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Stingers women’s rugby team clinches playoff spot

Against an aggressive Bishop’s team, Concordia showed how tough its roster is by shutting out their opposition on the road.

This game was truly a David versus Goliath matchup, as the undefeated Stingers were up against the last place Bishop’s Gaiters. However, unlike the real story, Goliath won this round.

Concordia did not fall short of expectations and won comfortably 52-0. With two season games remaining, the Stingers’ five straight wins are already good enough to guarantee an RSEQ playoff spot.

The win also further demonstrated how much depth the maroon and gold’s roster has. Many rookies and non-starters were given an opportunity to showcase what they can bring to the table if called upon.

“We’re very happy to get a lot of people on,” said coach Graeme McGravie. “We’re very happy with the way they played.”

Concordia struck early and often. On one of these plays, a highlight reel run, was made by Frederique Rajotte. She was able to get the ball and dissect the gaps made available to her, before finally putting it down in position for an easy conversion.

Bishop’s was a hungry team, as they have yet to score a try this season. They would fare no better against the stiff Concordia defence, which is one of the Stingers’ strongest assets year in and year out.

The closest Bishop’s came to scoring was through a string of penalties called against the Stingers. This brought the Gaiters to the Stingers 30-yard line. Even from there, the home team was unable to beat the impenetrable wall of defenders.

“Historically were a very good defensive team,” said Jackie Tittley. “It’s good that we’re keeping to tradition. This defence is going to come in handy come playoffs.”

Concordia’s ease in dealing with the Bishop’s attack was in large part thanks to the team’s domination of set pieces. This was the reason for their heavily favored ball possession. This came into great use in the first half, as Concordia was consistently crashing the ball through the opposition. This took a toll on Bishop’s. The Gaiters had little energy in the second half.

This dominating style has clearly been effective this season and the team hopes it will get them through the upcoming schedule.

 

The Stingers’ next face off is against the Université de Montréal Carabins on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.

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Stingers football lose on homecoming day

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan

It was a bitter homecoming game for the Stingers men’s football team, as they fell 38-0 to powerhouse Université de Montréal on Friday. The loss came three weeks after a 48-10 drubbing at CEPSUM. Concordia’s offense never got into a rhythm, as turnovers and constant pressure on quarterback Reid Quest spelled doom for an offence that looked shell-shocked as the game progressed.

“We got off to a decent start, but like last time, we managed to screw it up,” said Quest, who had a tough game, completing 14 of 26 passes for 168 yards and three interceptions. “As the quarterback I have to be the leader. I can’t keep giving the ball away like that. That’s my fault.”

Quest was replaced by backup Troy McCusker late in the final quarter with the game out of reach. McCusker completed three of five passes for 33 yards.

The Stingers’ first offensive possession was perhaps their best of the day, though it doesn’t say much. They marched down the field, showing some unity, but a sack forced a 45-yard field goal attempt, which fell short and wide of the uprights. It was as close as they would come to any points.

“You can’t really pin this loss on anyone,” said former Stingers quarterback and receiver Liam Mahoney, who provides colour commentary on Stingers broadcasts on TSN 690. “You certainly can’t blame the quarterback. It’s hard to make good reads and get the right timing down when there’s guys in your face on every play.”

The running game was a non-factor for the Stingers as they rushed 16 times for 69 yards.

“When you can’t run the ball effectively on first down, it makes life tougher for the passing game, operating at second and long,” explained Mahoney. “This was also one of the best defences in the country.”

On their second possession, Quest’s pass was tipped and intercepted by the Carabins’ Antoine Pruneau. The Carabins made Concordia pay right away, with Alexandre Nadeau-Piuze throwing a 44-yard bomb to Ali Ndao down to the Stingers’ 26-yard line. Two plays later, Nadeau-Piuze capped off the drive with a Quarterback sneak from the one to give Montreal all the points they needed to seal the win.

Montreal added a 15-yard Charles Bauer field goal and a 20-yard touchdown pass to Ali Ndao, who was the game’s leading receiver with five catches for 96 yards.

The Carabins put the game away in the third quarter, scoring an additional 21 points. Tailback Rotrand Sené wore down Concordia’s defence, scoring a pair of touchdowns on the ground. He had back-to-back majors of five and 24 yards. He rushed for 118 yards on 14 carries, contributing to Montréal’s 221-yard total.

Concordia’s home field advantage was taken away, as Montréal’s dominance took Concordia supporters out of the game early. The game held a total attendance of 2,087, with a hefty chunk being U de M supporters. It goes without saying, they were on the rowdier side.

Concordia now sits at 2-3 and their schedule doesn’t get any easier with Sherbrooke, McGill and Laval waiting for them down the road.

 

The Stingers gear up for game time on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. against Sherbrooke.

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Sherbrooke snaps Concordia’s three-game streak

Photo by Brianna Thicke. Courtesy of stingers.ca

The Stingers women’s soccer team followed up their last victory with a 3-0 loss against Sherbrooke on Sunday. In a match played at Concordia Stadium, the Vert et Or scored three second-half goals to secure a win.

Head coach Jorge Sanchez opted for a different formation to start this match. Concordia lined up 4-1-4-1, with Saby Dagenais as the goalkeeper. Gabriela Padvaiskas led the attack, playing ahead of Melissa Kedro, Jennifer Duff, Kayla Myre, Alexandra Dragan and Valerie Ishak. The defense stayed the same with Katrina Filiatrault, Elizabeth McDonald, Shannon Travers and Lindsey Brooks.

Concordia survived a scare early in the match. Five minutes in, a quickly taken Sherbrooke free kick resulted in a tap-in goal. Fortunately for the Stingers, the assistant referee had his flag up signaling an offside.

The next chance came in the 33rd minute. A Vert et Or midfielder sent in a low cross, which was unable to be converted by forward Chloé Belhumeur Limoges.

One minute later, Sherbrooke’s Marie-Eve Jacques received a through ball and set off towards the Concordia net. Her weak shot was easily handled by Dagenais.

Despite being outplayed throughout the first 45 minutes, the Stingers managed to keep the match scoreless.

The visitors turned up the pressure in the second half. Two minutes in, the Vert et Or struck the crossbar twice in one play. Concordia’s defense was left scrambling, but they somehow managed to keep the ball out of the goal.

Concordia had their first major opportunity in the 55th minute. Myre received a good pass, found some space, but her shot was blocked in front by a Sherbrooke defender.

In the 69th minute, the Vert et Or finally found finished one of their chances. Midfielder Camille Vandenberghe found time and space outside the Stingers box and accurately placed her shot to the right of Dagenais.

Concordia almost tied the game from a corner kick eight minutes later. The ball bounced to substitute Shauna Zilversmit who quickly fired a shot. It went over the bar.

In the 78th minute, Sherbrooke added a second goal. Midfielder Andréanne Gagné dribbled through the middle and shot from 25 yards out. Dagenais was unable to stop the powerful blast.

One minute later, the Vert et Or took advantage of the frustrated Stingers team. Substitute Isabelle Genest made a good run down the right wing. She delivered a perfect cross to an unmarked Belhumeur Limoges who made no mistake heading the ball in from close range.

The first goal deflated the Stingers, as they conceded two more in the span of ten minutes. It was only a matter of time before Sherbrooke scored. Concordia was poor in transitioning from the back to the front, often giving away possession in bad spots. The visitors were constantly testing Dagenais with shots and crosses.

“We knew we were going to give up a lot defensively,” said Sanchez. “Our goal was to not break, keep the ball in front of us, defend well and hope to get one or two good chances up the field.”

Despite being outplayed at times, the Stingers did show some flashes of brilliance. Sanchez believes the team has to make better decisions when they have the ball in the attacking third.

“I think we’re progressing,” he said. “Even when we were struggling, we were still able to link passes together. I think we’re just missing that killer instinct in the last 20 yards of the field.”

The Stingers join the men’s team on the road in Quebec City and Trois–Rivières this coming weekend. The action begins on Friday evening against the Université de Laval, followed by an afternoon visit to face the UQTR Patriotes on Sunday. Both games are available for viewing online.

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Men’s rugby team earn first victory

Concordia won their first men’s rugby game of the season on home field during a rainy Friday night.

“The forwards won us the game,” said assistant coach Jamal Benouahi.

While Concordia’s tries were all scored by the back three, it was an outright dominating performance from the set piece that won the Stingers the game.

Second row Marc Roche had a standout game for the maroon and gold. He credits the team’s work on the practice pitch for the victory.

“It came down to practice,” Roche said. “Tonight it all came together and we drove them the hell off that ball.”

The first half saw both Concordia and Université de Montréal playing rather evenly in terms of possession and defense. The rain made it difficult for both teams to properly handle the ball, as a lot of knock-ons were being handed out.

The low point of the half was a complete meltdown from the Stingers in the 14th minute that lead directly to a Carabins try. The ball made its way down the wing through a series of offloads. Fortunately, this mistake did not decide the outcome. The Stingers pressed hard and defended effectively for the rest of the half.

The team came out flying in the second half. From the start, the Stingers’ back three showed how dangerous they are when they play to their ability and the line is able to provide them with the ball.

Only three minutes in, the Stingers broke down their opponent’s rush. Stinger Caleb Jordan snagged the ball and left defenders in awe with his sharp cuts and quick feet.

Con U’s second try was scored after a series of unorthodox plays forced a penalty and a scrum-down on U de M’s side of the pitch. As they did all game, Concordia won the set piece and took the ball wide to Frederic Kacou. He found an impossible gap sneaking into the try zone.

The icing on the cake came with 11 minutes remaining. Full back Vasken Redwanly got hold of the ball at midfield, after Jordan offloaded to him, letting him take off down the field. Redwanly left every Carabins defender behind before putting the ball down with authority in the far side of the try zone

“We know that we can beat the defense,” said Kacou. “When we get it, we know it’s going to work.”

“I’m proud of the forwards for keeping us in the game when the backs had trouble early,” said Captain Dario Pellizzari.

Getting rid of the goose egg in the win column was a must for the Stingers who now head out on the road.

“We have a platform for our game and we’re going to work from there,” said head coach Clive Gibson.

 

The Stingers head to Bishop’s University to face off against the Gaiters on Friday, Sept. 28 at 8:15 p.m.

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Another set-piece goal leads to Stingers loss

Courtesy of stingers.ca
Photo by Brianna Thicke. Courtesy of stingers.ca

After Thursday’s draw at UQÀM, the Stingers men’s soccer team were back in action on Sunday afternoon. The team played host to a victorious Sherbrooke Vert et Or at Concordia Stadium.

Concordia made two changes from last Thursday’s match against the Citadins. Striker Andrew Bryan returned to the starting lineup, after coming on as a substitute on Thursday. Midfielder Claude Diesse got the start at right midfield, replacing Gabriel Quinn.

In the early moments of the afternoon, Concordia’s Eduardo Mazzonna almost gave his team the lead. However, his shot was straight at Sherbrooke goalkeeper Shawn Galego Do Couto.

Almost 20 minutes later, the Vert et Or came close to opening the scoring. Sherbrooke’s Kalambayi Junias Ngoyi got on the end of a corner kick, but his quick shot on goal was blocked in front of the goal.

In the 30th minute, Concordia had more difficulties defending a corner kick. This time, the visitors made up for their earlier miss. Center back Ilunga was left unmarked in the middle of the box and made no mistake driving home his header.

Five minutes later, Sherbrooke almost caught the Stingers on the counter-attack. Attacking through the right flank, the team was able to find space and send in a low cross. The ball bounced around inside the Concordia box until it was blasted over the bar.

The Stingers were defending more times than they had hoped for in the first half. Besides the one slip-up, the team was able to keep the score at 1-0. Fabrice Ilunga got the game-winning goal scoring with a header in the 30th minute.

In the 55th minute, the maroon and gold almost levelled the score from their own corner. Bryan got on the end of Mazzonna’s delivery, but the header was over the crossbar.

Sherbrooke continued to work the flanks. Twelve minutes later, midfielder Mohamed El Bachir Haddadi fired his cross in front of the Con U goal. Forward Djibi Diao came within inches of doubling his team’s lead.

As the match neared the end, Concordia started to see more of the ball. Unfortunately, the team made poor decisions with their possession. The Stingers were never able to connect in the final attacking third. They were unable to find the equalizing goal.

“To be honest, I don’t think we deserved to win,” said assistant coach Francois Bastien. “I think we were limited. I give all the credit to Sherbrooke because they got the three points.”

Even though Bastien conceded defeat, he does not feel Sherbrooke dominated the 90 minutes. Rather, he feels his side did not play to their potential.

“I don’t think they [Sherbrooke] did anything special,” he admitted. “I think quality was missing everywhere. It was a shocker today. We’re disappointed.”

The Stingers have a tough road trip this coming week. They travel to Quebec City on Friday to face Laval and head to Trois–Rivières to take on the Patriotes on Sunday. Concordia already has one win against UQTR this season.

“Next weekend is crucial,” said Bastien. “We need to come out with a minimum of four points to stay in the playoff hunt.”

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Concordia’s women’s rugby team defeat Ottawa 41-5

Concordian file photo

The rain came down with a vengeance on Friday night, much like the Concordia women’s rugby team, shutting the University of Ottawa down 41-5.

Ottawa was, however, a force to be reckoned with. This was made obvious during the warm-up when they strapped on their pinneys and played an opposed five-minute game before Concordia even had their jerseys on. They showed off their hard, low hits that would have made a prop flinch.

Despite the poor weather, the Stingers were still able to keep control and push the Gee Gees to their limits. The game started off slow but picked up pace when Con U scored its first try in the first 10 minutes.

Ottawa scored their first try in the second half with 12 minutes left. They were not able to make the conversion kick to bump it up to a seven-point gain.

Concordia definitely felt the heat Ottawa brought to the pitch. After a series of fumbled balls and useless passes, they made it on the right track and started playing like a true pack. The wind and rain made simply holding the ball harder not to mention trying to pass it from scrum half to fly half. It was evident the Stingers have been practicing their lineouts, scoring twice off of a perfect drive. They also dominated both scrums and rucks, pushing Ottawa over the try line with ease.

“I think we excel in open play,” said head coach Graeme McGravie. “We have some real players there in Bianca Farella and [captain] Jackie Tittley.”

This was proved when Farella, with barely two minutes left in the game, broke through the pack and ran 50 yards to the try line, scoring their last try of the night. Tittley was tripped during the second half and struggled to get up. She did, however, come back into play and join her teammates, kicking a heartbreaking conversion that bounced off the goalposts.

As for the future, McGravie says he’s confident in his team’s ability to make it to nationals.

“Based on preseason and the opener, I expect us to win the league,” he said. “Although, beating McGill and Laval is going to be tough for sure.”

The Stingers have not played Laval yet but recently beat McGill 18-7 in the Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup. Concordia is currently sixth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport rankings, right above McGill and two below Laval. Considering Concordia’s impressive undefeated record in league play, it should not be hard for any player to envision themselves at nationals.

 

Concordia’s next game is against Bishop’s on Friday, Sept. 28 at 6:15 p.m.

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Stingers struggle away from home

After a dominating win over the St. Francis Xavier X-Men last weekend, Concordia’s men’s football team were on the road again to face the Bishop’s Gaiters at Coulter Field.

The Stingers were victorious against the Gaiters in their first meeting of the year and were looking to complete the season sweep. Both sides battled back and forth throughout Saturday afternoon, but the Stingers were unable to make a comeback and left Lennoxville defeated.

Concordia got off to a fast start by recording points on their first two drives. Following a touchback on their initial drive, the Stingers concluded their second drive with a touchdown by Matt Scheurwater. The 61-yard drive was highlighted by a 47-yard completion from quarterback Reid Quest to Shayne Stinson.

By the end of the first quarter Concordia was ahead 18-7 and seemed as if they were going to pull away. On paper, the Stinger’s offense had a big game. They rushed for 131 yards and threw for 263.

The turning point in the game came in the second quarter when the Stingers offense disappeared. Concordia’s offense scored zero points and struggled to get any consistent drives going. They had only three first downs in the second quarter, two of which were because of penalties on Bishop’s. The Stinger’s offence had four consecutive two-and-outs and went into halftime trailing Bishop’s 19-18.

After halftime, the Gaiters never trailed and continued to pound the Stinger’s defense behind running back Matthew Burke. Burke, a fourth year veteran, had a career-best afternoon and finished the game with 239 rushing yards and one touchdown.

Early into the final quarter, the Gaiters extended their lead to 35-18 and forced Concordia to try and come back. The Stinger’s were able to score 12 points in the fourth quarter, but the damage had already been done. Concordia’s inability to play a complete 60 minutes came back to haunt them, as their comeback fell short.

Even though it is only halfway through the regular season, Saturday’s loss to Bishop’s had serious playoff implications. Since the Gaiters outscored Concordia in their two games, if the two teams have the same record by the end of the season, Bishop’s will be ranked ahead of Concordia. Although it is too early to tell, if it does come down to head-to-head matchups, Saturday’s loss will be that much worse.

 

The Stingers look to bounce back against the Montréal Carabins at home on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.

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Stingers off to slow start at Western Invitational

Dominique Roy

The Western Invitational cross-country course in London, Ontario is a soft, and mushy all-grass course with constant rolling hills. Competition at this event is fierce. Only at the CIS championships will the Stingers’ cross-country team be faced with such a strong a group of runners.

On the men’s side, Ryan Noel-Hodge finished a strong performance in eighth place. He won last week’s McGill Open. Starting this run in the lead pack, he was unable to hold on to the top runners, as they increased the pace going through the second half of the eight kilometre race.

“It went well,” he said. “There was good competition up front. This is my base; I will only progress from here.”

The rest of the men’s team ran hard, but came out of the race wanting more.

The women’s team worked hard for it, with the top four running within a minute of one another. The majority of the team was happy with their performance. The women ended the race in 12th place.

“Next time, the goal will be to try to start out closer together and work to push each other throughout the race,” said coach John Lofranco.

Concordia’s next meet will be on Saturday, Sept. 29. The Stingers will participate in the Sherbrooke Vert et Or Invitational.

 

 

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Con U thrashes UQÀM on the road

After a disappointing draw last Sunday, Concordia’s women’s soccer team hit the road to face the UQÀM Citadins. The Stingers dominated the 90 minutes in all aspects. Two goals in each half secured an important three points.

The maroon and gold kept the same 4-4-2 formation. Head coach Jorge Sanchez made two changes to his starting lineup. Shauna Zilversmit and Gabriela Padvaiskas got the start, replacing Alexandra Dragan and Bella James.

Concordia forward Jennifer Duff was influential in the first 10 minutes of this match. She had a great chance two minutes in, but her header was saved by UQÀM goalkeeper Valérie Labbé. In the 10′ minute, Duff got on the end of a poor UQÀM back pass, but failed to hit an open goal.

One minute later, Duff earned her side a penalty kick after being taken down by an UQÀM defender. She made no mistake sending the ball to the back of the goal.

In the 23′ minute, Duff had another stellar moment. This time, her shot at the UQÀM goalkeeper was spilled, leaving Stingers midfielder Shauna Zilversmit with an easy tap-in.

Ten minutes before halftime, Concordia failed to capitalize on a free kick. The UQÀM back-line was unable to clear the ball, leaving Bella James with an open net but was unable to add the third goal.

The Citadins had one major chance to score. In the 39′ minute, a good combination play left Sabrina Addona with a shot on goal. It led to a corner kick and then the ball found Addona again, but her shot was saved by a sprawling Brittany O’Rourke in goal for the Stingers.

In the second half, Concordia started where they left off. Six minutes in, Duff scored her second goal of the match. She received a ball atop the 18-yard-box, spun around a defender and calmly placed her shot into the corner. This was the first time Concordia scored three goals  in a game this year.

Concordia continued to dominate the match with chance after chance. The ball never seemed to leave the UQÀM half of the field. In the dying moments of the match, the Stingers would make it 4-0. Substitute Frédérique Labelle scored from a good passing play started by Emily Hubbard and James.

“We had a really good start to the game,” said Sanchez. “We got two goals very quickly, so that made us confident. From that moment on, I think we took control of the game.

In previous matches, finishing chances seemed to be the team’s biggest problem. Everything was perfect on Thursday and Sanchez hopes things will be the same on Sunday.

“I think what I’m most satisfied about is that players didn’t use last week’s result as an excuse to underperform,” he said. “They came out strong and wanted to erase last game from their minds, and they did.”

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Stingers earn draw in a tough away match


The Stingers men’s soccer team picked up another point on Thursday when they crossed town to face the Université du Québec à Montréal Citadins. Anasse Brouk put the Stingers ahead from the penalty spot in the 32′ minute. UQÀM equalized in the 53′ minute after a slip up in Concordia’s back line.

Stingers head coach Lloyd Barker lined his side up in a 4-5-1. Anasse Brouk started up front as the lone striker. The five-man midfield consisted of Sammy Tork, Fabian Troche, Gonzalo Paredes, Gabriel Quinn and Eduardo Mazzonna. Jayson Gallahue, Ramin Mohsenin, Christopher Mirasyedi and Enos Osei made up the back line, ahead of Remo Taraschi in goal.

UQÀM was the better side at the start of the match. Taraschi was forced to make at least three big saves within the first 30 minutes. His first big stop came in the 28′ minute when UQÀM forward Rémi Veilleux found himself alone in front of goal. Taraschi deflected the shot out for a corner. On the ensuing corner, the Con U keeper came up huge when he tipped a lobbed shot over the bar.

In the 32′ minute, the Stingers transitioned quickly up the pitch. Tork made a run into the UQÀM 18-yard-box and was tripped up by a defender. The referee pointed straight for the penalty spot. Brouk stepped up and converted the kick, making up for his missed penalty two matches ago.

Two minutes before half-time, the Stingers were inches from going two-nil up. Osei rolled a ball through the UQÀM penalty area. Brouk was seconds late to the ball and missed a chance to tap in his second goal.

There was still time for an UQÀM chance. From a free kick, Concordia was fortunate as a Citadins player’s header barely missed the goal.

This was a very aggressive first half. Both sides had their fair share of fouls. Concordia found success playing down the wings. This led to the penalty kick. After the Stingers scored, they were the better side for the rest of the half.

However, UQÀM was quick to start the second half. Within the first seven minutes, Veilleux had two major chances to tie the match. Taraschi continued his solid play in the Concordia goal. He made saves on both opportunities.
One minute later in the 52′ minute, the Citadins would get their goal. UQAM defender Guillaume Rochon crossed in a ball from the left side. Every Concordia defender, including the goalkeeper, misjudged the ball. It found Sallim Dahman alone with an empty net.

The Stingers replied by bringing on Andrew Bryan and Claude Diesse. Both made an immediate impact on the match. In the 66′ minute, Diesse controlled a pass from Bryan and made an attempt to lob the UQAM keeper. The ball did not dip when it needed to.

In stoppage time, the Stingers could have been awarded another penalty kick, after a player was dragged down in the box. However, the referee kept his whistle in his pocket.

Seconds later, Diesse’s header had the Citadins goalkeeper beat, but the ball was just wide of the left post.
Both teams picked up a point in the 1-1 draw.

“I think we could have gone for the three points,” said Stingers assistant coach Francois Bastien. “But of course, we’ll take a point on the road.”

Last time both schools met, UQÀM came out on top, winning 1-0 at home. Bastien said meetings between both schools are hard to predict.

“It’s always awkward against UQÀM,” he said. “It’s a very disorganized and counter attacking game. Holes get created, players get pulled wide and pockets get created. You just never know what you’re going to get.”

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Concordia draws McGill 1-1 at home

The Stingers men’s soccer team hosted rivals McGill at Concordia Stadium on Friday night. Concordia grabbed the lead in the first half, but McGill equalized the score in the 78′ minute off a corner kick.

Concordia made three changes to their starting lineup. Midfielder Joseph Couto and forward Gabriel Quinn replaced Anasse Brouk and Sammy Tork. Goalkeeper Remo Taraschi made his first start of the season ahead of Nicholas Giannone.

The visitors threatened early in the match. In the 3′ minute, McGill’s Alexis Pradié got on the end of a cross and narrowly missed his header attempt.

Eight minutes later, the Redmen were at it again. This time, it was forward Marc Palaci-Olgun who fired his shot over the bar.

The Stingers recovered after their slow start and started to find some rhythm. In the 24′ minute, midfielder Eduardo Mazzonna picked up a loose ball in midfield and took off towards the net. He sent a pass to Andrew Bryan, whose first-touch allowed him to beat a McGill defender. Bryan centered a low ball for Mazzonna who continued his run towards goal. He made no mistake in

tapping the ball past the goalkeeper. This goal separated both sides at half-time.

Four minutes after the restart, McGill came close to tying the game. Stingers goalkeeper Taraschi made a fingertip save to keep his side ahead.

Two minutes later, Concordia striker Bryan almost doubled his team’s lead. He was played in by a good pass, but his shot did not test the McGill goalkeeper.

The next chance came in the 76′ minute. Stingers substitute Claude Diesse recovered a bouncing ball just outside the box and fired a driven shot inches wide. McGill made the Stingers pay for that miss.

In the final seconds of the match, the Stingers produced one last effort. Midfielder Fabian Troche found space, but he struck his shot just left of the goal.

“I think we played well,” said Mazzonna, who scored his first goal of the season. “We should have stayed more compact on defense. We let it slip at the end.”

“It was the best game of the season by far,” said assistant coach Francois Bastien who filled in for coach Barker. “We are progressing every game and I think we deserved the three points.”

Bastien sees a major difference in this year’s team compared to last year’s. The Stingers are more organized on both sides of the field, they just needs to work on defending set-pieces.

“We have to work on set-plays,” he added.”Defensively, we’ve been struggling all year with those, and it cost us again. We were in the driver seat this game. We controlled and had chances. When McGill started pressuring at the end we struggled a little bit, but overall it was a good game.”

 

The Stingers next match is Thursday, Sept. 20 against the UQÀM Citadins at Collège Bois-de-Boulogne. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m.

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Tied Gaiters game leaves Stingers disappointed

After Friday night’s game was called off because of the weather, the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team was back in action on Sunday when they hosted the Bishop’s Gaiters at Loyola Stadium.

Head coach Jorge Sanchez made one change to his side since last week’s victory over UQTR, starting midfielder Bella James at right midfield. The back line stayed the same with Katrina Filiatrault, Shannon Travers, Elizabeth McDonald and Lindsey Brooks. The new midfield was Alexandra Dragan, Valerie Ishak, Kayla Myre and James. Melissa Kedro and Jennifer Duff played up front. Brittany O’Rourke got the start at goalkeeper.

The Stingers couldn’t have asked for a better start to the match. In the 13′ minute, Duff beat her defender and slid a ball under Bishop’s goalkeeper Molly Bucholtz. Bucholtz ended up having a busy night guarding the Gaiters’ goal.

The Stingers took a deserving lead into half-time.

In the second half, the home team’s relentless attacks continued.

The visiting Gaiter’s did not have many chances in the match, but they managed a way to score.

In the 56′ minute, Duff and Kedro almost combined for the go-ahead goal. Duff received a through ball from the midfield had her shot saved by the Bishop’s goalkeeper. Kedro was right there for the rebound, but the keeper’s quick reaction save kept the score level.

Bishop’s had their final two chances near the 70′ minute. Burnett and Henry-Cotnam combined twice, but one of their efforts missed the net, while the other was saved by O’Rourke.

The Stingers had a few more opportunities, but ultimately could not find the winning goal. The 1-1 draw felt like a loss to head coach Sanchez.

“This was a game we expected to win, a game we should have won and I think we gave away two points,” he said. “It’s going to make our lives a little harder down the stretch.”

The Stingers were the dominant team in this match. A failure to finish chances, combined with an outstanding performance by the Bishop’s goalkeeper led to the team dropping two valuable points at home.

“We have to bury our chances,” Sanchez said. “I think it would have been an avalanche. Had we scored the second goal, I think you would have seen three, four or five go in.”

 

The Stingers will have four days to prepare for their next match. They face the UQÀM Citadins Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne.

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