Tag: sports

Categories
Sports

Stingers force game three against UOIT

The Stingers will play game three tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Ed Meagher arena.

Concordia’s men’s hockey team had a strong third period in last night’s win

After losing game one of their first round playoff series 4-0, the Concordia Stingers stormed back in game two, coming from behind to defeat the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks by a score of 5-2.

“I was emotional after the second period and I told them that I was so proud of them,” Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement said. “They battled during the whole season. We had a little something going on tonight and I told them if they kept working hard they would win.”

The highlight of the first game was Ridgebacks goaltender Brendan O’Neill, who stopped all 35 Stingers shots in his shutout win in game one. On Friday night, O’Neill continued his stellar play, stopping all 20 shots he faced in the first period.

O’Neill’s solid play allowed his team to take an early lead in the game. After a defensive breakdown by Stingers defenceman Anthony Gingras, Ridgebacks forward Jack Patterson was able to go one-on-one with Stingers goaltender Philippe Cadorette. Patterson made no mistake, putting the puck up and over Cadorette’s arm to make the score 1-0.

In the second period, the Stingers were playing catch up. They threw everything they could at O’Neill, but were unable to tie the game—until rookie forward Anthony De Luca scored on a one-timer after a pass from forward Anthony Beauregard.

The Concordia Stingers had to win or else they would have been eliminated. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

“We knew O’Neill was playing well but we just want to break him down and we needed one goal,” De Luca said. “Unfortunately we couldn’t do it in the first game but now we have and we’re going to continue tomorrow.”

Later in the period, the Stingers went on the penalty kill and were pressured by a buzzing Ridgebacks offense. The Stingers eventually caved under that pressure and gave up a goal, making the score 2-1 in favour of UOIT. The period ended at 2-1.

Down by a goal with a period left, the season was on the line. If the team had lost, they would have been eliminated from the playoffs. It also would have been the last game for team captain Olivier Hinse. Despite the pressure, Hinse knew his guys were there for him.

“The guys knew it could have been my last game and they were all playing a little bit for me and it felt great,” Hinse said. “We just needed to play our game.”

The third period was much different for the Stingers, as the floodgates opened and they were able to solve O’Neill.
Just seven minutes into the period, Stingers defencemen Philippe Charbonneau tied the game with a wrist shot from the blue line. Then, with five minutes left, forward Scott Oke gave the team their first lead of the night, with a goal that went between O’Neill’s legs.

With the Ridgebacks pressing to tie the game back up, Hinse scored to make it 4-2, with De Luca adding an empty netter for the 5-2 final score.

The Stingers will play game three on Feb. 18 at Ed Meagher arena at 7:30 p.m. The winner will move on to the second round of the playoffs.

“Game three is going to be business as usual,” Élement said. “We’re just going to adjust a couple of things, but I told the guys that once they leave the rink tonight, it’s over and we do it all again tomorrow.”

Categories
Sports

Lighting the lamp in his first year

De Luca is in his rookie season with the Stingers and is tied for second in the league in scoring. Photos by Brianna Thicke.

Men’s hockey forward Anthony De Luca has made an early impact with the Stingers

After a first-round exit from the playoffs last season, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team went on a mission this offseason to acquire as many talented rookies as possible.

The team brought in starting goaltender Philippe Cadorette, forwards Philippe Sanche and Anthony Beauregard, as well as defenceman Mickael Beauregard. Also among these new players is rookie forward Anthony De Luca who, in his first year alone, is ranked second in U SPORTS in scoring, with 41 points. He has 23 goals and 18 assists, and has the most goals of all rookies in the league.

“Honestly, I think last year helped me a lot, going to a pro team at 20 years old,” De Luca said. “It’s hard to get used to the pro game at such a young age but, once you go through that, you really get used to anything and nothing shakes you up.”

The pro team De Luca referred to is the Alaska Aces of the ECHL, a team he played for during the 2015-16 season. With the Aces, De Luca played 46 games, scoring seven goals and earning 13 assists.

For De Luca, the hectic travel schedule and experiencing different time zones on a weekly basis is what has allowed him to deal with any kind of hardship thrown at him on and off the ice.

De Luca said the toughest part about transitioning from pro hockey to university hockey was getting to know all of the new guys he’d be playing with.

“You’ve got to adapt to every league you play in,” De Luca said. “From going to junior to pro, it was all about speed, but now it’s just about execution and finding chemistry.”

Since joining the Stingers, De Luca has played most games on a line with captain Olivier Hinse and Sanche. All three forwards have had success playing together, as Hinse and Sanche both have 28 points each.

For the past few games, however, the Stingers have been without Hinse due to his involvement with Team Canada at the Winter World University Games in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In order to fill the gap, De Luca and Sanche have been playing with rookie forward Anthony Beauregard, who joined the team in January. So far, the line has been just as good, with Beauregard picking up 15 points in just 10 games.

De Luca and his teammates will be preparing for the playoffs in the coming weeks.

“It’s fun to be playing with a lot of good guys,” De Luca said. “I’d say Sanche is my best buddy off the ice so obviously it is easier for me to be playing with him. Now that Beauregard has jumped into the lineup, it’s even better.”

This season, the Stingers are having one of their best seasons in years. They are second in the East Division—last year they finished seventh. They have a record of 18-7-2 and are already eight wins ahead of last year’s team which finished with just 10.

U SPORTS has the Stingers ranked seventh in the country and in heavy competition with the Queen’s Golden Gaels and the McGill Redmen for top spot in their division.

De Luca explained that a large part of their improvement from last season is thanks to the work of head coach Marc-André Élement.

“[Élement’s] a younger guy and the players relate to him. They can go into his office at any time to just talk,” De Luca said. “It’s nice to know that he’s always on our side.”

De Luca further explained his respect for his coach by telling the story of how Élement got him invited to Team Canada’s Winter World University Games try-outs. Originally, De Luca was not invited to the training camp, so Élement called the coach of the team and got De Luca an invitation.

However, because De Luca is in independent studies and hasn’t declared a major, he was not eligible to play in the tournament.

Now, the Stingers are looking towards the playoffs as a top-seeded team in their division. De Luca said the team has mixed emotions heading into the post-season.

“I’d say the mood in the room is a mix of nerves and confidence,” De Luca said. “A lot of the guys in the room have played junior hockey so they know what it’s like. The season is its own thing and the playoffs are a new season so anyone can beat anyone, we just need to be ready mentally and physically.”

De Luca and the rest of the Stingers will take on the UOIT Ridgebacks in the first round of the playoffs, which start on Feb. 15.

The interview in this article was conducted by Matthew OHayon and Safia Ahmad as part of an on-air interview with CJLO 1690.  The interview was done in partnership with Alexander Cole who wrote the article.

Categories
Sports

From the football field to the press box

Barlett has earned the nickname “Mr. Concordia” during his time here. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Andrew Barlett talks about football and being a broadcaster at Concordia University

On any given Friday or Saturday night, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team is usually playing a game at the Ed Meagher Arena. On this particular Friday night, the Stingers are playing the Western Mustangs. They may not be the best team in the league, but the Stingers know they have to play well if they want to win and get those crucial points for the standings.

Meanwhile, up in the press box are Salim Valji and Andrew Barlett. Both men are broadcasters for the Concordia Stingers basketball and hockey webcasts. Valji does play-by-play, while Barlett does the colour commentary.

Up in the box, Valji and Barlett strike up a conversation with a couple of Stingers, who approach Barlett and shake his hand. He smiles, makes a couple of jokes and then turns back to Valji for some notes.

The men who approached Barlett are not just Stingers at the game, they are also his teammates out on the football field. Barlett is not just a broadcaster—he is first and foremost a defensive end and captain of the Concordia Stingers football team.

Born and raised in Burlington, Ont., sports have always been a part of Barlett’s life. His father won a Vanier Cup with the Acadia Axemen in 1979. With a desire to follow in his father’s footsteps, Barlett took up football and hockey.

“Just watching football with my dad, I would pick his brain, and later on we had Argos season tickets so I grew to have a huge passion for the Canadian game,” Barlett said. “Playing on great teams and having great coaches, with my dad alongside me, was my inspiration to keep getting better and better.”

With a bigger passion for football, Barlett eventually decided to ditch hockey and went through the recruitment process for university in his last year of high school. Despite calling Concordia his home for the last five years, Barlett never thought he would wind up in Quebec.

“I spoke to and got recruited by a number of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) teams in Ontario,” Barlett explained. “Throughout my whole high school career, I figured if I played in university it would be in Ontario because that’s all I knew.”

After winning the Ontario championships with his high school team, a few coaches from Concordia approached Barlett and offered him a spot on the team. From that point on, the coaches stayed in contact with him and Barlett came to Montreal for a recruiting trip.

Barlett, who is studying human relations, immediately took a shine to Concordia and has done almost everything he can to stay involved in the school.

Last year, he was the vice-president of finance for the department of applied human science, and the year before, he was the vice-president of academics for the same department. Furthermore, Barlett is a part of two charities on campus, as well as Concordia’s SWARM, which aims to get more people to attend Stingers games. He has even earned the nickname “Mr. Concordia,” thanks to his pride in the university.

Barlett (left) and Valji (right) have been broadcast partners for three years. Photo courtesy of Andrew Barlett.

“One reason why I stay involved is to gain experience in so many different fields and really find out where my passions are,” Barlett said. “The main reason though is the fact that I get to give back. No one is self-made so, for me, the fact that I can help other people is special.”

When it comes to broadcasting, Barlett has been a part of the Stingers webcast for three years now. After working on the webcast in a supporting role, Barlett figured he would give being a broadcaster a shot. Some inspiration from a few former teammates helped guide his decision as well.

“I got into it because I used to do statistics for the webcast and some of my former teammates were on the broadcast and they had no prior experience,” Barlett said. “I eventually told myself that that’s what I wanted to do, and it happened.”

Valji and Barlett have been partners for the last three years. They linked up with one another when Valji started his first year of journalism at Concordia. Valji, who had an interest in broadcast journalism, signed on to be part of the Stingers webcast.

For the first year of their partnership, Valji and Barlett only called men’s hockey together. Over the last two years, however, they have been doing basketball and hockey together for the men’s and women’s teams.

According to Valji, working with Barlett has been fun because they both have laid-back personalities. Valji said they are always trying to make their audience laugh and, over time, they have been able to develop great chemistry.

“In terms of our chemistry and play calling, it was a feeling-out process,” Valji said. “Now, I know when he’s about to make a point or reveal some stat. Occasionally, we’ll scribble notes down, but at this point it’s instinctual.”

As Valji and Barlett prepare their notes with just five minutes until the broadcast, a Stingers employee taps both men on the shoulder and hands them each a headset for the game. Barlett and Valji adjust their ties almost in unison and then turn around to face the camera. They’re live.

Categories
Sports

Stingers win fifth straight against Carleton

The Stingers have won five straight games thanks to their win on Friday. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

Concordia’s women’s hockey team won 3-2 on Friday night

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team extended their win streak to five games with a 3-2 win over the Carleton Ravens on Friday. The Stingers have been red-hot, winning eight of their last nine games, and 12 of their last 14.

Four graduating players were honoured on-ice following the game, as the match was the team’s last regular season game at home. Despite the emotional ceremony, the importance of focusing on the game didn’t change for head coach Julie Chu.

“Every time we step on the ice, we want to win,” she said. “For sentimental reasons, when it’s the last regular season [home game], I think there’s a little more emotion to it.”

The four graduating players were forwards Valerie Wade and Anne-Julie Deschenes, captain Tracy-Ann Lavigne and goalie Briar Bache. Chu expressed gratitude towards her veterans following the game.

“Our graduating players are a big part of this program, and have given a lot to us,” Chu said.

She added that the veterans helped the young players stay focused throughout the game.

“We wanted to play our hockey and get a chance to push and do all we could,” Chu said. “Our young players stepped up with the guidance of our veteran players.”

The game started with the Stingers clearly pushing to get their graduating players the win. They were all over the Ravens in the opening 10 minutes, and threw as many pucks as possible towards the net.

Their break came nearly eight minutes in when forward Audrey Belzile put a shot on net and the puck went through Ravens goalie Summer Roberts. It did not cross the goal line, but forward Stephanie Lalancette was ready to put it away.

Less than five minutes later, Lalancette, who is tied for second on the team in points, contributed to her team’s effort when she drew a penalty. The Stingers went on the power play and moved the puck around, creating some scoring chances. Less than a minute into the power play, defenceman Marie-Joelle Allard shot the puck from the top of the left face-off circle, and Belzile tipped it past Summers.

The Stingers pressured the Ravens for the rest of the period, outshooting them 10-4, but the score remained 2-0 after the first period. Chu said the team played well, but could have executed better.

The Stingers didn’t show as much drive in the second period. The Ravens scored the lone goal of the period when forward Nicole Miners scored on Bache on a breakaway. At the end of the second period, the Stingers were up 2-1.

In the third period, Stingers forward Alexandria D’Onofrio scored to make it 3-1, however, the Ravens scored to make it 3-2 just 22 seconds later.

The Ravens attacked the Stingers hard in the final five minutes, but the defence held them out, and Bache made some key saves. Bache’s win in her final regular season home game was a perfect way to end her Stingers career, according to Chu.

“[Bache] has been a great goaltender for us,” Chu said. “It’s been really tremendous for us. The character that she’s brought to the team, we’re really fortunate with that.”

The Stingers will now travel to Ottawa for another match against Carleton on Feb. 12 at 3 p.m.

Categories
Sports

Leading the team is his last year

In his last year, Fosu has been regarded as a leader on the team.

Stingers forward Michael Fosu talks about being a fifth-year player on the basketball squad

Concordia Stingers men’s basketball forward Michael Fosu is now competing in his fifth year with the team. But before that, he played one year with the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds.

Fosu, who played basketball in CEGEP for Vanier College, initially chose to go to New Brunswick to play with one of his teammates from Vanier. However, just a year in, he decided to come to Concordia.

“It’s a great school, don’t get me wrong,” Fosu said. “People are nice over there, but [for me] it was about winning. I wanted to make the playoffs. That’s what we’ve been able to do here.”

The fifth-year Stinger also went to Lucien Page, a French high school here in Montreal. With a strong knowledge of French, Fosu found himself in Concordia’s French Studies program, from which he is set to graduate from this year. However, he said his field of study had no bearing on his decision to come to Concordia. His decision was purely from a competitive standpoint.

Having been with the Stingers for four years, Fosu has seen many players come and go. He recalled Zach Brisebois and Taylor Garner, among others, as being his favourite teammates to play with.

osu played a year of university basketball in New Brunswick before coming to the Stingers. Photos by Brianna Thicke.

“My first year here is the only year where I can say that I played with veteran guys who know the game of basketball,” Fosu said.

He also explained he had a great relationship with the team’s head coach at the time, John Dore.

“He was more like a father figure to me,” Fosu said.

Fosu also explained the community within the basketball program was one of the major reasons he knew Concordia was the right team for him, describing the overall atmosphere as one of a “family.” As soon as he set foot on campus, he said it was easy for him to joke around with his older teammates—which is something he tries to do now with the younger guys on the team.

“Of course they are rookies,” Fosu said. “But at the same time, we let them know that they are a part of the family. “

That same team spirit is the reason why the transition between Dore and current head coach Rastko Popovic has been so effortless. Popovic was an assistant coach with the women’s and men’s teams before being promoted to head coach of the men’s team. Having known the guys on the team for a while, Popovic looked to Fosu to provide leadership for the team.

“I am a man of few words,” Fosu said. “I am a guy who leads by example.”

Fosu also noted that, during his collegiate career, a few players have come in and out of the program without ever being able to sustain the level of play that’s demanded. This is a reality that has drastically changed over the course of the last year or so.

“The new guys coming in are so mature for their age,” Fosu said. “I can’t wait to see what they’ll do in the future.”

When talking about the new Stingers players, Fosu referenced Olivier Simon and Roman Power as guys who have already shown promise in their first year.

For Fosu and the team, the goal is to win a championship—just like every year. However, optimism is high due to the current crop of young players who will help solidify the Stingers as serious competitors—not just this year, but for the years to come. Fosu is excited to be a part of that process despite that this is his last year.

Fosu’s experience has made him a major contributor to his team, having started eight games out of nine this season and averaging 8.7 points per game. He also plays 22 minutes per game, which ranks him fourth amongst his teammates—a testament to the depth Popovic has been able to assemble.

Fosu also believes this year’s team is the one most likely to contend for a title in years.

“This is the most talented team we’ve had since I got here,” Fosu said. “We’ve always been one step away from really winning it all, but this year, hopefully with the young guys, we can get to the championship.”

There is no doubt in his mind the program is in good hands.

“If I have an opportunity to be an assistant coach, I will take it,” Fosu said. “I want to stay involved in the game.”

Categories
Sports

It’s tougher than you think

Water polo looks calm on the surface, but most of the action happens below the water. Photo by Frank Caracciolo

Examining the surprisingly rough sport of water polo

“You’re not guaranteed every breath that you’re going to take.” That’s how Dollard-Des-Ormeaux water polo coach Evan Emory describes water polo.

Yes, the sport is tough, but the unknown and underrated game has a lot to offer those who don’t know much about it. Water polo is like handball in water, but also has soccer and basketball elements to it. And, because this is Canada, the toughness of hockey is involved too.

Water polo is a traditional team sport, with four quarters of seven or eight minutes, depending on the league. Each team has seven players, including a goalie, and the aim of the game is to score as many goals as possible. Ideally, the games are played in 25-by-20-metre pools, deep enough that players cannot touch the bottom.

Aesthetically, water polo looks much like handball ,but, in reality, the two sports don’t share many rules. Unlike handball, a water polo player can move freely with the ball, and there is no restricted arch around the net from which a water polo player cannot shoot. The only restriction for attacking players is that they cannot go within two metres of the goalie without the ball.

Like in soccer, if a major foul is committed within five metres of the net, a penalty shot is awarded. There are also corner throws when a defending team last touches a shot that goes out of bounds across the goal line.

Similarly to basketball, a player cannot hold the ball with two hands and there is a shot clock. Teams must shoot the ball within 30 seconds of getting possession. And like in basketball, unlimited substitutions are allowed at stoppages of play.

Water polo is a fast-paced game that requires all players in the pool to contribute both on offence and defence. Transitioning between offence and defence is important in water polo, as all players must hustle back fast. As soon as a team takes a shot, there’s no time to watch it—the players have to be ready to swim back.

Nitesh Agarwal, a water polo player from Montreal, explained everybody in the water plays every position and no one is assigned one set role.

“It’s not like football where there’s offence and defence, or hockey with defencemen and forwards,” Agarwal said. “You’re just as much a defender as top scorer.”

Although water pool seems like a gentlemen’s game on TV, the majority of the action happens underwater. This is where the toughness of hockey—or rugby—comes in.

Graphic by Thom Bell

“It looks a lot of the time like the guys are floating there,” Emory said. “Every second that you’re not hanging off the wall, you’re expending energy.”

“We’re fighting for position, we’re pushing, wrestling, we’re scrapping, we’re hitting each other.” Agarwal added. “No one knows if you kick someone, no one knows if you pull someone underwater or if you’re getting drowned. If you’re a weaker person, you’re going to get swam over.”

With the constant treading water, swimming, physical play and attentiveness to the fast-paced game, it’s easy to get tired playing the game. But for Agarwal, it’s what makes water polo great.

“In the moment, I hated being gassed, but then you kind of realize those are the fun moments—when you have no energy left and you have to haul yourself up,” Agarwal said.

Emory said he believes the tough, physical nature of the game leaves only those who want to play left to play.

“It’s survival of the fittest. The ones who don’t want to do it just get out of the water,” Emory said. “Some guys just become tougher because of it.”

The hungriest-competitor-wins attitude brings a certain culture of discipline to the sport, according to Emory. He said players who come with the wrong attitude just get left behind, and those willing to push and sacrifice for their team will play.

“You’re there for your brothers,” he said.

This passion that water polo players carry led to one of the most famous incidents in the history of the game. In the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia, Hungary and the USSR faced off in the semi-final. Tensions were high between the two countries, as Soviet-ruled Hungary was in the midst of a political revolution against the Soviet forces.

The game was physical, and in the fourth quarter, with Hungary up 4-0, Soviet player Valentin Prokopov punched Hungarian star Ervin Zador, who scored two goals in the match, right above his right eye. Zador came out of the pool with blood dripping down his face, which prompted Hungarian supporters to clear the stands and hurl insults at the Soviets. The game is named the “Blood in the Water” match, and remains one of the most famous water polo games in history, according to BBC.

For those hearing about the sport for the first time, fear not—you will not get punched if you try it. And don’t worry, you will get your next breath.

Categories
Sports

Stingers defeat Western in penalty-filled game

The Stingers picked up their 17th win of the year on Friday night. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

Concordia men’s hockey team had it out with the Mustangs on Friday night

Both the Concordia Stingers and the Western Mustangs men’s hockey teams got into heavy penalty trouble on Friday night. However, the Stingers were able to come out on top and win the game 7-4.

“I think we need to be more focused and ready to pay the price,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement. “We’ll have to show the guys some video and show them the penalties so they can fix it. We can’t be taking those penalties in the playoffs.”

The Stingers found themselves on the power play early and were able to capitalize on their second man advantage of the night, after a goal by Stingers forward Philippe Sanche. A few minutes later, Western took two consecutive penalties which gave the Stingers a five-on-three powerplay.

With more space to move around, the Stingers made no mistakes and went up 2-0 when forward Antoine Masson scored. The Mustangs took another penalty right after the goal which gave the Stingers another five-on-three.

That’s when Stingers defenceman Anthony Cortese scored off of a wrist shot from the blue line, to make the score 3-0 in favour of the Stingers. The power play was headed by forwards Sanche, Anthony Beauregard and Anthony Deluca, who have developed chemistry with one another over the last few games.

“Having chemistry with each other has been easy. We’re good friends off the ice,” Sanche said. “We’ve known each other for a long time and we played against each other a lot in junior so we all know everybody’s style.”

With just a few minutes left in the first period, the Stingers took two penalties in a row which gave the Mustangs their own opportunity at a five-on-three power play.

The Stingers defeated Guelph the following night.

On the ensuing faceoff, the Mustangs cut the Stingers lead to 3-1 when forward Andrew Goldberg scored on a rebound.

The second period began with more penalty trouble for the Stingers. A couple of penalties led to a goal by Mustangs forward Spenser Cobbold, which cut the lead to 3-2.

By the end of the period, the Stingers were able to pick themselves back up, and jumped to a 5-2 lead thanks to goals by defencemen Curtis Gass and Mathieu Desautels.

“We managed to get a lot of offense and a lot of shots,” Sanche said. “We just need to tighten up a little bit defensively, but overall it was a good game for us.”

The third period was more of the same, with both teams taking multiple penalties. Both teams traded goals until it was 6-4 with just a minute left. That’s when the Mustangs pulled their goalie to add an extra attacker.

Desperate to tie the game, the Mustangs were unable to generate offense, and Sanche ended up scoring on the empty net to bring the score to 7-4.

Throughout the game, the Mustangs were all over Sanche, hitting him at every chance they got. However, Sanche said he embraces the physicality.

“I like it, it’s part of hockey,” Sanche said. “I get more energy when someone is trying to get me off my game. It makes me want to beat them more.”

The following night the Stingers defeated the Guelph Gryphons 6-3.

Categories
Sports

Stingers split against Rouge et Or

The team played solid defence in the win.

Concordia’s women’s basketball team lost to Laval while the men won

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team lost to the Université de Laval Rouge et Or on Thursday night by a score of 83-77 in overtime. Meanwhile, the men’s team took home a victory against the Rouge et Or, this time by a score of 68-54.

Women’s Basketball

The Stingers had a chance to defeat the number-one-ranked team in the country in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter but failed to get any quality shots. Both teams went scoreless for a full two minutes before heading into overtime, where the Rouge et Or defeated the Stingers 83-77.

The game was the first time the Stingers went into overtime this season. Photos by Ana Hernandez.

On Thursday night, there were six lead changes in the fourth quarter and the overtime quarter was close, until Laval jumped out to a 74-68 lead that Concordia just wasn’t able to come back from.

The game did not start well for the Stingers as the Rouge et Or dominated in terms of rebounds, and jumped out to a 19-12 lead in the first quarter. Then, in the second quarter, the Rouge et Or got more quality shooting from their players, which gave them a 40-30 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Stingers mounted a comeback thanks to some Rouge et Or turnovers. At one point, Laval committed five of their 21 turnovers, which lead to easy baskets for the Stingers. However, the Stingers only managed to score 28 points off of the 21 turnovers.

“It doesn’t even matter what the score is. We gotta execute at all times,” said Stingers head coach Tenicha Gittens. “When we do, we always get good looks. It’s just a matter of knocking those shots and making those layups.”

Despite the loss, the Stingers had every opportunity to score, yet the team only made 31.9 per cent of their shots. Meanwhile, the Rouge et Or were able to rely on their shooters to make big plays.

With the score 57-56 for the Rouge et Or entering the fourth quarter, everything seemed to indicate that it was going to come down to the final shot—and it did. With just under three minutes to go, Stingers guard Marilyse Roy-Viau made two of her game-high eight free throws to tie the game at 66.

The Stingers had four players with double-digit points but no one was more important than Roy-Viau, who was involved in every aspect of the game.

For Gittens, there were plenty of positives to take away from the game against Laval.

“We just got to build on that [game], take from that and not lay down.” Gittens said. “It’s going to be hard as hell next time. Laval thinks that the game was way too close so they’re going to come and knock our heads off.”

Men’s Basketball

The Stingers led the entire game en route to a 68-54 win. Most notably, Stingers forward Schneiders Suffrard had his biggest game of the season, scoring 21 points.

The first quarter displayed tough and gritty play from the Stingers, which gave them a 12-9 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, both teams picked up the pace. Despite having the lead at halftime, Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic felt the team could have played better.

“In the first half, the reason why it was a two-point game is because we didn’t score enough points,” Popovic said. “If we score 44, 22 in each quarter, I tell our guys if we can score like that and get to 80 points, nobody is beating us the way we defend.”

The Stingers responded well coming into the third quarter and raised their level of aggression. The quarter started with an acrobatic layup by Stingers guard Ken Beaulieu, then a three-pointer by Suffrard on the ensuing possession. Later in the quarter, Beaulieu made some impressive dunks and gave the Stingers a 45-35 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Laval tried to claw their way back into the game but were stymied by the Stingers’ defence.

With four minutes left in the game, Beaulieu put the game away for the Stingers with a slam dunk that increased their lead 58-48. Beaulieu finished the game with a double-double.

“That’s two double-doubles in a row. He’s finally starting to peek and play,” Popovic said. “When he gets those dunks and when he’s playing in passing lanes and rebounding like that, he just changes our team. He was first team all-star last year. He’s our best player. He does so many good things out here.”

Both the men’s and women’s teams will play the Rouge et Or on Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in Quebec City.

Categories
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.

Categories
Sports

Finding your athleticism

Bootcamp classes follow a circuit training format and aim to be a full-body workout. Photo by Kathy Landry

Keeping physically active is all about discovering the activities that excite you

When I was in high school, I was never one to get grass stains on my knees. I cringed at the squeak of running shoes across the gymnasium floor. If you asked me how I felt about gym class, I would tell you I’d rather be solving the equation of a line.

Like many high schools, my P.E. class curriculum was predominately team sports-based. Throughout the school year, we would rotate between different sports, from soccer to basketball to rugby to floor hockey. A big chunk of students—the jocks—would excel no matter what sport they played. As much as I wanted to fit in with them, I didn’t have the hand-eye coordination or the natural talent to make a great pass or score. As team members were being chosen by captains, I’d twiddle my thumbs and stare at the floor, knowing I’d be one of the last invited to play.

I was labeled one of the lazy girls. And to be honest, at the time, it was true. I was unfit. Unmotivated. Occasionally, my teacher would allow me to walk laps around the school instead of playing sports with the others.

What I have learned since then, though, is that I didn’t hate gym class because I hated exercising. I hated it because I never got to discover a type of physical activity that brought me joy and excitement.

Over the last four years, however, I found my place in the world of fitness. For me, it’s really been all about trial and error. Even today, I continue to discover more about my athleticism and physical capabilities.

There are a few activities where I feel in my element, such as running, spinning and biking. I discovered these activities through gym classes in CEGEP or by hanging out at the park and observing how others were being active. But more recently, bootcamp classes have really changed how I view physical activity. For over a year now, I have been a member of KinéKat Santé, a workout studio in the borough of Lasalle.

Graphic by Florence Yee

According to Kathy Landry, the owner and main trainer at the studio, bootcamp is a form of interval-based training which targets muscular and cardiovascular endurance, as well as agility and coordination.

During each class, we complete a series of four exercises at specific intervals, repeating the entire set three times. Then, we complete a second series of four different exercises three times again. At first, I thought the exercises would get boring after a while.To my surprise, every time I’ve attended, Landry has come up with new exercises, making the course fresh and exciting. Personally, that’s one of the aspects that makes the course so entertaining for me—you never know what you’re going to get.

It would take the entire word count of this article to list all of the exercises I have done through bootcamp. We do a variety of planks, squats, lunges, push-ups, agility exercises, weights and a lot of work with bosu balls, a dome-shaped exercise ball.

Bootcamp can also easily be done at home using minimal equipment. A few weights and a mat are all it takes to get you started. But, for me, being part of a class is more motivating, as I feed off of the energy of others without it getting competitive. Classes are also a reasonable size—eight to 10 people. While Landry has several other classes, such as zumba, yoga and POUND, bootcamp is the class I keep coming back to. It is impossible to leave without sweating your butt off.  It is challenging and energizing. I feel my muscles tightening with every sequence, and it’s rewarding. I started out not being able to do a single push-up or hold a plank for more than 20 seconds—those days are long gone.

It’s virtually common knowledge that being physically active reaps significant benefits, not only physically, but mentally. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, keeping active regularly can improve self-esteem, reduce stress, increase energy levels and overall happiness, all while reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

I can attest to the fact that being physically fit has made me happier and more confident. The key, in my experience, is finding activities you truly enjoy—ones that don’t feel like work—that you’re motivated to do. Year-round, I workout four times a week—through bootcamp, biking or running.

It is easy to feel like you are just not meant to be fit, or just not good enough for sports. If there is any advice I can give to anyone in that predicament, it’s to be curious. Try new activities, and go into them with an open mind. More importantly, don’t get discouraged if you dislike something. Of course, there are days where, no matter what, even a workout you enjoy will feel like work. But it’s when you don’t mind that grass stain or the squeak of your shoes against the floor that you know you’ve found an activity worth sweating for.

Categories
Sports

Stingers blowout Gaiters in Thursday’s doubleheader

The men’s team played great defence in the win.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams were impressive against Bishop’s

The Concordia Stingers women’s and men’s basketball teams were victorious on Thursday night. Both teams took on the Bishop’s Gaiters, with the women’s team winning 57-42 and the men winning 76-55.

Women’s Basketball

On a night when the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team struggled to find an offensive groove, they were able to prevail with a strong defensive effort.

The women’s team bounced back after a big loss to McGill. Photos by Ana Hernandez.

“We picked it up on defense. That’s one thing that we emphasized at half-time. We weren’t doing well defensively [up to that point],” said Stingers head coach Tenicha Gittens. “I thought we were forcing them to take bad shots but then we allowed them to get to the glass. They were very aggressive in that first quarter, but we definitely have to clean that up.”

The Stingers came out sloppy, committing 18 turnovers and attempting bad shots throughout the game. However, it started pretty well for the Stingers as they went on a 9-2 run in the first three minutes of the game. The Stingers only managed to make one field goal for the remainder of the quarter and were only up 11-9 by the end of the quarter.

The second quarter was more productive and saw the Stingers outscore Bishop’s by 21-14. Stingers guard Jazlin Barker scored seven of the team’s  last nine points of the quarter. The Stingers were up 32-23 at halftime.

The Stingers were finally able to pull away from the Gaiters in the third quarter when Stingers guard Richelle Grégoire took matters into her own hands and scored 13 of her game-high 15 points. It is an effort she attributes to the hard work of her teammates.

“My teammates try to help me when I am struggling, and they tell me to keep my head up and eventually it’s going to drop,” Grégoire said.

With six minutes left in the game, Grégoire buried one of her two three-pointers, which gave the Stingers their biggest lead up to that point. The Stingers never looked back, cruising to a 57-42 win.

Despite the 15-point win, Gittens felt there was room for improvement from her team.

“As a player, as an athlete, you should be up to play,” Gittens said. “It doesn’t matter who is in front you.”

Men’s Basketball

Thanks to the strong play of Stingers guards Ken Beaulieu and Adrian Armstrong, as well as forward Michael Fosu, the men’s team was able to cruise to a 76-55 blowout win against Bishop’s.

The first quarter starred a red-hot performance from Armstrong. With the score 12-10 in the Stingers’ favour, the second-year guard from London, Ont. scored 14 consecutive points for his team to end the first quarter.

Armstrong did most of his damage from behind the three-point line. The whole gym erupted in response to his spectacular play. Armstrong, who came off the bench in the first quarter, finished the game with 17 points.

Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic was impressed with his bench’s play in the game.

“It’s good when you can get in different guys,” Popovic said. “That was the whole point this year. Having a good recruiting class. Having depth to come in and play.”

The Stingers started the second quarter the same way they ended the first. With six minutes left in the half, Fosu scored a nice basket after some great passing plays by Stingers forward Schneiders Suffrard and Beaulieu. Fosu’s basket put the Stingers up 30-19. Soon after, with just under three minutes to go, Beaulieu finished off a nice effort by grabbing his own rebound and scoring. The Stingers took a 17-point lead into halftime, with the score at 40-23.

The Gaiters never managed to be a threat to the Stingers in the second half. With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Stingers guard Nicholas Noble made a three-point shot after some nice ball movement that buried any chance of a comeback from the Gaiters. The three-pointer put the Stingers up 63-46.

“Definitely this week we did focus on playing a little bit faster,” Popovic said. “I thought our starters did a better job [in that aspect], and I think we need our bench to come in with energy and push the ball more.”

Both Stingers teams will take on the Bishop’s Gaiters again on Jan. 28 in Sherbrooke.

Categories
Sports

Bell Let’s Talk reaches Concordia

Philippe Hudon shared his personal story with the media in his last year of Junior hockey. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

Stingers men’s hockey forward Philippe Hudon speaks out about his experiences with mental illness

In any given year, one in five Canadians suffer from a mental health or addiction problem, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

One of those Canadians is Philippe Hudon, a forward and assistant captain on the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team. In 2010, Hudon was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

The condition is described as a disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviours (compulsions) that they feel the urge to constantly repeat, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Since sharing his story with sports network RDS in 2014, Hudon has turned his condition into a positive experience and has lent his voice to the discussion surrounding mental illness. This year, he is the Concordia Stingers’ representative for Bell Let’s Talk Day.

According to Bell Canada, on Jan. 25, more than 20,000 university athletes from 53 schools across Canada will take part in an initiative to promote mental health awareness on campuses.

For Hudon, helping Concordia take part in the Bell Let’s Talk campaign is something he’s always been interested in doing.

“The Stingers have been really involved with community work,” Hudon said. “When I came in, about two years ago, I really wanted to make a difference, especially with the Bell Let’s Talk initiative which I had already touched upon previously when I was playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.”

One of the Stingers’ contributions leading up to Jan. 25 was the Bell Let’s Talk Day hockey game, which was held at the Ed Meagher Arena on Jan. 7. Before the match, which was against Ryerson University, the Stingers gave out pamphlets to raise awareness about Bell Let’s Talk and mental health in general.

Hudon, who is in his third year with the Stingers, got to take part in the ceremonial face-off before the game—an honour usually reserved for captains.

“It felt great to be a spokesperson for a great cause, especially with myself having been through times of hardship where I had to battle and come back better than ever,” Hudon said. “Being able to host a game and being able to be a part of the puck drop was pretty emotional, especially with all of my brothers on the ice with me.”

Apart from the game against Ryerson, Hudon has been involved with the Bell Let’s Talk initiative in other ways. For instance, he recently gave a talk at Kuper Academy in the West Island, where just one year ago, a student committed suicide.

Hudon talked to the students about mental health and his struggles with OCD. The assembly was organized by Kuper Academy student Ethan Chang with the goal of helping to end the stigma surrounding mental illness.

“At first I was really excited to do it because I love getting involved like that, but I was also really nervous. I’ve done presentations in class but talking to 500 students was something big,” Hudon said. “It turned out to be a success and that’s something that I’m really proud of.”

As part of Bell Let’s Talk Day, Hudon was given the opportunity to share his story on a national level. Earlier this month, he spoke to a representative at Bell about his struggles, and was approached by media outlets such as CTV and TSN for features.

Since airing his story on a major network three years ago, Hudon said he has become more confident in sharing his experiences. He said he will talk to anybody who is willing to listen, and believes it’s important to share his story with as many people as possible.

Hudon took part in the ceremonial face-off during a game against Ryerson on Jan. 7. Photo by Brianna Thicke

“I think that I can make a difference,” Hudon said. “By sharing my story, I hope I can help people whether they are affected personally by mental illness or not, or whether they know someone who is affected and that it gives them the tools that will help them in the near future.”

The Bell Let’s Talk initiative, whose official spokesperson is Olympian Clara Hughes, has been around since 2010 and has grown every year since. In 2016, the campaign broke its donation record, with over $6 million raised for mental health programs across Canada.

Hudon said it’s been incredible to see the increasing support for the initiative, and he feels that people are really starting to care about issues surrounding mental health.

“It makes me feel comfortable and happy that people aren’t just supporting Bell Let’s Talk for hashtags and social media. I think there’s more to it,” Hudon said. “I see more and more people actually want to get involved and want to know more. We want to include everybody in society and the growing number of spokespeople and donations is progress that makes me feel warm and happy.”

For those with mental illness who are worried or afraid about sharing their experiences, Hudon said it’s a tough situation. However, he said something that helped him when he was struggling was surrounding himself with his friends and family who were truly there for him.

“By sticking with your true friends, it’s going to make it a lot easier to talk because you know those people won’t judge you and will just listen,” Hudon said. “My motto is ‘lend an ear.’ For people who aren’t affected, just listen and be there for someone and make sure they aren’t lost and don’t feel like an outsider.”

If you’re a student at Concordia who is suffering from any mental health issues and needs someone to talk to, Health Services is open to all students and is located at 7141 Sherbrooke St. West in room 131 of the AD building.

Exit mobile version