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From Concordia to Canada’s national team

Rajotte was named RSEQ MVP last season after the team went to nationals. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Women’s rugby player Frédérique Rajotte talks about her start in rugby and her career with the Stingers

Frédérique Rajotte is a beast out on the rugby field. The fourth-year Concordia Stingers women’s rugby player has become a leader for the established squad, and has picked up a Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) MVP award last year. Her rugby career is impressive—but it’s not the sport that started her athletic career.

“It all started in high school. I played soccer competitively, and then one of my coaches introduced me to rugby,” Rajotte said. “I tried out in grade nine, not knowing what it was all about, and ended up loving it. From that day on, I made the team and decided to quit soccer and take rugby on full-time.”

Rajotte said that she had no idea there were rugby clubs in her hometown of Markham, Ont. when she first got into the sport. After doing some digging, Rajotte, who was 16 at the time, found a club in her area and played during the summer. She played with the Markham Irish junior team, and was invited to try out for their senior team when she turned 17.

The running aspect of rugby came naturally to her, she said, due to her experience with soccer. However, Rajotte admitted that learning the rules of the sport, as well as the physical aspect of rugby, was a difficult transition.

“You really need to study the game to be good at it, and I acquired knowledge as I went along,” Rajotte said. “In terms of physical play, at first it was messy. I was tackling high and dangerous, and when you’re young, you don’t have body awareness. But as you go on, you learn a lot.”

Part of Rajotte’s rugby journey has taken place at Concordia. Rajotte said that, contrary to what many people think, she wasn’t recruited by the school. Her sole reason for coming to Concordia was for its communication studies program.

Rajotte, who is interested in a career in sports broadcasting, applied to journalism schools across the country—when she was accepted at Concordia, she didn’t look back.

Rajotte is hoping to play in the rugby World Cup in the summer of 2017. Photo by Alexander Cole.

“When I got into the communications program, I knew it had taken a lot of work with interviews, the letter of intent and essays,” Rajotte said. “I was super excited and they only took 60 students, so my decision was set.”

Rajotte added that, although she was not recruited directly, she did go on a recruitment trip that convinced her to join the Stingers rugby program. Rajotte now has one year of eligibility left after this season, and said she has every intention of playing out her final year with the squad.

For Rajotte, playing for the Stingers comes with a sense of belonging that, in many ways, feels like a tight-knit family. In her last couple of seasons with the team, Rajotte wants to make the most of the opportunity and make her coaches proud.

“You walk into the complex, and it’s like your second home,” Rajotte said. “I think wearing the jersey and knowing that it’s my last couple of years, I just want to win some games, be a part of the wonderful team we have.”

The Stingers changed their game plan this season, which, according to Rajotte, put pressure on the team. As a result, the team struggled in the first game of the season against the Université de Laval Rouge et Or, losing by a score of 45-26. Despite that, Rajotte said the team has been able to bounce back, which is something she is extremely proud of.

Not only is Rajotte seen as a talented player, she and her teammate, Alex Tessier, are also considered leaders on the team. Rajotte said that her and Tessier, who are also roommates, have discussed their roles with each other, and agree that there can be pressure at times to perform well.

“Yes, there is some pressure because some people on our team look up to us and they want that leadership,” Rajotte said. “There’s definitely been some pressure on our shoulders. We want to perform at games and practices—and we try our best to lead by example.”

Aside from the Stingers, Rajotte plays for Canada’s national women’s 15s rugby team, and this summer, she played in the World Rugby Super Series.

Rajotte played alongside her Stingers teammate Tessier, and the team won the whole tournament after beating England 52-17, the United States 33-5 and France 29-10.

“This summer was huge. A lot of training went into it,” Rajotte said. “Winning it and going undefeated with all of those girls was really the highlight of my career so far.”

During the World Rugby Super Series, Rajotte said that the team gained a lot more media exposure than she expected. In the past, women’s rugby, and rugby in general, has been brushed aside by Canadian media outlets because sports like hockey, football and baseball are a bigger part of Canada’s sports culture. Rajotte said that, to change this mentality, rugby needs to be introduced more frequently at the youth level, which will allow the sport to grow and become part of the public consciousness.

Rajotte added that, while there was good coverage which gave the team better representation, there was still a lack of promotion for the event, which left people unaware that the event was even taking place.

“In my opinion, there still needs to be work done when it comes to talking about the event prior to it happening,” Rajotte said. “It would be cool if [the media] would do profile pieces on the national team athletes, and do them on the bigger platforms like TSN and Sportsnet.”

“People knew we won the Super Series, but some people didn’t even know what it was or what it means,” Rajotte said.

Rajotte hopes to be a part of the 2017 Rugby Women’s World Cup next summer in Ireland. Rajotte said selections for the team will be made on Oct. 17, and if she makes the team, she will be going to Ireland in November for a three-week tour in preparation for the tournament.

She added that balancing rugby and school can be difficult. However, when teachers are on board, it makes it easier.

“I’ve had teachers who think it’s awesome and wish me luck and are super supportive,” Rajotte said. “ Some of my teachers in my other classes don’t understand and are close-minded to sports, which is so hard because that’s who I am.”

While making the World Cup team is a top priority for Rajotte, she hasn’t forgotten about her Stingers. Last year the team made it to nationals, but was defeated in the bronze medal game against their fiercest rivals, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Rajotte wants to improve on that performance, and said that doing well at nationals this season would be better than winning the Super Series.

“I’m hoping that the highlight of this year will be making it to nationals and performing well. That’s next on my list,” said Rajotte.

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Making it count in his last year

Stingers men’s hockey captain Olivier Hinse has big goals for his final season Alexander Cole, Sports editor

Stingers men’s hockey captain Olivier Hinse has big goals for his final season

When the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team was eliminated from the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) playoffs last year, team captain Olivier Hinse had a big decision to make. Hinse had one year of eligibility left, but he was also graduating. Some believed he would no longer be a Stinger—this was not the case.

Hinse opted to enroll in a year-long certificate program, allowing him to play out his final year of eligibility with Concordia.

“I think school-wise, it was a great opportunity to get a graduate certificate in business administration,” Hinse said.

One of Hinse’s passions is children. Hinse did his undergrad in child studies, and hopes to use his graduate certificate in business administration to open up a centre for kids. Hinse said he knows how to help kids develop and grow, but learning the business side of things will help him in his career.

“Hockey-wise, I think we’re going to have a great group of guys this year. Knowing we have talent coming up and Concordia being my home, it’s why I came back,” Hinse said.

The Stingers finished last season with a record of 10-12-6, which placed them seventh out of nine teams in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec. Hinse believes the team’s fortune will change this year, and that the Stingers have a great chance of being a top-tier team.

“We have to go all the way,” Hinse said. “We have a great goalie, so I think our hopes are high and we’re going to go all the way.”

Hinse added that the team’s main issue in the past has been finishing on plays. He said the team used to lack consistency, but he hopes that bringing so many new players onto the team this year and introducing them to the system can change that.

This season, Hinse will be without one of his favourite linemates from last year—forward Jessyko Bernard. Last season was Bernard’s final one with the team, and now Hinse will be playing on a brand new line with newcomers Philippe Sanche and Anthony Deluca. Hinse said he is confident in the chemistry he is already building with his new linemates.

“[Bernard] was great and we had a lot of chemistry together,” Hinse said. “Every year, you lose guys and new guys come in. I know that my linemates right now, Deluca and Sanche, will do a great job of getting me the puck, and I can feed them as well, so we’ll all score.”

This season is Hinse’s third as captain of the team, something that he is extremely proud of. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Beyond this season, Hinse said he would love to keep playing hockey, and if he was ever given the opportunity to go pro, he would. For now, his main priority is hockey.

“I’m almost 26 so I’m thinking of my ‘plan B,’ but right now I’m still focusing on my ‘plan A,’” Hinse said.

Hinse’s final season will also mark his third year as captain of the team. He said his philosophy when it comes to being a captain is simple: create an atmosphere that’s inclusive.

“The key to [being captain] is making sure you create a sense of family and respect,” Hinse said. “Being captain of the Stingers is a great thing, and I’m so proud that it’s my third year.”

According to Hinse, his biggest take-away from his time with the Stingers and the CIS is that players create their own chances. When Hinse joined the team in his first year, he admitted that he was coming off of a disappointing season in the QMJHL. Looking for a fresh start, Hinse said he wanted to go all out with the team and come out of the gate strong.

Hinse added that the CIS doesn’t get as much coverage as it should, and he hopes that, moving forward, people will begin to realize how high the level of hockey is.

“I’m always going to remember that the CIS should be more known around the world. It’s the second greatest league in Canada, right after the NHL,” said Hinse.

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Karl Gouabé’s journey to Concordia

Gouabé is currently in his first season with the Stingers. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Karl Gouabé enjoys the sensation of stopping a speeding soccer ball. The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer goalie admits that one must be a bit crazy to be a goalkeeper.

“For some reason I like getting balls kicked at me,” said Gouabé, a first-year communications student.

Unlike most athletes playing in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), Gouabé hasn’t been playing soccer his whole life. Gouabé grew up in Yaoundé, Cameroon part of a family of six children, and he didn’t have the opportunity to play soccer growing up.

“We had [other] priorities. My mom had six kids and all of us were [working],” Gouabé said. “There was no time for soccer.”

At the age of 10, Gouabé’s life changed when he was adopted by a Canadian humanitarian visiting Cameroon.

“My [adoptive] mother used to work for UNICEF, so she picked up a Cameroonian on her way back. Luckily it was me,” Gouabé said with a smile.

In his new hometown of Chelsea, Que., a small town of about 7,000 people located just north of Ottawa, Gouabé became friends with kids who played soccer. Whenever they went to practice or to play in the park, Gouabé felt left out because he didn’t know how to play.

When Gouabé’s mother noticed he had an interest in sports, she signed him up for soccer, football and basketball. He fell in love with soccer right away.

“Soccer just took over everything,” Gouabé said.

An interesting part about Gouabé’s journey to protecting the Concordia net is that it didn’t start with him stopping the ball—Gouabé started out as a defender. That all changed during a game when Gouabé was 15 years old. His team’s goalie got injured. Without a back-up keeper, Gouabé’s coach turned to him.

“[Their reaction was to] send the biggest guy in there, and sadly that was me,” Gouabé said. “I think, until now, that was the best game of my life.”

Gouabé has earned himself two Stingers “Male Athlete of the Week” honours this year. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

Gouabé played the rest of that season as keeper while the original goalkeeper recovered from his injury. The coach gave Gouabé the option to return as a defender the following season, but Gouabé refused. Balls have been kicked his way ever since.

Two years later, Gouabé made Outremont’s AAA team, and a year after that, at 18-years-old, he played semi-pro soccer in Ottawa. Gouabé’s career really took off when Toronto FC signed him to their youth academy. He spent a year training there before an injury forced him out of Toronto and brought him back to Montreal. He joined the Impact academy, but after a year, injury once again put his professional dreams on hold. He left the team and took a year off.

During that time off, Stingers head coach Greg Sutton let Gouabé work out with the team and offered him a spot on the squad. In his first season, he is displaying the skills he learned at both academies, and has been named the Stingers “Male Athlete of the Week” for the past two weeks.

Gouabé’s recurring knee injury has followed him throughout his career. Gouabé has patellar tendonitis, known as “jumper’s knee,” which affects the tendons between the kneecap and the shinbone. This condition weakens the knee’s ability to extend outwards.

“I can’t generate power without pain,” Gouabé said, while looking at his wrapped up left knee.

Gouabé, an energetic person who always has a smile on his face, does find it tough to be held back by his knee but that doesn’t hinder his motivation.

He draws inspiration from the two most important women in his life: his adoptive mother and his biological mother. His adoptive mother has been with him for most of his soccer career, and he looks to her for encouragement when the going gets tough.

“She’s the first person to tell me to go and practice,” Gouabé said. “She’s the first person to tell me, ‘you’re not injured, now get out of bed.’”

“She’s gone through tough times and I’ve witnessed how she’s bounced back every time, and it’s just phenomenal. She does inspire me to do better,” Gouabé added.

As for his biological mother in Cameroon, Gouabé said she inspires him in different ways.

“My mom raising six kids—you just see the difficulty in that. I couldn’t quite grasp it since I was 10 years old, but now I see it,” Gouabé said.

Gouabé grew up in Yaoundé, Cameroon before moving to Quebec. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Like any other athlete, Gouabé has a favourite professional player he looks up to—his is Carlos Kameni. Kameni is the goalkeeper for the Cameroonian national team and for the Málaga CF club team in Spain. He has been playing in Spain’s top division since 2004, and has faced off against some of the game’s top players including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (Ronaldinho) and Samuel Eto’o. He also became the youngest soccer player ever to win an Olympic medal—at the age of 16 when he led Cameroon to gold in 2000. Kameni represented his country twice at the FIFA World Cup.

For Gouabé, Kameni is one of the best keepers in the world and he attempts to draw on his playing style. Gouabé said his YouTube history is often full of videos of Kameni highlights.

“Before games, I look at his videos. When I’m bored, I look at his videos. When I’m sad, I look at his videos,” Gouabé said. “He’s been my idol since I was 15. He’s by far my greatest inspiration in soccer.”

Gouabé has another professional keeper in his life to draw inspiration from and that man is coach Sutton. Sutton played professionally from 1999 to 2012, including two tenures for the Montreal Impact. Sutton has a wealth of knowledge that Gouabé uses in his game.

“Mentally, physically, he knows how to prepare a keeper,” Gouabé said. “I know I have an advantage on the other keeper because my coach has been a pro goalkeeper.”

Sutton was also a former student-athlete, so he knows some of the other challenges Gouabé faces. Since the two share so many similarities, Sutton always has his door open when Gouabé needs someone to talk to.

“It’s so easy for me to go talk with him,” Gouabé said. “He makes it so much easier for me to connect with him. I’m still learning some things from him.”

Despite facing setbacks in his young soccer career, Gouabé has persevered so that he can continue do what he loves: getting balls kicked his way.

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Concordia tennis continues to grow

Team manager Dominic Labelle is excited about the future of the program

Last year, Concordia’s tennis team had a disappointing season as both their men’s and women’s teams finished last in their respective divisions. This year, however, team manager and women’s coach Dominic Labelle believes both teams can bounce back, and are poised to have a great year.

“My goal for the girls is to not only make the provincial championships, but be on the top of the rankings for the whole season,” Labelle said. “For the guys, the goal is to definitely make the playoffs and remain in the top four in the league. We’re ready to produce some really good results this season.”

Labelle, who coached both teams last year, is getting help from former men’s team player Roger Hernandez, who has stepped up to coach the men for this season. Labelle said Hernandez already has a tight bond with his players, and that everyone is committed to having a successful year.

On Sept. 17, 31 men and 10 women showed up to the open tryouts, vying for a spot on the squad. Labelle said that many of his players from last year were guaranteed spots on the team, which left only a few positions open for those who came to the tryouts.

Labelle is happy with his new players, adding that, on the women’s side, he has recruited three new players. One of those players is Brazilian Rafaela Panizza who has played in professional tournaments.

“Two of the players who joined on the women’s team come from the States. They had scholarships there so it’s great. They increase the level of our team,” Labelle said. “The other player has one [World Tennis Association (WTA)] point so it’s amazing because, for us, it’s great exposure. It helps to grow our level [of competitiveness].”

The tennis season only starts in January, but according to Labelle, both teams are already training as if the season were in full swing. Before the start of the season, the teams train twice a week for 11 weeks straight in order to get in shape.

Labelle said, in addition to practices, the team has added a new component to their training, thanks to a sponsorship with a company called FitLikeQ. The company will provide the team with consultations as well as training plans in order to improve the team’s physical fitness.

Tennis manager and women’s coach Dominic Labelle is excited about the upcoming tennis season. Stock images from Kelsey Litwin.

“They will help us the whole 30 weeks of the season,” Labelle said. “If anybody has questions when it comes to training or needs rehab for an injury, they’ll be there. It’s nice because they will help us stay fit and [get to our] peak during our matches.”

In addition to the new training program, Labelle and his team are excited about the prospect of being part of the Stingers family. Since the team’s inception in March 2011, the program has been self-sufficient, and is not considered a varsity or club team. This means the team pays for their own uniforms and has always had to look for sponsorships outside of the university.

Labelle said that the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) is considering adding tennis to its official list of sports due to more universities sporting their own teams. As a result of this possibility, Labelle will be meeting with Stingers associate director John Bower to discuss the potential of allowing the tennis team to dawn the trademark “C” as well as the maroon and gold Stingers colours.

“Players will get more into it if they feel they represent the school,” Labelle said.

For Labelle, being a Concordia team is nice but being a part of the Stingers would give the team more legitimacy and get them to the next level.

“For me getting that logo would be a box to check off because it’s my fourth year with the team,” Labelle added.

Before the season starts in January, the men’s team will play an exhibition tournament against the École de Technologie Supérieure on Oct. 9. Labelle said the team is also in the midst of scheduling men’s and women’s matches against the Université de Sherbrooke for Oct. 8.

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Ouellette joins women’s hockey coaching staff

The U.S. women’s hockey team has been treated unfairly by USA hockey. Photo courtesy of the CWHL.

The Canadiennes de Montréal forward has been named a skills and development coach

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team announced on Sept. 29 that Canadian national team and Canadiennes de Montréal forward Caroline Ouellette will be officially joining the team’s coaching staff as a skills and development coach.

“It’s great to be back,” Ouellette said. “I had the opportunity to coach in 2012 and 2013 with Les Lawton, and I really enjoyed my experience being mentored by him. Now, being able to join [head coach] Julie Chu’s staff is incredible.”

As a skills and development coach, Ouellette is looking to provide players with the confidence to take risks on the ice. Ouellette said in order to do this, it will take repetition and hard work, which is something the team is ready to handle.

“One of our challenges this year is to enable the players to play with confidence and give them a skill set that will allow them to take risks,” Ouellette said. “The girls, they want to learn and work hard so it makes my job easier.”

For Ouellette, the fact that she still plays helps her when it comes to coaching because she is able to demonstrate skills at a high level. Ouellette said that playing the game while being a young coach is an asset, and that her and Chu’s experiences help when breaking down film and teaching the team the finer points of the game.

This isn’t the first time Ouellette and Chu have worked together on the ice as they are teammates on Les Canadiennes. The duo also coached together at the University of Minnesota Duluth during the 2007-08 season.

Ouellette said she and Chu have a great friendship, and spending so much time together will make it easier to coach the team.

“Sometimes you know that you won’t agree with one another but when you respect one another and you love one another, it’s easy to get through,” Ouellette said. “You can also feel confident to speak up and give your opinion, and have it be heard.”

“I know that Julie [Chu] has the final word in the end and you have to be loyal as an assistant coach but when it’s one of your great friends, it’s easy to do,” Ouellette added.

In addition to Ouellette, Canadian Olympic hockey player Lauriane Rougeau has also been added to the coaching staff. Chu believes the new coaches bring something unique to the program, and will help her coach in areas where she doesn’t have as much expertise.

“One of the greatest things about being a coach is when you can surround yourself with people who can compliment you and fill in the areas where they will make me better and the program better,” Chu said. “Caro [Ouellette] definitely has a great eye for the skills development side and knows the game.”

Ouellette said that having the opportunity to help coach the team is a “second passion” that rivals playing the game itself. Ouellette added that she is excited to coach young women and help grow the women’s game.

“Being able to provide young girls with opportunities to engage in women’s hockey and to learn from female coaches that have made it to the highest level is a mission of mine,” said Ouellette.

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Stingers pick up two wins against Ottawa

The Concordia Stingers received solid pitching in their two games against Ottawa. Photos by James Kierans.

Concordia’s star pitchers came through in back-to-back games

The Concordia Stingers baseball team picked up a pair of wins in their double-header against the University of Ottawa on Oct. 1. The wins were supported by solid back-to-back performances from their duo of star pitchers. The win improved the team’s record to 9-6 on the season.

Pitcher Sam Belisle-Springer had his most dominant game of the season, throwing over 100 pitches in eight innings. Holding Ottawa to three hits in the first game of the afternoon, Belisle-Springer stayed cool under pressure, keeping the score tied at 1-1 late into the game.

“He was starting to get a little tired, although he’ll never admit it. He’s always good to go,” said Stingers manager Howie Schwartz.

Belisle-Springer kept the Stingers in the first game, denying Ottawa with timely strikeouts.

“He does have a lot of potential to come around when he needs to, when his mind’s right,” Schwartz said. “He now has confidence.”

Concordia still had difficulty building momentum in the first game though, with only one hit in the first seven innings. Ottawa pitcher Roberto Suppa pitched a strong game, getting eleven strikeouts.

The Stingers only managed to break the tie in extra innings, when Suppa was replaced with relief pitcher Justin Raymond. Raymond allowed four batters to reach base, and quickly lost composure, receiving two warnings from the umpire for complaining about strike calls. Stingers third baseman Sammy Fagan got the walk-off run batted in (RBI) in the eighth inning, sealing a 2-1 victory.

In the second game of the double-header, Concordia’s batters were able to adjust to the game.

“We had a talk at the end of the first game,” Schwartz said. “I explained to them that they have to have quality at bats, whether they’re gonna get a hit or not.”

The Stingers almost quadrupled their number of hits in the second game, building an eight-run lead by the end of the fourth inning. Stingers center fielder Roberto Zapata led the team with four hits in four plate appearances.

“He’s an extraordinary talent,” Schwartz said of Zapata. “When he focuses, he’s our number one guy.”

The Stingers improve their record to 9-6 on the season.

Pitcher Dan Connerty started the second game for Concordia, and although the Stingers had another strong defensive game, there was still room for improvement from Connerty. Ottawa batters earned five hits against him in six innings, and made contact on a lot of his pitches.

“We faced these guys last game. They were a little bit more prepared [for my pitching style],” Connerty said. “I like to get away with getting as much contact as I can.”

Still, Connerty allowed only one run, and with an improved offence, the Stingers won the second game of the afternoon, 8-1.

“They responded,” Schwartz said. “They’re a good, talented team, but sometimes, they’re young, and they don’t keep focus on what they’re supposed to do. This is a mental game, not a physical game.”

The Stingers now sit in second place in the Northern Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association division, and will close out their season on Oct. 6 against the Université de Montréal Carabins.

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Stingers defeat Gaiters to win Shrine Bowl

Concordia’s football team led a second half charge against Bishop’s to pick up their third win of the season

Despite being down by one point at halftime, the Concordia Stingers football team put on an offensive onslaught in the second half, propelling them to a 50-34 win against the Bishop’s Gaiters in the Shrine Bowl on Oct. 1 at Concordia Stadium.

“It felt like we were so close in the first half but in that third quarter we finally broke out,” said Stingers quarterback Trenton Miller. “It’s just really nice to play at the level we know we can. I think [this performance] gives us a lot of confidence going into the last stretch of the year.”

The first quarter started out in Bishop’s favour as the team nabbed a field goal on the first drive of the game. Concordia’s defense looked shaky at times on that first possession, while Gaiters quarterback Jaeden Marwick and running back Trey Millings were in a groove.
Later in the quarter, with the score 3-2 after a Bishop’s safety, Miller led his team down the field for the team’s most impressive offensive possession in the game up to that point. Miller capped off the drive with a 40-yard touchdown pass to running back Jean-Guy Rimpel. The Stingers went for a two-point conversion, but missed, making the score 8-3 in favour of the home team.

In the second quarter, Concordia and Bishop’s both scored touchdowns. After a rushing touchdown by Rimpel, the Stingers were up 15-10. The lead did not last long, however, as Bishop’s ended the half with two field goals by kicker Vincent Dubé, making the score 16-15 in their favour.

According to Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan, the team knew going into halftime they needed to stop taking penalties, and that the only way to win was to play their own game.

The Stingers won the Shrine Bowl despite being down at halftime. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

“We need to stop with the dumb penalties but we still got more of them,” Donovan said. “The guys just have to believe in each other and not lose that trust. They have to come out, fly around and know that the guy next to them is going to do their job. We just have to play our game and we did that in the second half.”

Indeed, the Stingers came out flying in the second half with a touchdown on the first possession of the third quarter. On second down and eleven yards to go, Miller stepped back and threw a long ball to receiver Justin Julien who went 81 yards down the field for a touchdown, giving the Stingers a 22-16 lead.

Late in the third quarter, up 27-19 after trading field goals with Bishop’s, Miller took matters into his own hands deep in the Gaiters zone, running nine yards for a touchdown. Three minutes later, Miller threw another touchdown pass, this time to wide receiver Yanic Lessard, to make the score 41-19 in favor of Concordia.

“Just executing and doing our job is nice. It felt really good,” Miller said. “I think our receivers played excellent, and my offensive line gave me a lot of time to throw, so to get the offense finally going was really nice.”

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Stingers put the game away as Miller gave Julien his second touchdown of the game. With the Stingers up 50-19, Miller was taken out and replaced with Colin Sequeira to avoid injury. With the game out of reach, the Gaiters scored two touchdowns, making the final score 50-34. The win was the Stingers third straight Shrine Bowl victory.

Gaiters head coach Kevin Mackey was disappointed with his team’s performance in the second half.

“If we could play 60 minutes instead of 45, the score would be a lot closer,” Mackey said. “The first half was a good half but the third quarter really hurt us.”

The Stingers will not play next weekend as the league is on its bye week. The team’s next match will be away from home against the Université de Sherbrooke on Oct. 15 at 4 p.m.

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Stingers drop two games to the Rouge et Or

The men’s team lost in a close game by a score of 2-1. Photos by Ana Hernandez.

Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams were unable to beat the powerful teams from Laval

The Concordia Stingers soccer teams dropped a pair of games against the Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 30 at Concordia Stadium. The men lost 2-1 and the women lost 4-0.

Men’s Soccer

The loss was heartbreaking for the men’s team — the game was destined for a draw until Laval stole the win in the 89th minute.

“There wasn’t any flow to the game, so it was difficult. A draw probably would have been fair,” said Stingers head coach Greg Sutton.

Eleven minutes in, Laval forward Marc-Olivier Kouo Dibongue redirected a cross just past the fingertips of Stingers keeper Michael Pelcar.

Pelcar played in place of an injured Karl Gouabé. Gouabé got injured last game, and Pelcar found out about his start only 90 minutes before game time.

“I had to be mentally focused all week in practice, and just come in and do my job,” said Pelcar, a fourth-year veteran.

The Stingers responded well to the early goal. In the 25th minute, the Stingers had a free kick 25 yards out. Two Stingers ran over the ball, faking a shot, before left back Amadou Lam blasted the shot past the Laval keeper to tie the game.

Concordia created most of the chances for the rest half, a positive for Sutton.

“The last 30 minutes of the [first] half, we probably dominated the play,” Sutton said. “I was happy to see that.”

Most of the second half passed without much action. Pelcar made a handful of key stops, but the Stingers created minimal offensive chances.

The Rouge et Or stripped away the draw when Laval striker Nicolas Hernandez volleyed the ball over Pelcar. There wasn’t much Pelcar could do about it.

“It sucks to lose in the last two minutes,” Pelcar said.

Sutton saw the late-game goal as an avoidable lapse of focus.

“Mentally it comes down to just being switched on in those moments, especially late in the game,” Sutton said.

Women’s Soccer

The women’s team held their own against the number one team in the country, but Laval’s offense was firing on all cylinders and simply outclassed them.

Stingers head coach Jorge Sanchez called Laval a “quality team.”

The Stingers played well in the first half, limiting Laval’s chances. Stingers centre backs Bella Corbeil and Alyssa Ruscio were constantly frustrating the Rouge et Or attack, and goalkeeper Carmen Milne stood tall in the net.

The women’s team was blown out by the number one ranked Rouge et Or, 4-0.

About 15 minutes in, Milne was forced to make two quick stops before a defender cleared a third shot off the line. She added many key saves throughout the game.

“Our goalie, as a rookie, is fantastic. She just got herself big and came out strong,” Sanchez said. Milne faced 19 shots, nine of which were on target.

Laval opened the scoring when forward Joelle Gosselin jumped higher than everybody to head a free kick into the net. With only two players of the starting 11 over 5 feet 6 inches tall, the Stingers certainly had a height disadvantage on the goal.

The Stingers conceded three goals in first 11 minutes of the second half, and Laval had a stranglehold. The head coach attributed the defensive collapse to a lack of concentration.

“I think we just fell asleep for ten minutes in the second half,” Sanchez said. “That hurt us.”

11th Annual Erica Cadieux Memorial Game

The women’s team played their game in memory of Erica Cadieux, a former Stinger who played on the women’s soccer team from 1992 to 1994. The Stingers have held this game every year since her tragic death in 2006.

Prior to the game, the Stingers presented Cadieux’s two daughters and her widower with gifts to be donated to the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Sanchez has cached all 11 games, and appreciated how the tradition continues with his team.

“It’s good to see they all contributed money to the gifts, and all participated,” Sanchez said. “They recognized there’s something bigger than soccer.”

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Rookies can be leaders too

Samuel Brodrique is currently in his first year with the Concordia Stingers. Photos by Brianna Thicke.

Stingers linebacker Samuel Brodrique talks about fitting in and making an impact

When the Concordia Stingers football team took on the McGill Redmen at Percival Molson Stadium in their first game of the year on Sept. 2, Stingers linebacker Samuel Brodrique was playing in his first-ever university game.

In a pressure-packed game between the Stingers’ most hated rival, Brodrique put on a show, picking up two interceptions, one of which was returned 81 yards and helped set up a Stingers touchdown. Brodrique was all over the field that day, making his mark as a formidable defender. By the end of the game, everyone on the field knew who he was.

“During the game, I don’t think I thought about what was happening too much. With the intensity of the game, you don’t have time to think,” Brodrique said. “But I knew I could have that big of a game. We saw it all on tape and we were prepared for them. I knew I could have an impact and I’m happy because I delivered.”

Big plays like the ones Brodrique made against McGill are exactly why he was highly sought after by the Stingers. Before joining the team, Brodrique played for the Champlain College Cougars. Brodrique committed to the Stingers program in October 2015, and then joined the team officially in January.

For Brodrique, Concordia was the best place to continue because, just like him, Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan and Stingers assistant coach Patrick Donovan were linebackers as well.

“The coaches know I came for them so they’re really teaching me every single aspect of being a linebacker,” Brodrique said. “We’re [watching] a lot of film together to pick out the small details and correct myself. They’re committed to making me better.”

Brodrique added that he was interested in attending the John Molson School Business and it was another reason why he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to play for Concordia. Brodrique is currently studying finance, although he said he doesn’t know exactly what he wants to pursue as a career.

“I don’t quite know yet what I want to do, but I think it’s because of football. Football is always on my mind,” Brodrique said. “I have a lot of interest in my classes and investment. It might turn out to be one of the things I want to do but I can’t say what job I want.”

Brodrique had two interceptions in his first game against McGill.

Since joining the Stingers, Brodrique has made quite the impression on his teammates and coaches. In an interview with The Concordian after the game against the Redmen, coach Donovan had endless praise for Brodrique, stating that he was a special player and a great leader.

In his first year with the team, Brodrique was voted as a captain alongside quarterback Trenton Miller, fifth-year defensive end Andrew Barlett and fourth-year linebacker Mickael Côté.

Brodrique said that being a captain in his first season is an honour, and he is happy to have the support of his teammates.

“In our team, the captains are chosen by election from the players and that’s nice because it means the guys believe in me,” Brodrique said. “I had the chance to be there this winter and meet the guys. I think that really made a difference because I’ve been a part of the system, and I think knowing the playbook helped.”

“I’ve always been a captain that leads by example—I’m not a big speaker and I don’t have a loud voice,” Brodrique added.

When asked about the pressures of making an impact in his first year, Brodrique said that there aren’t any. He knows that he was brought on with the Stingers to make an impact early on and it’s what his coaches are expecting him to do.

In the Stingers second and third games of the season against the Université de Laval and the Université de Montréal, the Stingers lost by scores of 37-18 and 59-3 respectively. The Stingers looked especially outmatched against Montréal, however, Brodrique is confident that the team can bounce back and win down the stretch.

“I think battling those two teams was a reflection in the mirror for us because we could see all of our issues,” Brodrique said. “We have a lot of meetings every week just to see what we can change, and I think, if we had faced these two teams at the end of the year, it wouldn’t have been the same score. I don’t like losing but sometimes it’s essential for a team to get better.”

“I really think that we have everything to win this year, and there is no reason why we can’t beat these teams,” Brodrique said.

With four games still to come this season, Brodrique said he hopes to be more consistent. He feels like he has to be the guy who delivers more big plays, and at the most important times of the game.

Brodrique knows that the team can go far, and he wants to be a part of that big push for a championship. His drive for winning and making big plays is accentuated by his short-term and long-term goals.

“Short-term, I want to win a Vanier Cup, and in the long-term I want to win some more Vaniers,” Brodrique said.

Brodrique and his teammates currently sit at a record of 2-2 and will take on the Bishop’s Gaiters next week at home on Oct. 1 at 2 p.m.

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Shooting for the top of the league

The Stingers finished with a 10-6 record last year which put them second in the RSEQ division. Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

Concordia Stingers men’s basketball coach Rastko Popovic has high expectations for his team

Last season, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team put a new man behind the bench when former head coach John Dore retired after 26 seasons with the team. With large shoes to fill, the program put the team into the hands of former Stingers player and assistant coach Rastko Popovic.

Popovic played with the Stingers from 2001 to 2006 and was assistant coach of the women’s team from 2006 to 2013, before joining the men’s coaching staff as an assistant. Popovic, who has represented the maroon and gold for 15 years, said he was happy to get the opportunity to become head coach.

“I have a lot of Concordia pride. You’re not going to find many people who are more proud of being a part of the Stingers family than me,” Popovic said. “To me, this is truly a privilege. Not many people get that opportunity, and every guy who comes through the program I expect them to do well in school and on the floor.”

In his first season as head coach, Popovic helped lead the team to a 10-6 record which was good enough for second place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec division (RSEQ). The team made it to the playoffs but were eliminated by the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins in the first round.

Popovic said that he learned a lot in his first year as head coach, and felt that the team did fairly well. However, Popovic added that he knows the team needs to improve if they want to become the best team, not just in Quebec, but in Canada as well.

“I thought we had a pretty decent year but we realized we had to upgrade our roster at certain positions,” Popovic said. “We worked hard this summer as a team and as a coaching staff to get better individually and as a team. I think we learned that we still got ways to go to get to the top of the conference like we used to be.”

Heading into the upcoming season, Popovic said he is hoping his team will build on their successes from last year. Popovic said the team has a lot of talent and depth compared to last year which will help the team perform well down the stretch.

Popovic is confident that his team can go all the way this year.

“We have a lot of depth behind our starters and that’s something we didn’t have last year which hurt us,” Popovic said. “We would get in foul trouble and get injuries. Now we’re better suited to face any challenges that we’re going to have.”

When asked about the overall goal for the season, Popovic was quick to answer that the team always expects to be at the top, adding that, as competitors, the whole team is always hungry to win.

“We want to be in the championship game in the [RSEQ division] and have a chance to go to Nationals,” Popovic said. “Our goal this year is to win the league.”

Before the Stingers play their first game of the regular season, the team will be playing Queen’s University on Sept. 30, and will be participating in three tournaments. The first of those tournaments is the Concordia Classic which will see the team play three games in three days between Oct. 7 and Oct. 9.

Last season, the team won the Concordia Classic, and Popovic is hoping that his team will do the same this year. While some teams use these tournaments as practice for the regular season, Popovic and his team are always looking to win.

Popovic said that in order to be successful this season and get those wins, it will take great shooting as well as an all-star defense to get to the top.

“I think last year we were a great defensive team but offensively we weren’t very consistent,” Popovic said. “If we take better shots, our percentages will go up and we’ll score more points and win more games, especially if our defense is as good as last year.”

The Stingers will play their first game of the regular season at home against Bishop’s University on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m.

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A deep bench is the key to success

The Concordia Stingers went 7-9 last year in the RSEQ division. Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

Concordia Stingers women’s basketball head coach Tenicha Gittens talks about the upcoming year

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team is starting its second year under the guidance of head coach Tenicha Gittens who believes that they can improve on last year’s 7-9 record.

The nomination of Gittens as head coach in late July 2015 prevented her from monitoring the team’s conditioning during last year’s off-season, since she was brought in so close to training camp.

This time around, players are taking part in her rigorous program that has had returning players breaking a heavy sweat since April. Gittens ensured that her players are already starting to see results and improvement when it comes to skills and fitness.

According to Gittens, the team has added more skilled players to the roster so that the team has more options down the stretch. These additions address the team’s lack of depth from last year. Now the emphasis will be on wreaking havoc, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The Stingers are adding five new recruits this year.  Three of those recruits, forward Marvia Dean, forward Ashley Moss and guard Jazlyn Barker were all teammates at Holland College in Prince Edward Island. The team also added Donna Lamont from Jamaica and point guard Caroline Task from Vanier College. Gittens described the new recruiting class as one that is strong defensively, which fits the style of game she is trying to teach her team.

“Defense is something we focus on a lot in practice every single day,” Gittens said. “[The team] sometimes hates it but they know they have to do it because it’s just going to make us better as a unit.”

Her coaching philosophy starts with the importance of getting defensive stops.

“It’s the one thing you can control. You can’t say that every game you are going to score thirty plus points a quarter,” Gittens said, adding that scoring is a question of effort and playing for the teammate in front of you.

Last year’s team boasted two of the top three scorers in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) division with forward Richelle Grégoire and forward Marilyse Roy-Viau. The team’s scoring came in spurts, and the team enjoyed success on the offensive side of the ball for much of the season. On the other hand, it proved to be an ineffective way of winning games against powerhouses like the Université de Laval and McGill. The goal this year is to be one of the top 10 defensive teams in the league.

Coach Gittens said that depth will be the key to her team’s success this year.

Gittens said that while Grégoire played great for the team last season, she has the potential to be play even better this year.

“The work ethic she has is unbelievable and everybody wants [Grégoire] on their team because of how she plays,” Gittens said. Gittens added that if one were to watch Grégoire in practice, they would see a strong effort that is always translated to games.

Gittens also complimented Grégoire’s leadership skills, noting that she has a different mindset that sets her apart from the other players.

“She takes the last shot in practice. If she doesn’t take the last [shot] in practice, I’m mad,” Gittens said.

The Stingers will look to feed off of that energy as they start their tournament season on Sept. 30 in the Nipissing tournament. Gittens said the team is in a “win now mode” since the addition of more depth will help them get through the tournament season. Gittens said she is confident that every player on the team is able to contribute 20 to 25 minutes of playing time per night, which will keep the team fresh throughout the season.

The Stingers will play their first regular season game at home on Nov. 6 against Bishop’s University at 6 p.m.

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Stingers pick up their first win of the year

The Stingers now have a record of 1-2 this season. Photos by Alexander Cole.

The Concordia men’s rugby team won their home-opener against the École de Technologie Supérieure

A last minute try by Stingers winger Francois Yaccarini propelled the team to a 41-36 victory in their home-opener against the École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS) Piranhas on Sept. 25 at Concordia stadium.

“[The game-winning try] was just a play we worked on a lot in practice, and we executed it perfectly,” Yaccarini said. “We worked hard all game long and we just made a few mistakes in the end but it went well for us.”

The game started off well for the Stingers as they scored on an early penalty kick for a 3-0 lead. The Piranhas came back quickly with a try and a conversion to go ahead 7-3, but the Stingers used their speed and physicality to get the lead back.

Near the midpoint of the first half, the Stingers were up 19-7, however, the Piranhas kicked their offence into high gear and scored two straight tries to end the half for a 21-19 lead.

“We took some really dumb penalties,” Stingers head coach Craig Beemer said when describing his team’s first half performance. “The penalties led to seven points for ETS. We’re still learning.”

The second half started off poorly for the Stingers as the Piranhas scored a try just two minutes into the frame to give themselves a 26-19 lead.

Despite being down, the Stingers never gave up and came back with two tries to give themselves a 34-26 lead. The game continued to go back and forth for the majority of the half until, with 10 minutes left in the game, the Piranhas led a late game charge.

The Stingers won thanks to a try by Francois Yaccarini.

ETS started off with a try to bring the score to 34-33 in favor of the Stingers with just nine minutes left in the match. The Piranhas kept pressing and putting pressure on the young Stingers team and eventually forced Concordia to commit a penalty. The Piranhas took advantage and converted on the penalty, giving themselves a 36-34 lead going into injury time.

In the last minute of injury time, Yaccarini received a pass from his teammate on the outside and ran all the way down the field for the try, giving his team the win.

The victory was the team’s first of the season, and for Beemer it was a win that his team needed to get.

“It was really important. These guys have been working hard for a month,” Beemer said. “We’re going to have to grow every single game, and we deserved it today.”

The Stingers will look for their second win of the season against Université de Montréal Carabins on Oct. 2 at Concordia Stadium.

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