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Reflecting on the past and the present

Schwartz has been with the Stingers since the team’s inception in 1995. Photo by Alexander Cole.

Coach Howie Schwartz talks about his career with the team, as well as the upcoming season

During the entire 21-year history of the Concordia Stingers baseball team, the club has only had one coach, and that man is Howie Schwartz. In 1995, Schwartz went from coaching his children to coaching university baseball and he hasn’t looked back since.

“In 1995, I was at a social function and met one of the players that was playing for Queen’s [University] and he told me they were looking for a coach for Concordia,” Schwartz said. “He put me into contact with the guy who was putting the team together and after a few interviews, I found out I was the coach.”

“I’m surprised they haven’t smartened up and got rid of me,” Schwartz added jokingly.

Schwartz’s love of baseball began even before the Montreal Expos came into existence in 1969. Schwartz said watching baseball with his brothers got him engrossed in the sport and he eventually took up playing it.

While playing in little league, Schwartz would lie about his age so that he could play in multiple leagues at the same time, he said. When his junior career was over, Schwartz played softball for a few years until his children were born, and that’s when he started to coach. Including his time with the Stingers, Schwartz has been coaching baseball for 30 years.

Schwartz, who is also a sports psychologist who worked with the Montreal Expos, said that the first few years with the Stingers involved a rough adjustment period.

“Oh, it was brutal. To go from coaching teenagers to adults who have a history of playing elite baseball made me feel completely out of my element,” Schwartz said. “Despite how much I knew about the game, I was totally intimidated by their skills and knowledge of the game. I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared going into something.”

Once getting into a rhythm with the team, Schwartz said he quickly realized that his fears and anxieties were unfounded and that he should have had more faith in himself. When he would reflect after each game, he felt that he was doing his best and did in fact belong as manager of the team.

In terms of his approach to coaching, Schwartz sees himself as a players coach.

“I don’t like to run the team with an iron fist or in a militaristic kind of way,” Schwartz said. “I like to get a lot of input from the players and I give them a lot of leeway. I just believe that that is how people respond best to being managed.”

In his 21-year career with the Stingers, Schwartz has two moments he is most proud of. The first being the team’s national championship win in 2009, and the other being the 2014 national championship finals, where the team lost 1-0 to the McGill Redmen.

For Schwartz, the 2009 national championship team was a special team that carried themselves well, both on and off the field. He said he had a feeling they would go all the way that year and felt it was one of the most talented teams he had ever coached. Meanwhile, Schwartz said that he was proud of the 2014 team because of how much heart they played with, especially in the end at nationals.

Schwartz added that throughout his two decades of coaching the team, the Stingers program and the league itself have evolved immensely.

“At first the school told us that we could use the Stingers name but they said not to embarrass [the school] and they wouldn’t give us a nickel,” Schwartz said. “It’s gone from that to being a varsity club team where we have tremendous financial and moral support. We’re part of ‘Stingers United’ now, and we definitely feel like we are a part of the athletics department.”

However, Schwartz also said that when it comes to baseball, there is a huge difference between the skill level of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) players and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) players.

For Schwartz, this is because the NCAA teams in Division 1 have more finances to recruit great players, and that the leagues are more known. Schwartz said if the Stingers were in the NCAA, they could probably compete at the Division 3 or Division 2 level.

“We make do with what we have, but there is no way we can compete against the Americans,” Schwartz said.

When speaking about recruitment, Schwartz said he has brought players in from British Columbia and Ontario to play for the team. However, baseball isn’t what he sells his players on.

A Concordia Stingers hitter during a game against McGill. Photo by Michael Maclean.

“Concordia has established itself as a bonafide university with quality programs to offer to compete with McGill,” Schwartz said. “Nobody is going to come to Concordia to play baseball, and I really try to stress that they will come to continue their studies in a strong program while getting to play baseball at the same time. I’m selling the university, not the baseball program.”

In the last few years, the Stingers baseball team has found success with six appearances at nationals in the last nine years, including a championship in 2009 and a national final in 2014. Despite that, last year was a rebuilding year for the team with many veterans graduating and new players coming in to fill those shoes.

Last season, the team finished with a record of 12-4, however, they were forced out of the playoffs in the semi-finals after losing their best-of-three series against Carleton University 2-1.

Schwartz explained that when a team gets a high influx of new and young players, it can be quite a challenge to integrate everyone into the system.

“What I’ve found historically is that if you only have a handful of new guys every year with a strong returning team, it’s easier to meld everyone in and get their feet wet,” Schwartz said. “When you have a large number of new players in one shot the challenge is much more [evident].”

“Last year we got upset in the playoffs because we couldn’t handle the pressure and didn’t have the maturity to play up to that level,” Schwartz added. “This year we have a lot of returning guys and they seem intent on making this a productive year. We’re seeing a lot of leadership this year.”

Schwartz said that going into this season, the expectation is to do better than last year in terms of wins. He said the new players are already integrating well and that the team has the potential to go far.

Schwartz added that there are no standout superstars on the team, but the talented and balanced roster bodes well for the upcoming season.

In order to win a national championship, Schwartz said that playing smart and playing great defense is how they are going to get there.

“Pitching is the key and it looks like we have a lot of talent there. I like what we have up the middle [outfield], and in terms of offense, we need to stick to the fundamentals. We have a lot of speed on the team,” he said.

“It’s such a short season so we can’t afford to get into a slump,” Schwartz added. “We have to be on top of the game at all times.”

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Stingers get stung in home opener

After the loss, the Stingers now have a record of 1-1. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

Concordia’s football team lost to the Université de Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 10

Untimely offensive errors and mistakes on special teams proved costly for the Concordia Stingers as they lost their home opener against the Université de Laval Rouge et Or by a score of 37-18 on Sept. 10.

“Realistically, we got to finish in the redzone with our offense. We had too many dropped balls and too many miscues,” said Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan. “We had too many mistakes on special teams with our kick return team and out punt return team. These are things we can fix.”

Early in the first quarter, already down 5-0, the Stingers had a chance at a field goal, however the kick was blocked and then returned 84 yards for a touchdown by Rouge et Or defensive lineman Mathieu Betts. This gave Laval a 12-0 lead early on.

On the ensuing kickoff, Stingers running back Quaysie Gordon-Maule received the ball on his team’s 6-yard line, and ran the ball 104 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 12-7.

In the second quarter, the Rouge et Or capitalized on their chances, and added two touchdowns to give themselves a 26-7 lead at halftime. The Stingers, who are known for their high-flying offense, struggled to get points on the board as they were unable to score in the second quarter.

“They did the little things right and we didn’t focus on those things,” Stingers quarterback Trenton Miller said. “No defense in this league is too much for us—we just need to execute.”

In the second half, the Stingers were able to get off to a better start. They forced Laval deep into their own zone which led to a safety and then later in the third quarter, the Stingers scored a field goal to reduce the lead to 26-12.

The Stingers in a full team huddle before the match.

As the match progressed, the Stingers were able to get the ball into the Rouge et Or zone, but could not finish. The Rouge et Or defense was there to shut the door at every occasion, however, for Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin, containing the Stingers offense wasn’t easy.

“It was difficult. We prepared for 80 per cent passing last week like they did against McGill but they came out rushing at first,” Constantin said. “We had to readjust a couple things. They make fast reads and we had to make their quarterback earn his throws.”

With the game out of reach, Miller brought his team deep into the Laval zone and ran the ball into the endzone himself for the team’s first offensive touchdown of the game. After a failed two-point conversion by the Stingers, the score settled at 37-18.

The Stingers combined for 372 yards of total offense, while the Rouge et Or combined for 434 yards of total offense. Despite being outplayed on the offensive side of the ball, Donovan praised his team’s performance.

“Despite having a couple of dropped passes, I thought our offense played well,” Donovan said. “There’s things that we can fix and there are things we’re going to get better on. But our kids played a tough game.”

The Stingers will take on the Université de Montréal Carabins at the Centre d’éducation physique et des sports de l’Université’ de Montréal on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.

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Men’s and women’s soccer split in home openers

The men’s soccer team picked up their first win against the Carabins. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

The men’s team picked up their first win while the women lost

Concordia’s men’s and women’s soccer teams split their home openers against the Université de Montréal Carabins on Sept. 9 as the men won their match 2-1, and the women lost theirs 2-0.

Men’s Soccer

Despite being dominated for the better part of the match and being down a goal, the Stingers were able to mount a comeback giving them their 2-1 victory.

The team struggled in terms of ball possession, but this is something that Stingers assistant coach François Bastien wasn’t too worried about.

“We don’t mind if they have possession in their defensive third of the field,” Bastien said. “This is something we were never really bothered with because we want to keep the team tight and collective to protect the net.”

Stingers goalkeeper Karl Gouabé was a standout in the match and played a large role in the team’s victory. The freshman made ten saves in the game and was able to save his teammates on numerous occasions when the Carabins were pressing in the Stingers zone.

Gouabé said that receiving more shots in a game allows him to improve, however a high amount of shots isn’t always a good thing.

“As a goalkeeper, the best game is a game where you get no shots,” Gouabé said. “As much as I’m getting better with more shots, I’m still hoping for less.”

Known as what Bastien describes as a “slow starting team,” the Stingers stayed true to that description and almost allowed a goal 30 seconds into the first half. The Stingers had a hard time containing the Carabins skilled forwards, who were constantly buzzing around the net.

The Carabins finally capitalized on their opportunities in the 25th minute and took a 1-0 lead with a goal by forward Hugo Chambon. In the entire first half, the Stingers were unable to get a shot on goal.

Concordia stood their ground in the second half and battled back with hard work and a chippy attack. The Stingers got on the board with a goal from forward Gabriel Quinn in the 67th minute to tie the game at one all.

During injury time, the Stingers stole the win after a goal from forward Mustapha Medouni, who had just been substituted into the game.

“I came in and I wanted to score quickly. It happened so fast—I tried and I was able to score,” Medouni said.

The team’s next game is at home against the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivieres on Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

On the women’s side, the team was unable to get their first win of the season after being shutout 2-0 by the Carabins.

“I always want to win. I don’t care who I’m playing. My objective, my expectation is that we can win every game,”  said Stingers head coach Jorge Sanchez.

The women’s soccer team failed to get their first win against the Carabins.

Stingers Captain Alyssa Ruscio shared the same sentiments as her coach.

“I knew it was going to be tough going in,” Ruscio said. “[The Carabins] have always been one of the top ranked teams. But our idea coming in was to start from the first whistle and give it all we have and show the whole league that we can compete this year.”

The Carabins dominated the Stingers with constant pressure throughout the match. Aside from a shot that hit the crossbar in the first half, the Stingers were unable to get any offense going and finished the game with only two shots on goal.

The Carabins scored two goals in the first half and were able to keep the Stingers off the scoreboard.

However it was not all negative, as the Stingers were able to slow down their rivals in the second half.

“It’s really positive that we didn’t concede in the second [half] given that we were down 2-0,” Sanchez said. “But we need to work on set pieces. That’s how they scored both goals.”

For Sanchez, another reason why the Stingers allowed the two goals was because they let the Carabins get second chances with the ball. Nonetheless, Sanchez said he was happy with his team’s effort in the second half.

“I thought our second half was much better. I thought our effort was good,” Sanchez said. “We played a little more physical and aggressive, matched them on that side. But we didn’t take opportunities when they presented themselves.”

The Stingers aim for their first win of the season against the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières on Sept. 16 at 8:30 p.m.

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Stingers blow out Vert et Or

The Stingers picked up their first win with an 85-0 victory. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

Concordia women’s rugby picks up first win of the season in dominating fashion

Rain and humidity did not seem to affect the Concordia women’s rugby team as they shut out the Université de Sherbrooke 85-0 on Sept. 8 to bring their record to 1-1 for the season.

It didn’t take long for the Stingers to get on the scoreboard. They fought their way forward, and within the opening five minutes they got their first five points off a try by lock Jenna Thompson. This was followed up by another seven points within minutes, and by the 30-minute mark, Concordia was already leading 12-0.

The Stingers controlled the game for almost the entire first half, managing crisp passes, and communicating well with one another. Concordia was able to keep Sherbrooke trapped in their own zone at all times. Attempts by the opposing team to break away were quickly shut down by strong tackling and smart plays during the scrums.

The first half went by quickly, with Concordia dominating and scoring a total of 50 points within the first 40 minutes of the game.

“We have to focus on our work ethic and, just no matter what the score is on the scoreboard, that we’re going 100 per cent all the time,” said Stingers fullback Emily Hickson.

The second half slowed considerably in comparison to the first. Sherbrooke found some energy but was still unable to create any scoring chances. This allowed the Stingers to take even more control of the game, and increased their lead to 57-0.

With such a large lead, Concordia head coach Graeme McGravie subbed out some of their starters, giving other players a chance to get game experience as well.

“We put the girls on who don’t normally start and they’re pretty motivated to play so that kind of keeps the play going,” McGravie said.

Motivation for these players was not an issue as Concordia continued to press Sherbrooke, playing in the opposing end for almost the entire second half. Thanks to strong individual efforts as well as smart team play, Concordia managed to rack up another four tries and conversions to give themselves a 78-0 lead.

The Stingers will play an away game against Bishops on Sept. 16. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

In the last few minutes of the second half, Hickson got the ball and ran diagonally across the field into the try zone, adding yet another five points to their lead. A successful conversion brought the Stingers up to their final score of 85-0.

Despite the large margin of victory, McGravie felt that there was room for improvement.

“There was a lot of stuff that I thought wasn’t done properly, that we’ve done in practice, and if [the players] want to see the field against Bishops [University] or even make the bench against Bishops then they better start doing what we coach them,” McGravie said. “I know they’ll respond to that, they’re a good bunch of girls so I’m pretty excited.”

The Stingers’ next game is an away game against Bishops on Sept. 16.

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Stingers lose to Laval in home opener

Archival photo from a game against Bishops. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Concordia’s women’s rugby team starts the season off with a loss at home

The Concordia Stingers women’s rugby team opened up their 2016 season on a losing note after a 45-26 loss at the hands of the Université de Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 5.

“They’re a good team but we still expect to win,” said Stingers head coach Graeme McGravie.

The first ten minutes of the game were slow as both teams shared possession of the ball around midfield. However, the game did see the the Stingers get pushed around by a ferocious and tenacious Laval squad. The pace picked up when Laval’s star player Fabiola Forteza scored a try off of a scrum at Concordia’s 35-yard line, just eleven minutes into the game.

It was only after Laval scored two more tries that last season’s MVP Frédérique Rajotte took matters into her own hands. Surging through the defense, she scored the Stingers’ first and only try of the half. The Rouge et Or went into halftime with a comfortable 19-7 lead. It almost looked like the Stingers were going to narrow that lead, but Concordia lost possession of the ball just seconds before the referee blew the halftime whistle.

Laval physically dominated the Stingers in this game, especially during scrums.

‘’[Laval] did really well. I am massively disappointed in our scrums,’’ McGravie said. McGravie added that he had expected stronger scrums since that is something the team is known for.

“[Scrums are] something we discussed with the coaching staff throughout the game. We’re really going to work on that this week,” McGravie said.

Just five minutes into the second half, Laval increased their lead by scoring another try. Despite being behind, the Stingers were able to finish strong. Later during the final frame, the Stingers cut Laval’s lead to just 12 points at 38-26. With five minutes to go, Laval increased their lead to 45-26 which would end up being the final score. Concordia’s effort late in the game did not go unnoticed by their coach, however.

‘’We stuck it out. We went back at them, we played hard and I’m very happy with that,” McGravie said. “I’m happy with the effort but not the execution.”

One notable performance in the game was from prop Émilie Bélanger who led the team in scoring with two tries.

The Stingers will look to get their first win of the season at home on Sept. 8 against the Université de Sherbrooke.

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From MLS goalkeeper to Stingers head coach

Greg Sutton played for the Montreal Impact before joining the Stingers. Photos by Brianna Thicke.

Greg Sutton draws on his own experience to guide men’s soccer team over the hump

From playing soccer to coaching it at a university level, Greg Sutton knows what it takes to develop a good soccer player and a good student. The head coach of the Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team combines 13 years of experience playing professional soccer with his experience as a student-athlete to help his players both on and off the field.

Sutton played soccer and basketball at St. Lawrence University in the state of New York before becoming a professional soccer player. The former goalkeeper played with the Montreal Impact from 2001 to 2006, when they played in the A-League and the United Soccer League. He played 132 games with Montreal before joining Major League Soccer (MLS) and played 47 games with Toronto FC and the New York Red Bulls from 2007 to 2012. He retired as a member of the Impact.

During his career in Montreal, Sutton helped out the Stingers as an assistant to former head coach and Impact player Lloyd Barker, and returned to the role after retiring. Sutton was soon promoted to head coach, and he is now set to coach his third season.

“I do not do it for any other reason than I enjoy it,” Sutton said. “I like working with these guys because they all want to learn and become better players.” He also admits that he does not miss the travel required of a professional soccer player, and that he enjoys the time he gets to spend with his family.

Having played soccer for most of his life, the 39-year-old felt like he needed to give back to the soccer community, and did so by coaching.

“I always felt like I wanted to give back to the game” Sutton said. “I believe all pro players that are good people should [coach], because they are the most qualified. That’s how our country is going to grow as a soccer country.”

Outside of Concordia, Sutton is a colour commentator for the MLS on TSN, and has appeared on national broadcasts alongside Luke Wileman. He is also a representative for Umbro, a soccer apparel company, throughout Quebec and Eastern Ontario.

As a former student-athlete himself, Sutton draws on a lot of his personal experiences to help his players grow. Both in school and off the field, he knows what his players go through on a daily basis. Sutton maintains that education is important, but the student-athletes also need to work out their schedule so they can excel on the field.

“I have to be tough on them, I cannot just hold their hand. But at the same time, I want to make sure that I am supporting them in certain way [so] that they are learning,” Sutton said. “Whether it is a mistake on the field or off the field, they are learning from it.”

As a father of two young children, Sutton has not yet dealt with the task of teaching his kids the responsibilities of being a student. As a soccer coach at a university, however, he faces that challenge.

“School is a priority and it is our priority,” Sutton said. “It is a learning curve for me to make [my players] understand the responsibilities of being a student.”

As a goalkeeper, Sutton saw the play differently and is now able to use that knowledge as a Stingers coach. He watched the game unfold in front of him, including when plays were building up or breaking down, and knows the tendencies of both defenders and forwards.

A goalkeeper, like a coach, stands alone most of the game, often barking out orders to the players, so for Sutton, not much has changed.

The former Canadian international soccer player has his own unique way of coaching, but draws on personal experiences from his former coaches on the dos and don’ts.

“You try to create your own identity as a coach,” Sutton said. “I do not try to simulate someone, and I do not try to do what someone did not do.”

Sutton has been growing the university’s soccer program ever since he started. The team improved from a record of 0-7-5 in his first season in 2014 to 3-9-0 last season, scoring four more goals in the process. One of Sutton’s goals was to expand the team’s depth, considering they could play two games per weekend—one on Friday night, and the second on Sunday.

To be a good team in these Friday-Sunday leagues, a team needs depth to carry fresh legs into the second game. Concordia did not win a single game on a Sunday last season, and were beat by a combined score of 7-1 on the three Sundays following their Friday night victories. Sutton believes that may not be the case in 2016.

Sutton expects his team to make the playoffs this season.

“You need to create not just good 11 players, but good 16, 17, 18 players,” Sutton said. “We finally have that [depth] this year. I’ll be able to make 4 to 5 changes on Sunday and our level will stay the same.”

The past year has seen many soccer teams around the world, such as Atlético Madrid, Juventus and Leicester City, defend with 11 men, from the keeper to the striker. Those teams create scoring chances from a strong defensive stance, and at times on the counter-attack.

Sutton has the same principle when it comes to the Stingers, but to say he will employ the same tactics as managers like Diego Simeone, Max Allegri and Claudio Ranieri is a stretch. He still is a defence-first coach.

“I’m a stickler about defence. If we do not get a shutout, I’m not as satisfied,” Sutton said. “Our defence will create opportunities for us offensively. On a whole, every player has a defensive responsibility, but not everybody is responsible on offence.”

Considering the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) hosts two of the top 10 teams in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), UQAM and Montreal, the Stingers play in a tough conference but feel prepared for the challenge. Sutton feels he has a strong team on the field.

“We have a midfielder who is an all-star already, in my opinion,” Sutton said. “We have some quality in all our positions, and now we have some really good quality in certain important positions.”

When asked about the expectations for the Stingers this season, Sutton was not afraid to set the bar high.

“If we do not make the playoffs this year, I’ll be disappointed,” he said.

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Stingers split with St. Thomas Aquinas

Concordia men’s basketball gets a win and a loss against a New York team

The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team hosted the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans from Sparkill, N.Y. in a pair of games on Sept. 1 and Sept 2. The Spartans took game one winning 95-85 while the Stingers took game two with a 81-72 victory.

Game one

The Stingers struggled in the early part of the game as the Spartans took a 4-0 lead. The Stingers got their first basket of the game on a three-pointer by guard Mikee Dosado which gave the Stingers momentum. Concordia ended the first quarter ahead 25-19, thanks to three-pointers by several players including two by forward Ken Beaulieu. Beaulieu finished the quarter with 10 points.

The Stingers started the second quarter strong and hit their first few shots. With just under eight minutes remaining in the quarter, the Stingers had a nine point lead. The Spartans tied the game at 36 with two minutes left and then took a 47-42 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Stingers fought their way back and were close to tying the game. However, deep into the third quarter, the Stingers players hit a cold streak and were unable to make their shots. The Spartans took advantage, taking a 13-point lead. By the end of the quarter the score was 70-60 in favour of the Spartans.

In the final quarter, the Stingers could not keep up with the high-powered offense of the Spartans. With five minutes left in the game, the Spartans led by 17 points. The Stingers got a few late baskets by guard Rowan Power to cut the deficit down to 10.

The Spartans scored 22 points off of Concordia’s turnovers.

“Defensively it was a pretty poor game,” said Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic. “We turned the ball over too much. We had some good moments but our youth showed today.”

Game two

For the majority of the first quarter, both teams took turns scoring and the game was tied. It was a three-pointer by Dosado late in the quarter that propelled the Stingers into the lead. After the first quarter, the Stingers led 17-16.

To start the second quarter, the Spartans scored two early baskets to take their first lead of the game. The Stingers eventually retook the lead with three minutes left in the quarter. The Stingers hit three consecutive three-pointers by with duo Dosado and guard Nicholas Noble. Noble finished the first half going three for four from the three-point line. The Stingers went into halftime leading 37-34.

The third quarter started well for the Spartans, as they tied the game at 39.The Stingers maintained a five point lead throughout the quarter and went into the final frame up 62-57.

In the fourth quarter, the Spartans cut the Stingers lead to just three points with 40 seconds left. Beaulieu came up big in the final moments for the Stingers, as he hit a basket and then grabbed a steal which led to a slam dunk to end the game.

“[I] thought we played much better today. The guys corrected some of the mistakes we made yesterday,” Popovic said. “I thought we had some great moments but we made some costly mistakes where [the Spartans] made some big shots.”

“It was a hard fought game and the other team has a high-tempo offence which is something we weren’t used to,” said Stingers point guard Ricardo Monge. “But we got the win and that’s all that counts.”

These two matches against the Spartans were their final exhibition games against National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) opponents. They finished with a record of 3-2.

“In all of the games we played, we were very competitive,” Popovic said. “I think CIS basketball is very good at this time and teams across country have done well against NCAA schools.”

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Stingers win big at Molson Stadium

Stingers defensive tackle Samuel Narkaj chases down a McGill running back. Photo by Derek Drummond.

A turnover-filled game allowed Concordia to win their third straight Shaughnessy Cup

During a cool evening at Percival Molson Stadium on Sept. 2, the Concordia Stingers football team defeated their crosstown rivals, the McGill Redmen, in the 48th annual Shaughnessy Cup by a score of 30-16.

“This is like a Vanier Cup to us,” Stingers coach Mickey Donovan said. “There is a huge rivalry between the two teams and it’s not just a first game of the season. It’s definitely a playoff game and every game is like a playoff game.”

Despite the win, the Stingers came out of the gate shaky. Quarterback Trenton Miller struggled to start the game and threw two interceptions on his first two possessions. Miller’s second interception found the hands of Redmen defensive back Vincent Dethier in the end zone.

On the ensuing Redmen drive, McGill quarterback Nicolas English threw to wide receiver Joel Soucy for a touchdown. This gave the Redmen a 7-0 lead.

Later on in the second quarter, Stingers linebacker Samuel Brodrique intercepted a pass from English and ran it 81 yards to McGill’s 8-yard line. Miller took advantage of the field position and made no mistake throwing the ball to Yanic Lessard for the touchdown to give the team an 8-7 lead.

Heading into halftime, the Stingers boasted a 13-7 lead thanks to a field goal from rookie kicker Patrick Mills and a McGill Redmen safety.

With three interceptions after just two quarters of play, Donovan had plenty of praise for his defense.

“[The defense] was huge. [Brodrique] is a special kid,” Donovan said. “In his first year he got voted as a captain. He is a special leader who does great work both on and off the field. The whole defense was prepared and we came out on top.”

To start the second half, the Redmen made a change to the quarterback position, opting for the rookie Frédéric Paquette-Perrault. Paquette-Perrault took advantage of his first opportunity by throwing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Louis Brouillette on the opening drive of the half. This gave the Redmen a 14-13 lead.

“It was nice to get in the game,” Paquette-Perrault said. “I had a great opportunity to play. We played a good game but we made a lot of errors.”

Deep into the third quarter, Miller was able to find his rhythm for the Stingers and marched the team down the field and set them up for a field goal which gave the Stingers back their lead. Despite the early jitters, Miller felt confident out on the field in the second half.

“Honestly my team just believed in me,” Miller said. “Our receivers kept trying to get open and they made it easier for me. When they are patting me on the butt on the sideline telling me to not worry about it, it helps.”

In the final quarter, with the score tied at 16, Miller kicked his offense into high gear and gave the team a 23-16 lead after a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Daniel Skube.

On the next Stingers possession, Miller threw a touchdown to rookie wide receiver Vincent Alessandrini, which gave the team a 30-16 lead. A lead they would never look back on.

In his debut, Alessandrini caught nine passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.

“It was an unreal feeling, I just went with my instinct and it was a big team effort,” Alessandrini said. “This game just goes to show that Concordia is headed in the right direction to win the Vanier Cup.”

After the Stingers went up by 14 points, the Redmen were able to get deep into the Stingers zone multiple times but were unable to score. The Stingers defence kept Paquette-Perrault from getting into the end zone and forced him to throw two interceptions in the second half.

Stingers running back Jean-Guy Rimpel makes a run with the ball.

“We really tried to go fast but it wasn’t great,” Paquette-Perrault said. “We made a lot of mistakes and we’re going to have to play sharper next week. I just hope to get better and help the team as much as I can.”

Paquette-Perrault’s opponent, Miller, threw for 375 yards in the game, including three touchdowns and two early interceptions.

After the game, Miller had high praise for his offensive line, who he felt gave him the edge when making big offensive plays down the stretch.

“I had at least three seconds to pass on every play tonight, it was ridiculous how well they played,” Miller said. “From left to right they all played amazing and it’s something I hope to see every single game.”

Coach Donovan said that despite having the lead at halftime, it was important to keep the team motivated for the second half. Donovan felt as though the team could have been playing much better.

“[At half] I told them to stick together and to not give up”, Donovan said. “We weren’t playing our best game and we [made] some corrections. We came out after and we played the way Concordia is supposed to play football.”

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Stingers men’s rugby team announces new head coach

Beemer was head coach of the McGill Redmen for eight seasons starting in 2007. Photo by Alexander Cole.

Craig Beemer takes over from recently retired Clive Gibson

The Concordia Stingers men’s rugby program announced on Aug. 19 that former assistant coach Craig Beemer will take over as head coach of the team.

In July, long-time Stingers coach Clive Gibson announced his retirement from the club after over twenty years with the organization. Beemer has been an assistant coach with the Stingers since 2014 and said he was excited for the opportunity to take over.

“One of the reasons why I wanted the job was that after working here for two years, I really like the atmosphere,” Beemer said. “Concordia is really quite the community and I got along well with the athletes.”

Before joining the Stingers in 2014, Beemer was head coach of the McGill Redmen for eight seasons starting in 2007. In all eight of those seasons, the Redmen won the RSEQ championship.

When Beemer joined the Stingers in 2014, he had to take over as head coach when Gibson became ill. In the same season, Beemer helped lead the team to a championship. Beemer said his previous coaching experiences will help in his new position.

 

Craig Beemer on the field. Photo by Alexander Cole.

“There are definitely still going to be some things to learn, but I’m definitely fortunate that I’ve already had the head coaching experience,” Beemer said. “But it’s still going to be exciting and new.”

 

For Beemer, taking over for Gibson who was with the team since 1995 carries some expectation, but he doesn’t feel like there is that much pressure to succeed.

“I’m not going to say there’s pressure but there is a lot to live up to,” said Beemer. “[Gibson] saw the team go from club to varsity status. No one put more time into the program than he did so from that standpoint there are high standards to live up to.”

Aside from working with the Stingers and the Redmen, Beemer has coached many other levels as well. In 2011, Beemer coached the Quebec senior men’s team and has coached high school rugby. Beemer also worked with the provincial U18 women’s team last year.

Beemer said that players should expect some up-tempo practices this season as he is someone who enjoys high-paced rugby. Beemer said the best way to win is to play at a pace that the other team has trouble keeping up with.

“I love competition. Anybody who knows me would say that I am a very competitive and fiery guy,” Beemer said. “I think that’s the easiest way to have fun.”

Last season, the team was eliminated from the first round of the playoffs after having been riddled with injuries all season. For Beemer, the first round exit meant an unsuccessful season and he hopes to change that this year.

Beemer said that this is a building year for the team and that there will be some structural changes. The Peterborough, Ont. native also wants his team to have fun and enjoy the season as well as perform and do well.

“The biggest challenge is having overall success and that doesn’t always mean winning,” Beemer said. “I want people to talk about and come to the program. I want it to continue to grow like it has for the last 20 years.”

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Stingers swept from post-season play

Concordia’s women’s hockey team dropped back-to-back games vs. Université de Montréal

Photo by Brianna Thicke

Concordia’s hockey season has officially come to a close for the Stingers varsity teams. While McGill trumped the men’s hockey team a couple weeks ago, the women’s squad was eliminated from the post-season after being swept by the Montréal Carabins on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Game 1

The best-of-three series began on Thursday, Feb. 26 when the team travelled to Université de Montréal. The Carabins had the Stingers’ number all year as they swept the season series 4-0 against Concordia. In game one, the Carabins jumped out to the early 1-0 lead and would not give Concordia’s offence the chance to answer. The game stayed 1-0 throughout most of the contest, until the Carabins extended their lead early in the third period. After securing the 2-0 victory in game one, Montréal forced Concordia into an elimination game on Saturday. Win, or the Stingers’ season was over.

Game 2

The Carabins crowd and Stinger supporters filled the Ed Meagher Arena on Saturday to watch what was ultimately Concordia’s last game of the season. The visiting crowd was boisterous as they chanted “Aller les bleus!” throughout the game. The electricity of the crowd fueled the play on the ice, as both teams were energetic from the get-go.

Just under four minutes into the first period, the Carabins scored first on a goal that Concordia’s all-star rookie goaltender Katherine Purchase wished she could have had back. A bouncing puck that came off of the stick of Montreal’s Janique Duval squeaked past Purchase to give the Carabins the 1-0 lead.

Momentum was with Montréal early in the game as just two minutes after their opening goal, the Carabins drew back-to-back penalties. With a two-man advantage, the Carabins’ power play went to work.

Montréal forward Marion Allemoz found the back of the net for the Carabins’ second goal to quiet the home supporters. In a total of three minutes, and with the help of some untimely penalties, the Carabins were in complete control of the game.

“We took a dumb penalty in the first period, gave them a five-on-three on a call that I thought was cheesy,” said Stingers head coach Les Lawton after the game. “They took advantage of it and we just couldn’t battle back as hard as we tried, couldn’t get the puck behind the goalie.”

The Carabins were outshooting the Stingers 5-1 midway through the first but the Stingers did not give up that easily. If not for the undisciplined play and momentary lapse by the Stingers in the first period, the final scoreboard could have been different.

The second period belonged to the Stingers as the home team desperately tried to keep their season alive. Concordia applied the pressure right from the puck drop. The Stingers spent most of the opening 10 minutes in the Carabins’ zone, but couldn’t beat their defence. By the latter half of the period, the Stingers now controlled the shots on goal by 14-12.

The turning point in the game came late in the second period when the Stingers were awarded a five-on-three power play. Much like Montréal’s opportunity in the first period, this was Concordia’s chance to get on the scoreboard. During the advantage, the Stingers had multiple chances but nothing seemed to bounce their way. Every cross-ice pass seemed to skip, every mad scramble was cleared and shots that should have gone in seemed to miss by mere inches. It simply wasn’t meant to be for the Stingers on Saturday.

“I thought it was one of our better efforts of the season and I thought it was a game we could have won,” said Lawton.

Heading into the third period Concordia outshot Montréal 24-18 but the score remained 2-0 for the Carabins. Less than two minutes into the final period, Montréal made it 3-0 and all the momentum that the Stingers had gained was quickly erased. With under four minutes left in the game Concordia finally got on the board with a goal to make it 3-1.

Once the final buzzer rang, another season of Stingers varsity hockey was over. However, the progress that the women’s hockey program made should not be overlooked.

“We made some great strides this year. We’ve got a really good base of players that are going to help move this team forward,” said Lawton. “I think we learned how to win a little bit this year, which is something we’ve been struggling with in the last couple of years.” Onto next year Stingers fans, and hopefully, with better and brighter outcomes.

“I think we turned some heads, not only in our league but across the country,” said Lawton.

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Stingers guard will leave a lasting impression

Photo by Brianna Thicke

Mukiya Post has been a leader on and off the court for the past two seasons

Fifth-year guard for the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team, Mukiya Post will hang up his Stingers maroon and gold once and for all at the end of the season. Post has scored 465 points in his two years with the Stingers and has been one of their true leaders on the court. It was a meaningful journey to play university basketball for the Victoria, B.C. native, one that he will never forget.

Photo by Brianna Thicke

Post first picked up playing basketball when he came to Canada from Jamaica. “I remember playing for fun at lunchtime in elementary school,” he said.

Post became more involved in the sport and found his passion when playing at Oak Bay High School.
“I got to high school where I fell in love with basketball, I loved to shoot and also loved to practice. It drove me to be the best that I can be,” Post said.

Post played college basketball at Quest University in 2010, and then after one year, made the long trip to basketball powerhouse Champlain College, Saint-Lambert, where he played alongside future Stingers teammate, Gabe Ritche.

It was at Champlain where Post caught the attention of Bishop’s Gaiters men’s basketball head coach, Rod Gilpin and his dream of playing in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) league became a reality.

Post spent one season with the Gaiters which was a successful year for him as he led the CIS in free throw percentage with 92.9 per cent and also averaged 11 points per game.

After the 2011-12 season, Post transferred to Concordia. Looking back now on how far he’s come and the different stops along the way, Post was very humble about his journey.

“I’m proud of myself for the sacrifices I made and the work I put in to getting to the CIS level.”
Post’s decision to play for Concordia for the last two years was helped by the reputation of Stingers head coach, John Dore.

“I heard great things about him and I liked his coaching style,” said Post. “Coach Dore taught me the values of competing and always trying to do your best whether it’s being a student or in a game.”

When Post is not excelling on the court, he is working with the foundation he created during his time off from playing basketball after Bishop’s. Pass the Ball is a non-profit organization whose mission is to collect and ship sports equipment to youth organizations, orphanages and schools in the Caribbean.

In November 2014, Post was awarded a $2,000 bursary from the Fondation de l’athlete d’excellence du Québec (FAEQ) for his foundation and the leadership role he provided for the Stingers. Post also volunteers his free time every Thursday to being a big brother to eight-year-old Jesse. “I never had a male presence around when I was growing up and I know that some of the kids in big brother/big sisters are in the same situation,” said Post.

Dore describes Post as being an ideal Stinger on and off the court.

“I think he has matured as a player on the court this year as he is making better decisions and also has been our leading scorer,” said Dore. “I admire [him] for all of things he has done off the court with his foundation and big brothers.”

Long-time teammate Riche describes Post as the key to Stingers success this year.

“When he gets the ball, he just wants to score and if we want to win we are going to need him to keep on doing that,” said Richie. “He is a good guy to have around because he cares about people and the community.”

Post will be done playing basketball with the Stingers after this year but will still be at Concordia next year finishing up his history degree and writing his LSAT.

Post hopes in the next few weeks the Stingers can win a championship as they head into the post-season.

“I could come back to Concordia in the near future and see our team banner that we won hanging in the gym, now that would be a great legacy,” he said.

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Stingers beat Ravens, get back on track

Led by their four power play goals, Concordia’s offence could not be stopped

The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team was looking for their first win of 2015 and found it when they rolled over the Carleton Ravens on Friday night, winning 6-1.

The first period began and the Stingers started very strong, throwing everything they had at Ravens goaltender Katelyn Steele. Later in the period, the Ravens got called for a penalty when Charlene Duffett was sent to the box for interference. Concordia quickly capitalized on the advantage when Keriann Schofield gave a pass to the point and Danielle Scarlett fired a quick shot that fooled Steele for the 1-0 lead.

The Stingers continued to dominate and it looked like the Ravens were simply no match. Once again, Carleton got penalized when Kaylie Welk got called for cross checking. Concordia took advantage again as Alexandria D’Onofrio took a shot that was tipped in by Valerie Wade for the 2-0. Quickly, the Stingers were in the driver’s seat and there was no turning back.

The Ravens played very undisciplined hockey as their frustration grew. Near the end of the first period Rebecca Dow got a penalty for yelling at the referee for an offside call.

As the second period started, Concordia went back to work on the power play and put the game out of reach indefinitely. One minute into the man advantage, Marie-Joelle Allard took a shot from the point at the net where Devon Thompson tipped it home for the 3-0 lead.

The Ravens started to attack the net with more success after that, but Concordia’s goalie Katherine Purchase was stopping every shot she faced and refused to let Carleton back in the game. The Ravens finally got on the scoreboard when a Sadie Wegner shot found the back of the net and cut the lead to 3-1.

Having not learned from the first period, Carleton’s undisciplined play cost them again when they were called for a tripping penalty on Olivia Keefe. Like clockwork, the Stingers power play punished the Ravens for the fourth time when Allard took a shot at the net that once again got tipped by Devon Thompson for her second of the game and a 4-1 lead. After Carleton made a switch in net, pulling Steele for Hailey Perreault, the second period ended and the Stingers were one period away from their first win of 2015.

The third period started in similar fashion as Concordia continued to dominate. Five minutes into the period Stingers forward Veronique Boudreau wired the puck past Perreault for her first goal as a Concordia Stinger and gave her team the 5-1 lead. Concordia was not letting up and it looked like the Ravens couldn’t find a solution to solve their opponent’s attack. The Stingers added one more goal to make it 6-1 when forward Valerie Wade made a nifty pass to Ann-Julie Deschenes who tucked the puck past Perreault.

The game would end on that score and Concordia sealed a dominating win. After the game, Concordia’s head coach Les Lawton was proud of his team.

“It was a really solid team effort. Special teams were very good and it was nice that we spread [around] the scoring,” Lawton said.

Thompson had three points for the Stingers and was also very happy with the result.

“We had a couple good weeks of practice and we came off two games where we had slow starts; we wanted to change that. We looked a lot at power plays and it showed today. As long as we work hard as a team, we can be successful.”

 

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