard for the tackles, and the others don’t expect it,” she said. “I just love playing hard on the other team. Midfield is where all the action is, so I enjoy playing it and being in the middle of the action.”

Measuring in at five-foot-four, Grandpierre is one of the shortest players on the team—but that doesn’t stop her from playing aggressively. She takes pride in the fact that she’s undersized on the field. Even her favourite player is small.

“My favourite player is Eugénie Le Sommer, mainly because she kind of has the same physique as me,” Grandpierre said. Le Sommer is a striker who also stands at five-foot-four. She plays for Olympique Lyon in France, as well as for France’s national team.

Playing in her fourth year with the Stingers, Grandpierre is currently the longest-serving player on the women’s team. She also occasionally wears the captain’s armband during games. She said she is excited to have a leadership role again this season and to help mentor the younger players.

“I’m part of this leadership group. I find I lead mainly on my play,” Grandpierre said.

The French midfielder moved to Montreal to study exercise science and play soccer, but has since fallen in love with the city. She said she enjoys the fact that she can speak both French and English in Montreal and be understood in both languages. She also speaks a little bit of Spanish and picked up some Mandarin during her time in China.

Her knowledge of Montreal has allowed her to be a residence assistant at Concordia and guide new university students through the ins and outs of the city. Last season, two rookies on the soccer team lived in Grandpierre’s residence, and she mentored them on life in Montreal. As she has gone through the pressures of being on a new team and adjusting to life in a new city, she said she helped the two players cope with the challenges of both soccer and school.

Grandpierre’s time at Concordia was spent studying with the hope of becoming an osteopath. Now, in her final year at Concordia, Grandpierre said she isn’t entirely sure what the next step in her journey will be. However, she knows that soccer will remain part of her life even after school.

“I’m not really sure where I’ll be playing soccer after this year, but I know I want to continue afterwards,” she said. “Soccer has become an everyday part of my life, and I don’t want it to change.”

Main photo by Alex Hutchins

A previous version of this article stated that Grandpierre wanted to become a physiotherapist to rehab athletes. Also, it said two players on the soccer team were assigned to live with her. The errors were fixed and The Concordian deeply regrets them.

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Stingers soccer teams lose, pick up tie in home-opening doubleheader

Yacine Ait Slimane looks to make a pass to Stijn Kruidenier in a game versus the UQAM Citadins. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

UQAM Citadins spoil home opener versus men’s team; Stingers score late to tie women’s game

The Concordia Stingers soccer teams lost and earned a tie in a doubleheader versus the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins on Aug. 31 at Concordia Stadium. In the Stingers home opener, the men’s team lost 1-0, and the women tied 2-2.

Women’s Soccer

A goal in injury time by first-year right back Kate Evoy tied the game up, giving the Stingers a point. On the tying goal, there was some controversy as the UQAM goalkeeper was injured after a collision during a scramble in front of the net. That resulted in Evoy putting the ball into the empty net.

The Stingers first goal came early in the second half when forward Sarah Humes blasted the ball past the UQAM keeper to give the Stingers a 1-0 lead. Midfielder Chama Sedki earned an assist on the play.

The Citadins, who finished fourth in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) last season, came back to score two quick goals before Evoy’s game-tying point.

“It was a deserved point, and it could have easily been a win,” said Stingers head coach Jorge Sanchez after the game. “When we were up 1-0, we could have put it away, but we missed a few chances, and that’s the way it goes.”

“I would like us to put the game away, but it was a great game by the team. To make the playoffs, you need to steal points in games like this,” he said. “This is a morale victory for us.”

Alice Grandpierre, who wore the captain’s armband for the game, said she has a good feeling about her new teammates.

“Honestly, it’s a change,” she said. “In recent years that I played here, we would often give up when being down 2-1, but tonight we pushed and got the tying goal. We are a group of hard-workers, and I think it’s awesome.”

Men’s Soccer

The Stingers fought right to the end but just couldn’t buy a goal to tie the game.

In the first half, the Citadins controlled the pace of the game. The Stingers defence, led by Olivier Georges and Lorenzo Gerber, kept the game scoreless at half. Stingers goalkeeper Cameron Rae also made some key saves to keep his team in the game.

Peter Campbell looks for a teammate in regular season action against the UQAM Citadins. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

After a first half of struggles by the Stingers offence, they opened the second half with some chances against the UQAM defence. However, the Citadins kept control of the game and managed to score a goal thanks to Felipe Costa de Souza off a pass from Mitchell Syla.

“That goal we allowed was tough because coach told us to watch out for the back post as that’s where they were putting pressure on us,’’ said Georges, the team’s captain. ‘‘We were doing very good defensively, and then to be scored on something we were told to watch out for is kind of a mood-killer. But you need to stay in your game and not let that overcome you.”

Despite the loss, head coach Greg Sutton said he saw a lot of potential from his new players.

“We have a lot of newcomers on this year’s team, and I was impressed with a bunch of guys,’’ he said. ‘‘One guy who impressed me a lot is Otto [Cardell]. The intensity he brought helped us a lot during this game. I’m also very impressed with what Lorenzo [Gerber] did in the back. It’s going to take some time to get organized, but I like what I see so far.”

The next regular-season home game for the men’s team is Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. versus the Université de Laval Rouge et Or. The women’s next game is an away game Sept. 7 at 8:15 p.m. against Bishop’s Gaiters.

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Sports

Stingers preview, from soccer to rugby

Midfielder Laura Lamontagne looks on as the Stingers women’s soccer teams kicks off a regular season match. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

A look at what Concordia has in store for the upcoming sports season

Another school year is upon us which means another season of varsity sports is about to begin at Concordia. From football to soccer, all of the school’s varsity teams will be starting their seasons within the next few days, weeks or months. Curious about what our teams have in store this year? Well we’ve got you covered with this season preview.

Football

The Concordia Stingers played their first game of the season against the Université de Montréal Carabins on Aug. 25, losing 37-19. Last season, the Stingers squeaked into the playoffs with a record of 4-4, but were bounced from the postseason in their conference semi-final against the Laval Rouge et Or. This year will prove to be a challenge for the Stingers as the Bishop’s Gaiters — whom they beat twice last year — are no longer in the division. This season, the Stingers will have to face the Carabins and the Rouge et Or twice — two teams Concordia hasn’t picked up a win against since 2010. Look out for key players such as quarterback Trenton Miller and wide receiver Vince Alessandrini to be this year’s difference makers.

Men’s Soccer

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team finished last season with a record of 4-6-2 which put them in sixth place out of seven teams in their division. The team was led by goalkeeper Karl Gouabé and leading point scorer Sébastien Boucley. The Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) division is led by powerhouses like Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, making this upcoming season a tough test for the Stingers. Their first game of the season is on Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. at home against UQAM.

Women’s Soccer

The women’s soccer team struggled last season, finishing the year with a 2-10-2 record that put them in sixth out of eight teams in the RSEQ division. Midfielder Laura Lamontagne led the team with five goals and three assists and will surely be a player to watch out for this season. Laval and the Université de Montréal will be the Stingers’ biggest challenges this season, as those teams took the top two spots in the division last year. Concordia starts their season at home on Aug. 31 against UQAM at 8:45 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

The Stingers men’s basketball team will look to build on last year’s success after finishing the season with a record of 10-6 — good enough for second place in the RSEQ division. The team was led by a fresh crop of rookies, as well as veteran guard Ken Beaulieu and fifth-year forward Michael Fosu. The Stingers will be without Fosu this year as last season was his graduating year. Look for Beaulieu as well as second-year forward Olivier Simon to take the reins this season. Their first game is on Nov. 9 against Bishop’s.

Women’s Basketball
Latifah Roach looks for an open teammate against the McGill Martlets. Archive photo by Ana Hernandez.

The women’s basketball team is fresh off a season where they upset the Laval Rouge et Or in the RSEQ semi-final and made it to the provincial final. While the Stingers eventually lost to the McGill Martlets, the team’s ability to persevere and chip away at their opponents will surely carry into this season. However, veterans such as Marilyse Roy-Viau, Tamara Pinard-Devos and Richelle Grégoire are no longer with the team, having graduated last year. While the team is without their veterans, the Stingers are still ripe with talent and poised for a good season. Their first game will be against Bishop’s on Nov. 9.

Men’s Rugby

The Stingers men’s rugby team is fresh off a transition year that saw the team drop to a 1-6 record, putting them in last place in the RSEQ division. Head coach Craig Beemer had his work cut out for him in his first year as the team’s bench boss. With a team heavily composed of rookies, last season was a learning curve for the Stingers. However, with last season’s rookies earning a year’s worth of experience, the team is sure to be on the upswing this season. The team’s first shot at redemption will be during the season opener on Sept. 10 against their biggest rival, the McGill Redmen.

Women’s Rugby

The women’s rugby team is poised for another dominating season in the RSEQ with the return of veteran players Frédérique Rajotte and Alex Tessier who are fresh off a stint with the Canadian national team. Concordia went 5-2 last season which was good enough for third place in the division. The Stingers made it to the RSEQ final, but lost to their biggest rival, the Ottawa Gee-Gees. This year, the team’s biggest competition will be the pesky Gee-Gees and the Laval Rouge et Or. The team starts the season on Sept. 4 away against McGill.

Men’s Hockey

The Concordia Stingers are coming off one of their best seasons in team history after acquiring top rookies like Anthony De Luca and Philippe Sanche. However, the team will face a new challenge this year as long-time captain Olivier Hinse has graduated and is now playing in Denmark. The team will, nonetheless, be in good hands as veteran forward Philippe Hudon will be taking over the captaincy. Look for goaltender Philippe Cadorette as well as forwards De Luca, Sanche and Anthony Beauregard to make a big impact on offence. The team plays their first game on Oct. 13 on the road against the McGill Redmen.

Women’s Hockey
The Stingers women’s hockey teams celebrates a semi-final playoff series win last season against the UQAM Carabins. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

Much like the men’s hockey team, the women just had a successful season, with the team making it to the bronze-medal game of the National championships. The team eventually lost in that game and took home fourth place. They also finished second in the RSEQ playoffs. Forward Audrey Belzile led the team with 18 points last season, and is sure to be a star goal-scorer alongside forward Claudia Dubois this year. With Katherine Purchase coming back as the starting goalie, the Stingers have the potential to build on last season’s impressive finish. They will play their first game of the season on Oct. 15 against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Wrestling

With a strong crop of wrestlers, the Stingers are a force to be reckoned with this season. At Nationals last year, Vincent De Marinis took home a gold medal in the 65 kg weight class. De Marinis is going into his graduation year at Concordia and, in an interview with The Concordian last semester, said he is always striving to improve and win more tournaments. Last year, rookie Fred Choquette took home bronze at Nationals and, going into his second year, has the potential to climb the ranks of the heavyweight division. Going into the season, expect third-year wrestler Jade Dufour to make a big impact as well. She finished second at Nationals last season.

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Sports

Men’s soccer team stays warm through winter

Karl Gouabé believes the indoor league is a great way to develop during the off season. Photos by Ana Hernandez.

The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer squad has kicked off their indoor league season

Despite the cold temperatures, the Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team stays warm all winter long. This is because they have an advantage not many other universities have—they can practice all season long.

For head coach Greg Sutton, the Stingers Dome offers the soccer team a home-field advantage like no other.

“It’s awesome, and I think that’s a huge advantage for our program. There’s not too many in our conference that have the facility at their door step,” Sutton said.

Only the Laval Rouge et Or have an indoor field, while all the other universities have to rent indoor stadiums for practices.

The team’s first-string goalie, Karl Gouabé, said the Stingers have an edge over rivals because of the indoor field in their own backyard.

“We train three [times a week], while McGill could only do it once or twice because they have to rent a place, so that’s a major advantage,” Gouabé said.

The men’s soccer team competes in the Réseau de sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) indoor soccer season during the winter. Although the winter season only consists of seven regular season games, it lasts for nearly three months.

For Gouabé, the indoor season isn’t about getting results, but rather preparing for next year.

“The big league is the fall season, so the winter season is kind of pre-season,” Gouabé said. “The result is not as important.”

Sutton has the same opinion of the winter league, but still wants his players to play hard in games.

“We always want to win,” Sutton said. “I think [the winter league] is very competitive.”

For the head coach, the winter league presents an opportunity to evaluate players who didn’t play as much in the regular season. With nearly 30 players on the roster and a regular season consisting of only 12 games, not all team members get a chance to play.

Along with that, the indoor season allows the team to play together all year long.

“It’s great for us,” Sutton added. “One, for the team trying to continue to grow as a unit, then secondly, we could start to give some opportunities to guys who didn’t see as many minutes in the fall.”

Samuel Pelletier, the team’s third-string goalkeeper, benefits from the added playing time. He said it allows the body to keep in tune with the motions and the feel of the game.

“It’s pretty important just to keep in touch with the ball, and stay in chemistry with your team,” Pelletier said.

Sutton also has the opportunity to introduce new recruits to their future teammates and opponents in this league. The head coach added some players to the roster, one of whom was selected during the school’s open tryouts. Although he expects more players to arrive only next summer because of the flow of the academic calendar, he said the new players benefit from the indoor league.

“We were able to bring in three new guys, and get them in the fold,” Sutton said. “When we get them in the fall, it won’t be new to them.”

Gouabé also appreciates the fact that he could meet his future—or potential future—comrades in the winter.

The indoor league includes all of the RSEQ teams the Stingers play against during the fall season. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“[The winter league] helps us with assessing new players for next year. A lot of the guys are going to be on a long-term tryout,” Gouabé said. “That’s the importance of an indoor league.”

Playing as a team all year long also enables them to improve on their recurring problems throughout the fall season. The Stingers went 4-6-2, finishing seventh in the RSEQ, but only three points out of the playoffs. Four of those losses were one-goal losses, including a 3-2 defeat at home against the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins, in which Concordia blew a 2-1 lead in the final five minutes.

A better showing in those close losses could have put the Stingers in a playoff position.

“If you look back at our fall season, we had some great performances and we laid some eggs,” Sutton said. “It’s about consistency, and I think that’s the most important factor from year to year.”

The head coach’s aim to improve every year is evident, as the Stingers have been on a rise since he took over in 2014. They went 0-7-5 in his first season, and 3-9-0 in 2015. Sutton has a simple key to success he looks for in his players during the indoor season.

“You’re only as good as your abilities could take you, but you [have] to have that extra motivation, that extra work rate in order to be successful consistently,” Sutton said. “That’s our message to our guys—you’re all good players, but you’re not great players unless you’re working hard.”

Pelletier believes the Stingers Dome helps in that regard.

“When you play all year, you’re always going to get better,” he said.

In the team’s first indoor game, they lost 5-2 against the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes.

Their next game will be on Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. in the Stingers Dome against UQAM.

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Sports

Recapping the Concordia soccer season

The women’s team had a disappointing season, ending the year with two wins.

A look back at how the Stingers men’s and women’s team did out on the pitch

The Concordia Stingers soccer teams suffered through disappointing and heartbreaking seasons. Both the men’s and women’s teams missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year. In case you missed all of the action, here is a recap of their seasons.

Men’s Soccer

The men’s team missed an opportunity to qualify for their first playoffs since 2012 by only three points. The team finished with a record of 4-6-2, just one win shy of the fourth and final playoff spot, which went to the Université de Montréal Carabins.

Head coach Greg Sutton said in an interview at the beginning of the season he would be disappointed if they did not make the playoffs. Even though they just missed their goal, the Stingers should have a lot of hope moving forward.

The men’s team just barely missed the playoffs this season. Photos by Ana Hernandez.

Their 14-point season total is a vast improvement from the past two seasons in which they only earned a combined total of 14 points. In 2014, they went 0-7-5, followed by a record of 3-9-0 last year.

The team also featured three Réseau du sports étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) all-stars. Defender Olivier Georges was named to the first all-star team, while defender Amadou Lam and goalie Karl Gouabé were named to the second all-star team. The last time RSEQ named three Stingers to its all-star teams was in 2002.

All three players were instrumental in the team’s solid defence, although Lam was playing out of position in the left back role instead of in his natural midfield position. Lam tied with three others—strikers Sebastien Boucley and Gabriel Quinn, and midfielder Abdallah Medouni—as the team’s leading scorers, with four goals this season.

The Stingers have the pieces in place to do damage next season. The majority of the team is in their first or second year, with only five third-year players. With a fantastic goalkeeper, a solid midfield, speedy wingers and prolific strikers, the Stingers could have the playoffs in their sight for next season.

Women’s Soccer

The women’s team’s season was a disappointing one. The Stingers finished with a record 2-10-2, 17 points out of the playoffs. The games in which they got a result—a win or a tie—were all against non-playoff teams.

Head coach Jorge Sanchez said late in the season he was expecting the program to grow this season, but was upset his team is regressing from past seasons. Their past seasons include records of 5-9-0 in 2013, and 3-6-5 in 2014. Last year, they went 4-9-1 and missed the playoffs by only two points.

There isn’t much they are doing different statistically. They scored 14 goals and conceded 35 this year. In the 2015 season, they put up similar numbers, scoring 18 and allowing 31. Yet, they finished last season with five more points.

The Stingers were unlucky that two of the top teams in the country play in the RSEQ. The Université de Laval Rouge et Or finished the regular season ranked as the number one team in U Sports, and the Carabins finished fifth.

Stingers captain and defender Alyssa Ruscio was named to the RSEQ all-star team. Forward Laura Lamontagne, who led the team with five goals and three assists, did not make the cut, however.

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Stingers drop a pair of games to UQAM

The men’s team lost in a close game by a score of 3-2. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Both of Concordia’s soccer teams came up short on Sunday

It was a sombre Sunday for the Concordia Stingers soccer teams, dropping a pair of games to the Université de Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins at Concordia Stadium. The women were defeated 4-1 and the men lost 3-2.

Women’s Game

The women’s game was a physical contest, and it started rough for the Stingers. Just three minutes in, UQAM forward Marie-Pier Gougeon found space in the 18-yard box and blasted the ball past Stingers goalkeeper Olivia Desgroseilliers.

“It didn’t help giving up a goal so early,” said Stingers head coach Jorge Sanchez.

The women’s team got blown out 4-1 on Sunday. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The Stingers bounced back from the early deficit, although they weren’t able to put any points on the scoreboard. For the rest of the first half, the Stingers defence stopped any attack created by the Citadins, and Desgroseilliers made some big saves.

The game was played under powerful winds despite the bright Sunday afternoon sun at the Loyola Campus. The winds almost carried a Stingers corner kick straight into the net, but it hit the crossbar.

The Stingers fell apart in the second half. Thirteen minutes into the second half, the Citadins were awarded a penalty, on which UQAM scored, doubling their lead. It deflated the team, including Sanchez.

“A goal [like the first one], a penalty shot, and I’m at a loss for words,” Sanchez said.

The Stingers created some more chances, including two partial breakaways, but the game was put away when UQAM added a third goal in the 71st minute. Stingers midfielder Chama Sedki scored on a penalty, and the Citadins added a goal late to win the game 4-1.

Sanchez explained after the match that he was disappointed with the results.

The women will take on Bishop’s in their next game at home on Oct. 28 at 8:30 p.m.

Men’s Game

The men’s team were lying on the ground, crushed, following their 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Citadins. Five minutes before the end of the game, the Stingers had the victory wrapped up. A win could have left them fighting for a playoff spot, but they are out of the playoffs as a result of this loss.

“We knew we had the opportunity to make the playoffs if we won the game,” said Stingers defender Amadou Lam.

Like in the women’s game, UQAM got off to a strong start. Just five minutes in, UQAM midfielder Felipe Costa de Souza slotted one past Stingers goalkeeper Karl Gouabé.

Ten minutes later, Stingers forward Abdallah Medouni pounced on a bad clearance by the UQAM goalie and tied the game.

A free kick just outside the Citadins box gave the Stingers their chance to pull ahead in the 23rd minute. Lam curled one around the wall of players and low into the right corner, bringing the score to 2-1.

“I knew it was windy today so I did not want to shoot it with my laces, and just side-footed it and placed it around the wall,”  Lam said.

The Stingers held their lead for the next 65 minutes, but failed to extend it despite the efforts. In the 88th minute, a Citadin pass into the box was mishandled by Gouabé and UQAM stepped on the rebound to tie the game 2-2.

In the final minutes, Concordia’s defence opened up. The Citadins took advantage of a Stingers missed a shot to stage a counter-attack.

A pass into the box was deflected off a Stingers defender and slowly rolled past Gouabé, winning the game for UQAM. They celebrated by sitting in line, pretending to row a boat, rubbing salt in the Stingers’ wounds.

Lam described his team’s emotions in simple terms: “The guys are just disappointed.”

The team will end off their season at home on Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. against McGill.

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