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Stingers basketball sweeps home-opener

The men’s team won on Thursday despite being out-rebounded.

Both Concordia teams defeated the Bishop’s Gaiters on Thursday night

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team needed a last-second defensive rebound from rookie forward Marvia Dean to seal a 59-55 victory on Nov. 10. The men’s team won a thriller against the Gaiters, 70-67, on a last-second free throw by rookie guard Nicholas Noble.

Women’s Game

The Stingers jumped out to a 12-0 lead, led by the shooting of guard Caroline Task and forward Richelle Grégoire. By the end of the first quarter, the Gaiters had only made four throws and were down 16-4.

In the second quarter, the Stingers saw their large lead slip away due to turnovers. The Gaiters outscored them and the quarter eventually ended with the Stingers up by a score of 28-24.

The women’s team won a nail-biter against the Gaiters. Photos by Ana Hernandez.

Late in the third quarter, the Gaiters tied the game up at 31 on a shot by Gaiters guard Edith Noblecilla. The Stingers opened up a six-point lead afterwards. The Gaiters made things interesting before the quarter ended as they scored two late buckets to cut the deficit to two, 38-36.

The fourth quarter started with a bang for the Stingers as they hit three shots from the three-point line in the first minute and half of the quarter.  Later in the final quarter, the Gaiters tied the game up at 55.

The Stingers kicked things into gear and scored the last four points of the game to close out the win.

“I preach defense all the time and that’s what kept us in the game, especially when they tied it and got their runs,’’ said Stingers head coach Tenicha Gittens.  “We made some key stops down the stretch. Also, we made some key shots and free throws which all resulted from our defense.”

Grégoire was the top scorer in the match with 19 points. The Stingers also got a huge game from rookie forward Marvia Dean, who had 15 rebounds—11 of those coming on defence.

Gittens explained that close games, like the one on Thursday, will be common throughout the season.

“Our conference is the top conference in the country, so our next 15 games will be like that,’’ Gittens said.

Men’s game

The beginning of the match went back and forth as both teams tied up the game on three separate occasions. However, before the first quarter ended, a three-pointer by Stingers guard Ken Beaulieu gave the team a 15-13 lead.

In the second quarter, the Gaiters outscored the Stingers 23-17, and took a 36-32 lead going into halftime.

With eight minutes left in the third quarter, Stingers center Michael Fosu tied the game up at 36. The game then went back and forth in the quarter, until Gaiters guard Jona Bermillo hit a three-pointer and added two free throws to give his team a 58-57 lead heading into the final quarter.

The game was tied at 60 with just four minute left in the game. This is when Stingers rookie guard Nicholas Noble hit a three-pointer, giving the team a 63-60 lead. Then, with just over a minute left, Stingers point guard Ricardo Monge hit another three-pointer to seal the win.

Beaulieu led the Stingers with 14 points.

The Stingers were out-rebounded 21-18 in the game which is a concern for the coaching staff.

“One of our focuses for the game tonight was to hit the boards hard on both ends, and I thought that we did not execute that at all tonight which allowed the [Gaiters] to stay in the game,” said Stingers assistant coach Nathan Grant.

Both Stingers teams will now take on the Laval Rouge et Or on Nov. 13.

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Playing with an Armada of talent

Sanche was a highly sought after recruit during the off-season. Photos by Brianna Thicke.

Rookie forward Philippe Sanche has made an early impact with the men’s hockey team

Big things come in small packages. In the case of Stingers rookie forward Philippe Sanche, that statement has rung true for his entire life. At just five-foot-five, Sanche has never been the biggest guy on his team. What he may lack in size, he’s made up for in spades with his heart and passion for the game of hockey.

“Because I’ve always been smaller, I’ve always had to work harder than [most people],” Sanche said. “All my coaches told me that work ethic is more important than talent.”

Getting into hockey was an interesting journey in itself for Sanche. While he may be in love with the sport now, there was a time when he considered leaving hockey altogether. In his defense, he was only three-years-old at the time.

“I started skating at three years old,” Sanche said. “I watched hockey on TV, my dad liked it and I decided I wanted to play. I actually wanted to quit, though, because I didn’t like to skate. My parents told me that if I started something, I had to finish it. Eventually I would cry because I didn’t want to get off the ice.”

Sanche has never looked back on his decision to continue playing the sport. He went on to play hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

“I played Midget Espoir at 15 and saw a few of my friends play in the QMJHL,” said Sanche. “It looked like fun and I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

Sanche had a successful career in the QMJHL, recording 79 goals and 200 points in 207 games. His best season came in 2014-15 when Sanche recorded career-highs in every statistical category, including 65 games played, 36 goals, 36 assists, 72 points, 55 penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of plus 23.

Although Sanche is no longer an active player in the QMJHL, there’s no denying the impact he left on the league. In 2015, Sanche won the award for the hardest working player in the QMJHL—an award voted on by fans of the league. Even more impressive was the fact that the Armada created the “Philippe Sanche Trophy,” which was given to Sanche to commemorate his work ethic. The award is now given to the hardest working player on the Armada team each season.

“It’s pretty nice [to leave that legacy behind],” Sanche said. “I didn’t score 100 goals in a year, I didn’t break any record, but it’s nice to get rewarded for just working hard. It’s what I’ve done since I was young.”

Going from the QMJHL to university hockey has been an interesting transition for Sanche so far, although he almost didn’t play for Concordia. Growing up, the Mercier, QC native said he always had some interest in attending McGill. When Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement talked with Sanche about recruitment, however, that all changed.

As Sanche put it, Élement didn’t pressure him, he just made it clear that the Stingers really wanted him—more than the McGill Redmen did.

Now 21-year-old Sanche is seven games into his career with the Concordia Stingers and he’s done well to establish himself early. In seven games, he’s scored one goal and seven points while skating alongside forward Scott Oke and captain Olivier Hinse.

Sanche has excelled on a line with Olivier Hinse and Scott Oke.

“It’s [Hinse’s] fifth year here. He knows a lot about this league,” Sanche said. “It’s always tough to transition from league to league, and he made it much easier on me and for everyone else that’s come into this program.”

Sanche grew up playing hockey in Canada and like any other hockey-hungry Canadian growing up, a career in the NHL has always been something he’s thought about. A realistic mindset has kept Sanche grounded, though, and his success and work ethic can be attributed to that realistic perspective.

“I dreamed of playing in the NHL like every kid, but it was never one of my goals,” Sanche said. “I’ve always wanted to play hockey to have fun, and I’d love to make a career out of it, but I’m taking it step by step.”

If not the NHL, a hockey career in Europe is definitely on Sanche’s radar..For now though, he’s more concerned with playing hockey with the Stingers and doing well both on the ice and in the classroom.

Sanche is currently enrolled in independent studies at Concordia, but his ultimate goal is to go into business and study accounting. While he would love to make hockey his career, Sanche is taking the appropriate steps to ensure he has a good foundation to fall back on, or even to transition to after his hockey career is finished.

Right now, Sanche is just enjoying his time playing hockey—something he’s done for the last 18 years of his life.

“The feeling you get when you go to the rink—you play with your friends,” Sanche said. “That’s why I love hockey.”

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Stingers shutout Ravens at home

The Stingers were able to pick up their second win in five games on Sunday. Photo by Alex hutchins.

The Concordia women’s hockey team was relentless on defence in their victory on Sunday

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team dominated the Carleton Ravens on Nov. 6, winning by a score of 3-0 at the Ed Meagher Arena. They outshot their opponents 39-8, earning their second win in five games.

The Stingers took no time getting to work, out-hustling the Ravens for much of the first period. For most of the play, the puck stayed in Carleton’s defensive zone, as Concordia’s defenders played aggressively at the blue line to keep plays alive.

“We’re really working hard to allow our defencemen to go on offence,” Stingers head coach Julie Chu said.

Chu said she likes her defenders to jump into plays and contribute on offense whenever possible, whether it means joining a rush up the ice, or carrying the puck low into the offensive zone.

“They’re starting to [make rushes], and it allows us to have a lot more layers of offense and to keep [opposing] defenders on their toes a bit more,” Chu said.

Carleton goaltender Katelyn Steele stood tall for the Ravens, keeping the game tied as her team got outshot 10-3 in the first period.

The period would not be without adversity for the Stingers. With roughly four minutes left to play, defender Emily Even of the Stingers went down in the corner with an injury.

Even did not return to the ice, and the nature of her injury is unknown.

By the midway point of the second period, the Stingers were outshooting the Ravens by a 16-4 margin, and had spent almost no time on defence since the start of the period.

With seven minutes left in the period, Stingers forward Devon Thompson broke the deadlock by scooping in a rebound from a shot by Stingers forward Marie-Pascale Bernier.

Two minutes later, Stingers forward Stephanie Lalancette forced a turnover in the Ravens zone, and passed the puck to teammate Audrey Belzile, who one-timed the puck into the net to put the Stingers up by two.

The Stingers stayed relentless in the third period, conceding only one more shot to Carleton. It was a stellar defensive performance from the entire team, as Concordia goaltender Briar Bache notched an eight-save shutout in her first start of the regular season.

Chu explained that in their previous game against Montréal, the team struggled with defence.

“Throughout this entire week of preparation, we really focused on net front battles, playing pucks in the corner and taking away space,” Chu said.

Stingers forward Claudia Dubois scored the final goal of the game midway through the third period on the power play to cap off a 3-0 win. The Stingers took 31 more shots than the Ravens in their most dominant performance of the season to date.

The Stingers will hit the ice again on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., when they play the Université de Montréal Carabins.

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Saying farewell to Concordia’s pitching duo

The Concordia Stingers baseball team made it to the conference finals and nationals. Photo by James Kierans.

Dan Connerty and Sam Belisle-Springer reflect on their time with the Stingers baseball team

Anyone will tell you that, in any sport, every team could use more than a few veterans that other players can depend on. What is less widely discussed is the pressure these veterans often put on themselves to be dependable.

With the Stingers baseball season over, veteran pitchers Sam Belisle-Springer and Dan Connerty have finished their last season with Concordia. Both players started their careers with the Stingers in 2013. Connerty left to pitch in the United States for two years, returning to Concordia in 2016, while Belisle-Springer has played four straight seasons.

When the 2016 season started, both were slated to be the team’s premier starting pitchers. Connerty had just come back from playing for Northwood University in Michigan and was named team captain, while Belisle-Springer had been awarded Pitcher of the Year in 2015.

Both were feeling the pressures of leadership.

“Going into [this season], I knew I had to be a starting pitcher, I had to be the number one guy,” said Belisle-Springer. The team had lost one of their other starting pitchers from the year before, and Connerty hadn’t played on the team in two years. “There were a lot of question marks. A lot of that pressure was pressure that I put on myself, and I think that really played into my slow start.”

Meanwhile, Connerty found himself struggling with the pressures of captaincy. He admitted that when manager Howie Schwartz named him captain, he felt like he needed to be the perfect leader the team deserved at all times.

Through the month of September, Connerty and Belisle-Springer allowed a combined 29 runs in just over 23 innings. Before too long, Schwartz decided to sit both of them down and put his background in sports psychology to use.

“He sat us down, we spoke for a good twenty, thirty minutes about what we needed to focus on,” Connerty said. “[Howie] said that I was just putting too much pressure on myself. [I’m a] strong enough leader off the field that, when I go into the game, I don’t have to expect to be perfect.”

Connerty adjusted his leadership strategies, understanding that not everyone on the team had the same competitive spirit he and Belisle-Springer brought to the game.

“There was a difference this year [from] the 2013 team. Not playing at 100 per cent wasn’t acceptable [in 2013]. We had guys on the team who held you accountable. This year, you couldn’t really do that,” Connerty said. “There’s a fine line between being constructive, and coming off as a condescending asshole.”

Belisle-Springer agreed that sometimes the commitment level on the team was lacking. “I had the feeling that half the team didn’t care,” Belisle-Springer said. “The starters really cared but we had a lot of guys who were [just] there.”

With Schwartz’s guidance, the two pitchers were able to finish the regular season with style. By mid-October, both had managed to bring their respective earned-run-averages below four. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to translate this strong play into success at Nationals.

“I had a really strong stretch of three or four starts, and I wasn’t able to carry that over into Nationals,” Belisle-Springer said. “The big disappointment is that I feel like I’m a lot better than what I’ve done in my four years.”

Dan Connerty pitched in the United States for two years before coming back to the Stingers.

The Stingers lost in the semi-finals of the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association National Championships to the Université de Montréal. Neither Connerty nor Belisle-Springer have won a title in their time with the team.

“The main reason I came here was to win a national championship. I really thought we had it,” Connerty said. “Once I got to Nationals, I wanted to leave this weekend with no ‘what ifs.’”

Despite performing well individually at Nationals, Connerty still can’t shake the sting of the loss. “As the captain, your goal is to get the team prepared to win,” Connerty said. “We didn’t win. In that sense, I failed. I can handle it, [but] it’ll take time.”

Belisle-Springer doesn’t want to carry too many regrets about how his collegiate career ended, but wishes his team could have had one more showdown with their rivals. “It was disappointing not to get another shot at Mcgill,” he said. The Stingers played the Redmen six times this season without pulling off a single win.

As for how the team will do without them next year, Belisle-Springer is uncertain, but cautiously optimistic. “I think we’ve got some good young guys.  [Pitcher Jarryd] Taylor is going to be really solid next year,” Belisle-Springer said. “Hitting-wise, that’s where I’d be a bit worried, because we weren’t a great hitting team this year and the best hitters are leaving.”

For Connerty and Belisle-Springer, the end of their time at Concordia does not necessarily mean the end of organized baseball. They both have intentions of going pro.

“We’re both at the skill set where we can continue to take baseball further,” Connerty said. While Major League Baseball may be out of the question, both pitchers are confident they could make it in lower-level independent leagues or overseas.

“I’ve always been told, anything you can do, do it as far as you can,” Connerty said. “[So] why the hell not? Real life’s pretty boring anyway.”

Belisle-Springer is equally ambitious about his future in the game and said he’ll look back fondly on the time he spent playing for the Stingers.

“I grew a lot as a baseball player, and I have a lot more growing to do,” Belisle-Springer said. “When I finally put it all together, I’ll be able to say I was a pretty good baseball player. One day.”

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Stingers cruise to victory against Voyageurs

The Concordia Stingers have improved their record this season to 7-1. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

Anthony Deluca’s hat-trick propelled Concordia’s men’s hockey team to its fifth straight win

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team continued their phenomenal start to the season with a 7-3 win against the Laurentian Voyageurs at home on Nov. 4. Forward Anthony Deluca’s three goals helped improve the Stingers record to 7-1, while extending their win streak to five games.

“I’m really happy that we’ve had a good start, but we can’t stop,” Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement said. “Right now, we have good team chemistry and the guys are working hard.”

The first period was not ideal for either team. It was stagnate with little scoring chances created and poor neutral zone play. The Stingers tried to exploit their opponents with speed and long stretch passes.

The Voyageurs replied with physical strength, which caught the Stingers off guard, according to forward and team captain Olivier Hinse. But Hinse said his team was ready to challenge them physically.

“We’re not big, but we can play the physical game too. We’re not afraid of that,” he said.

The game remained goalless until midway through the second period, when Stingers forward Philippe Hudon took a boarding penalty. Ten seconds into the ensuing power play, the Voyageurs opened the scoring with a shot from the blue line.

Less than 90 seconds later, the Stingers responded with their own power play goal. Forward Philippe Sanche picked up a rebound off a shot from Hinse and found the back of the net.

The Voyageurs scored 30 seconds later, before Deluca tied it up again just nine seconds after that. The speedy winger broke into the offensive zone on the right wing and fired a shot short side past Voyageurs goaltender Charlie Millen.

Just 22 seconds after Deluca’s highlight-reel goal, Stingers forward Charles-Eric Légaré joined an odd-man rush and pounced on a loose puck for the fifth goal in just two and a half minutes. The goal gave the Stingers a 3-2 lead.

Although Élement was not happy with the two goals against, he admits he was pleased with his team’s ability to respond to such big swings in momentum.

The Stingers have won five straight games.

“It was weird,” Élement said. “We showed a lot of character, we got scored on, we scored right away. We were positive, and we just kept working hard so the results showed on the scoreboard.”

The Voyageurs tied it at 3-3 three minutes later, but the Stingers pulled ahead with two late-period goals. Légaré scored his second goal, while Deluca scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season.

The Stingers built on their 5-3 lead by scoring two more in the third. Deluca scored his hat-trick goal like his other two goals, from the right wing, while Hinse used his speed and strength to get by the defence and beat the goalie alone.

Despite scoring three goals, Deluca admitted he needed extra motivation to kick-start his game.

“I didn’t feel like I was going to have a good game. I guess it was really the other team that started chirping me and they got me into the game,” Deluca said. “I guess they kind of woke me up, so thanks to them.”

His head coach also noticed his slow start, but praised Deluca after all was said and done.

“He had a tough first period, and then he just stepped it up,”  Élement said.

The Stingers played the following night against the Ottawa Gee-Gees and lost 2-1. They now have a record of 7-2.

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From the Bahamas to Charlottetown to Montreal

Ashley Moss will most likely sit out the rest of the season due to an Achilles injury. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

Marvia Dean and Ashley Moss talk about their past, and coming to Concordia

Ashley Moss calls Marvia Dean on the phone.

“Where you at? The interview thing was at like 4:30. They’re waiting for you to come.”

A few minutes later, Dean arrives, and sits next to Moss at a table in the Ed Meagher Arena.

Moss and Dean, rookies on the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team, are two of the most laid back people you’ll ever meet. Nothing seems to bother them too much.

Unfortunately for Moss, she injured her left Achilles tendon and can’t play. Her chances of getting back on the court this year are close to impossible.

As for Dean, she was a force to be reckoned with at the Concordia Classic tournament in October, earning the Most Valuable Player award. She’s gearing up for a season in which the Stingers have the potential to be a top team in their division.

Dean and Moss’s relationship didn’t start at Concordia. In fact, it goes all the way back to their high school days in the Bahamas, where they used to play basketball against each other.

“We’ve known each other since 2006,” Dean said.

According to Dean, if there is one thing they really miss about their hometown, it’s the “famously” known S.S.S, which stands for sun, sand and sea.

Despite being opponents in high school, they became teammates in college. Dean and Moss began their collegiate basketball careers in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) with the Holland College Hurricanes in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Fittingly for them, Charlottetown has strong ties to the Bahamian community, which made their integration that much easier.

“My cousin was already with me, then we recruited Marvia,” Moss said.

Moss explained that Charlottetown is home to many Bahamian teenagers. Like Moss and Dean, most of them are being recruited by friends and family already attending the province’s colleges.

During their two-year stint at Holland College, both players enjoyed success under head coach Mike Connolly.

“We were back-to-back ACAA champions and went to the Nationals for two years straight,” Dean said. “The first year we won the bronze, and the second year we won the silver.”

However, for both women, Charlottetown is not a place that holds any particular emotional attachment. They explained that Charlottetown felt more rural compared to Montreal, and there wasn’t much to do in the city.

Despite the distance between Charlottetown and Montreal, it was still close enough for Stingers head coach Tenicha Gittens and her staff to track the girls down and offer them a spot with the Stingers.

“She came and watched a lot of our games when we were playing in Holland. I guess she liked what she saw,” Dean said. “We then took a recruiting trip, and we liked what we saw on our end. We took our chances by coming here and we like it so far.”

“Coach [Gittens] has made the transition easy for us,” Moss added.

Plenty of offers from other universities to play basketball were on the table, but the Bahamian natives were adamant about “staying together as teammates.”

Marvia Dean picked up an MVP award at the Concordia Classic in October. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

From an academic perspective, both players are working towards careers in business. The goal of coming to Concordia was to succeed both academically and from an athletic standpoint. They are putting in as much effort off the court as on it.

“I am in open academics? but I’m looking to transfer into business school,” Dean said. As for Moss, she is already doing a business certificate. They hope to learn the basic principles of business, then decide which specific field they are going to pursue.

Both women agreed that, after university, they would like to stay in Canada — but would probably leave Montreal. A city like Toronto is attractive to them, but that doesn’t mean Montreal is a city they don’t enjoy.

Coming into their careers with the Concordia Stingers, both Moss and Dean are looking to work on their mindsets.

“The game here is a lot quicker than back at Holland, so we’re just adjusting to everything right now,” Dean said. “We’re going one step at a time, improving on the little things like the effort we bring to every game.”

As for their new teammates, Dean and Moss can sense that they have joined a really diversified group, where people come from very different backgrounds.

“For us right now, it’s a little bit different, because we speak a different language  so not everyone understands us,” Dean said. “You know, we have to slow it down before we get there.”

“We’re animated enough,” Moss added.

Both players are excited to get in their first regular season game with the Stingers, even though Moss might have to wait until next season.

The team plays their first game against the Bishop’s Gaiters at home on Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m.

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Finding a home with the Stingers

Alessandrini currently leads the Stingers in receptions and receiving yards. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Football wide receiver Vincent Alessandrini talks about leaving McGill to join Concordia

Despite this being his first season with the Concordia Stingers, Vincent Alessandrini has been one of the most exciting players to watch on the men’s football team this year. The 20-year-old Stingers wide receiver currently leads the team, with 49 receptions and 504 yards. The six-foot-one, 193-pound receiver also ranks fourth in the nation and first in the Réseau du sports étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) in receptions.

Yet, football wasn’t Alessandrini’s first choice sport. He pursued soccer from an early age.

“Initially, I transitioned to football because I was getting pretty mad about the fact that I couldn’t hit anybody in soccer,” said Alessandrini, who played double-A soccer from the ages of 10 to 14. “I was really getting frustrated—the higher you go in soccer, the more competitive it is and it just wasn’t my thing anymore.”

After signing up to play football, the difficulties of playing two sports simultaneously became apparent.

“There were times when I was changing in my dad’s car after a soccer game on the way to a football game,” Alessandrini said. “Obviously, we couldn’t do that forever and I had to choose one sport, so I chose football.”

Looking at Alessandrini success as receiver, it’s hard to imagine him playing any other position. However, Alessandrini got his first taste of football in a different position.

He started off as defensive back and then switched over to linebacker in high school because, as Alessandrini described, he was faster than the other guys on defence. In his senior year, Alessandrini asked his coach if could play as a receiver because he felt like his physique was better suited for that position.

For Alessandrini, playing receiver for only one season before joining the Vanier College team wasn’t the easiest transition.

“I felt like I hit a wall in college, having only one year of experience at the position,” Alessandrini said. ”I sat out my first year [due to injury]. I was really just observing [the receivers] to see how they play and how they get off the line. In my second year, I got the hang of it and worked really hard in the offseasons—I think that’s what paid off.”

Alessandrini eventually found his way to the Concordia Stingers, but  Concordia wasn’t his first choice. Prior to committing to play for Concordia, Alessandrini attended McGill University.

“My first language is French. I talk French at home with my mom, but I just wasn’t comfortable studying in French,” Alessandrini said. “McGill and Concordia were my only options, and I figured if I was going to get a degree, I might as well get the word ‘McGill’ written across it.”

With time, however, the pull of the Stingers organization was too strong.

Alessandrini originally committed to McGill, but decided to join Concordia before the season started. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

“After two or three weeks when I was there, I felt really out of place,” said Alessandrini. “[McGill] wanted me to start in night school. Going to class after practice was not the ideal for me—after practice, I’m drained and just want to eat and go to bed.”

The transition to Concordia was easy for Alessandrini. The Stingers organization was welcoming, and the decision was an easy one, he said.

“I felt right at home [at Concordia],” Alessandrini said. “They welcomed me with open arms. It was hard choosing McGill over Concordia because I really liked the coaching staff at Concordia. I just wanted to make sure I had a good life after football. [Eventually], I realized that it’s still a degree, whether it’s from McGill or Concordia.”

In cinematic fashion, the Stingers first game of the season was against the McGill Redmen. Not only was Alessandrini playing against the team he was previously slated to play for, he was set to play in Percival Molson Stadium in front of a crowd that would have been cheering for him. Alessandrini didn’t let that get to him—in fact, he let it fuel him to a nine-catch, 109-yard game, along with a touchdown.

“I had a lot of drive going into that first game,” Alessandrini said. ”It was my first U Sports game and I was up against a school where I was supposed to go. I was very happy with my performance, and I couldn’t ask for a better first performance in U Sports.”

Alessandrini said he is playing with a football team that he feels at home with. Understanding the importance of a support group, Alessandrini’s academic plans reflect a student looking to give back once it’s all said and done.

“I enjoy Concordia. I get a lot of academic support here and I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Alessandrini said. “It’s going really well and I’m very happy. I’m studying human relations and I want to eventually become a counselor, potentially coach a high school football team.”

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Stingers ousted in championship semi-final

The Concordia Stingers lost 11-2 in the final game of their season. Photos by James Kierans.

Concordia’s baseball team was unable to get into the CCBA finals

The Concordia Stingers baseball team lost to the Université de Montréal Carabins by a score of 11-2 in the semi-finals of the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association (CCBA) National Championship on Oct. 30. It was the third time in four years that the Stingers made the national semi-finals.

After three games of round-robin play, the Stingers went into Sunday’s semi-final matchup with a 2-1 record, clinching the first place for the knockout stage of the tournament.

Pitcher Shane Mullen started the game for the Stingers, seeing his first action of the 2016 post-season. He struggled very early on, allowing two hits, a walk and two runs in the first inning alone.

By the top of the third inning, Mullen had allowed five runs and was pulled off the mound in favour of reliever Sami Brochu. However, Brochu did no better, retiring only two of the eight batters he faced before being pulled himself.

Still, despite his pitchers’ performances, manager Howie Schwartz stood by his decision to play them. “[Brochu] didn’t throw quality pitches—this wasn’t his day,” Schwartz said. “These guys are human. It wasn’t like nobody out there was working or trying. They just didn’t execute.”

Sam Belisle-Springer pitched the last four innings of the game for Concordia, limiting the Carabins to only three more runs. Belisle-Springer, one of the Stingers two star pitchers, had been slated to start in the championship finals, had the team made it.

The Stingers battled back offensively late in the game, loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth. However, they were only able to produce one run in the inning, despite getting three hits on Carabins pitcher Charlie Loignon.

The Stingers will now have to wait until next season for a shot at a title.

“We had a lot of hard hits. We just couldn’t string them together,” said Stingers right fielder Peter Zidros. After the game, Zidros received the award for best hitter of the tournament.

Although they produced eight hits and only struck out once at the plate over the course of the game, Concordia was not able to tire out Loignon as they had in past games.

“We were inconsistent at the plate,” Schwartz said. “I knew we could score a lot of runs against this team particularly—they don’t have [a relief pitcher] to close it down if they run into trouble.”

Earlier in the season, Concordia had mounted a five-run comeback against Loignon and the Carabins by scoring 15 runs in a single inning.

Université de Montréal went on to lose to the Mcgill Redmen in the finals of the CCBA Championship.

With Concordia’s season over, Schwartz now has to turn his attention to next year’s team.

“We’ve got a little bit of recruiting to do,” he said

While the 2016 season wasn’t a failure, Schwartz wishes he could have seen his veterans go out on top.

“This was their last game of university ball, and I’m disappointed they didn’t have another chance to get to a championship,” said Schwartz.

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Sports

New brand, same old teams

New U Sports logo. Courtesy of U Sports.

Canada’s universities need to step up their game for the U Sports re-brand to work

After weeks of publicizing an announcement on social media, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) announced at a conference in Toronto on Oct. 20 that the entire organization has re-branded, and will now go by the name U Sports.

Included in this re-brand was a simple, sleek new logo, and a new website that will be launching 91 days from now. According to the promotional video that explains the re-brand, the new name and logo will help bridge the gap between French and English, while creating a brand that is more recognizable.

While all of that may be true, and I would definitely agree with the idea, the only way the U Sports re-brand can be successful is if the schools buy into the new philosophy.

For one, part of the new re-brand includes a brand new correspondents program. The premise is simple—student journalists across the country volunteer to write feature stories and profile pieces for the U Sports website. The initiative hopes to give a larger voice to the athletes, while also giving them more exposure on the national stage.

The problem that could potentially arise from this, however, is schools being too selective on what they want getting out to the public. Not every story is positive, and from my own experiences as a student journalist, those negative stories can sometimes be impossible to access.

In order to grow as an organization, you need publicity. We live in a media-driven age, and in order to stay relevant, it is of the utmost importance that schools recognize this. That means understanding that not every story is going to be a fluff piece. Transparency can make schools more respectable, give them more exposure and increase awareness of U Sports teams.

This brings me to a second point. If the U Sports re-brand is going to be successful in making more people care about university sports in Canada, schools need to step up their game when it comes to the fan experience.

The best way to get fans into the stands is to give them an incentive to come. That goes beyond the simple promise of high level competition. Mascots, fan service and contests are all great ways to get students in the door.

One of the best aspects of going to a Montreal Canadiens game is seeing Youppi bobble his way up and down the stairs, greeting fans. The Bell Centre is more than a place to watch hockey games. It has the feeling of a community gathering or a backyard barbecue. It’s what makes fans want to keep coming back. Canadian universities tend to be lacking in that department.

However, I will give credit to two schools in Montreal that have been at the forefront when it comes to fan experience and social media. With the Swarm at Concordia University and the football-crazy fans at the Université de Montréal, the sense of community has been incredible at these two schools.

At Carabins games, you are instantly greeted by some good old tailgating — also known as barbecue, which attracts fans. At Concordia, contests and events put on by the Swarm make game day that much more fun.

Furthermore, since the Stingers re-brand in 2015, their social media has been something to behold. They are one of the few schools that post highlight videos within minutes of the play happening, and are always active on Instagram and Snapchat.

For U Sports to be successful, Canadian universities are going to have to modernize. They may not have to do something drastic, like a re-brand, but they will need to step into the 21st century.

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Sports

Stingers sweep Lakehead at home

The Concordia Stingers have improved their record this season to 6-1. Photos by Ana Hernandez.

Concordia’s men’s hockey team picked up their fourth win in a row on Saturday

After beating the Lakehead Thunderwolves with a score of 4-3 on Oct. 28 at the Ed Meagher Arena, the Concordia Stingers finished off the sweep of the two-game series with a 4-0 win on Oct. 29.

“We looked at their last three games and we were prepared for them,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement. “Last night we didn’t play very well but tonight we had a better game. The results are there when the team works hard.”

The scoring started when Stingers forward Philippe Sanche scored on the powerplay, with forward Anthony Deluca setting up the play and getting the assist. This goal was Sanche’s first as a member of the Stingers, having already had a successful career as a member of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

“He deserves it,” Élement said. “[He works hard] and it was a nice shot. I’m happy for him.”

Despite averaging one point per game this season in the form of assists, Sanche was looking for his first goal. Fortunately, it came Saturday night in the form of a game-winner.

“It feels pretty good [to score],” Sanche said. “It’s been a good start to the season—I was hoping to get one soon. It’s fun because we’re winning, but it’s always fun when we can help the team [by scoring].”

The Stingers were able to score another goal with a minute and half to go in the first period, when forward Scott Oke found the back of the net on the power play.

The game wasn’t without conflict, but Élement made sure to keep his team calm and composed to grind out the victory.

“I told the guys to be disciplined—to be sure to make them pay on the power play, and we had two power play goals,” Élement said. “When stuff like that happens, you have to keep calm and that’s what I always tell the guys.”

The scoring was closed out when forward Raphael Lafontaine scored an unassisted goal with eight minutes left in the period, and then scored again just three minutes later.

In the third period, no one scored and the game stayed at a score of 4-0 until the final buzzer.

With a strong offense in front of him, Stingers goaltender Miguel Sullivan backstopped the team to a shutout victory—the Stingers’ second of the year.

“It feels pretty good,” Sullivan said. “It’s been awhile since I got one.”

The team has been able to produce offensively all season—a fact that the goaltenders on the team have noticed.

“It takes the pressure off of me [when the team scores as frequently as they do],” Sullivan said. “I know that even if I let in a goal, the guys can easily get it back for me.”

The Stingers next game will be a home game at the Ed Meagher Arena on Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. against the Laurentian Voyageurs.

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Sports

Taking Concordia athletics by swarm

The Swarm is a group hoping to make the fan experience at Stingers games that much more exciting. Photo courtesy of Katherine Purchase.

Antoine Marchand explains the initiative behind the Stingers multi-sport association

If you went to the Concordia Stingers football team’s home-opener on Sept. 10 at Concordia Stadium, you may have noticed some fully-clothed hockey players falling victim to the horrors of a dunk tank. No, it wasn’t part of some bet the team lost—it was the doing of the Swarm.

The Swarm is an organization created by Concordia students in 2011 which hopes to bring a community bond to Stingers games. They hold events during games to bring fans and Concordia athletes from different sports together to help create a sense of family and Stingers pride.

“If I were to describe the Swarm on paper, it would probably be about family over everything,” said Swarm president and men’s hockey goalie Antoine Marchand. “Over the past four years, I have been a part of this family and the Swarm has been able to support that family.”

Marchand inherited the position of president this season from former men’s hockey player Youssef Kabbaj. The Swarm is run by six people, including men’s rugby player Ryan Townes as head of Stingers relations and football player Yamil Slim as head of marketing.

To start the year off, the Swarm’s main event was the football home-opener at Concordia Stadium. The group set up a dunk tank and inflatable slides, where students could get together and have a good time. Since the football home-opener, the group has helped put together pre-game events for rugby doubleheaders and men’s hockey games.

“A fan can expect to come to one of our events and always have a smile on their face, while having a few drinks and getting a lot of free stuff from us,” Marchand said. “It sounds cheesy but when people are getting involved they generally have more fun.”

Marchand said, aside from organizing events, a major part of the Swarm is that athletes from other sports will come out to games in support of their Stingers family. While teams aren’t always available to do so, Marchand said it’s always a fun time when they come.

Last year, the men’s hockey team stopped by Queens on their way to a game against Western University to watch the women’s rugby team play at Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Nationals. For Marchand, gestures like that help create bonds throughout the athletics department and make the Swarm a success.

“One of my favourite moments as a Stinger was [watching] the women’s rugby Nationals,” Marchand said. “Our teams got to bond together in a time when a lot was on the line for the rugby team.”

A big part of Marchand’s approach to the Swarm is to treat all sports equally, and plan events for all of them so all teams get equal exposure.

“My goal this year is to essentially make events for every single sports team to make sure they all get the same attention because that’s the most fair,” Marchand said. “I believe that’s the most fun way to do things, and our events have gotten more attention since we’ve branched out.”

With the basketball regular season starting soon and other sports like soccer, rugby and football winding down, the Swarm’s attention will shift to basketball and hockey until the end of the athletic season in March.

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Sports

A new brand for university sports in Canada

What was once known as the Canadian Interuniversity Sport is now U Sports

The Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) announced at a press conference in Montreal on Oct. 20 that the organization has undergone a rebranding and will now go by the name U Sports.

The rebrand includes a new logo and a new philosophy that, according to U Sports, hopes to draw more attention to and increase the viewership of university sports across Canada.

“I think U Sports will take some adjusting to, just like anything else,” Concordia Stingers athletic director Patrick Boivin said at the event. “[U Sports] has the fundamentals to be a good rallying cry for university sports across Canada. The CIS, I don’t know if that name inspired much.”

U Sports held two separate conferences on Oct. 20 to unveil the new brand. The first was held in Toronto at 11 a.m., while the other was held in Montreal at 2 p.m. At the Montreal conference, student athletes from the city’s three major universities, Concordia University, McGill University and the Université de Montréal attended.

Representing the Stingers were women’s rugby star Frédérique Rajotte, men’s hockey captain Olivier Hinse and men’s hockey forward Philippe Hudon.

“When I learned about the rebrand, I thought it was a great idea,” Hinse said. “It’s nice that I can live it for my last year.”

Hinse also explained how he believes the new name could help legitimize university sports in Canada, particularly hockey.

“Now everyone is going to know what U Sports is, and young kids in junior will think to themselves that they can come to U Sports and have a great career in the league,” Hinse said. “More people are going to get attached to it, and when you say U Sports, everyone is going to know what it means.”

The new logo was created by Hulse & Durrell, a firm that specializes in helping organizations brand themselves. According to U Sports, the firm has helped create logos for other sports organizations such as the Canadian Olympic Committee, Equestrian Canada, Swimming Canada and Curling Canada.

In the promotional video for the new brand, Hulse & Durrell said they wanted to help create a logo and a name that was both simple and bilingual, in order to resonate with the entire country.

New U Sports logo. Courtesy of U Sports.

“Being a French Canadian, I can appreciate the way that it’s bilingual,” Rajotte said. “I think that the U Sports logo with the Canadian flag in the middle is easy to put together. It’s way easier to say than the CIS and trying to figure out the whole meaning of it.”

Boivin said the new direction of U Sports can be compared to the Concordia Stingers rebranding, adding that the new image is a necessary part of staying relevant.

“We and Carleton University were kind of precursors in terms of the way we structured our programs,” Boivin said. “Being a modern school like Concordia, it wasn’t that much of a hard sell when they told us that [the U Sports rebrand] could be valuable for us. It is in line with what we’ve done and will help us grow.”

The rebrand is the organization’s second in 15 years. The first rebrand occurred in 2001 when the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union changed its name to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport.

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