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Stingers Women’s hockey team takes home gold at the National Championships

Caroline Moquin-Joubert hoists the Golden Path trophy with the Stingers. Photo Credit: Liam Richards
Concordia University Stingers vs University of Toronto Varsity Blues during the U SPORTS Women’s Championships Gold Medal Game in Saskatoon, SK, March 17, 2024. Photo Electric Umbrella/Derek Elvin

For the second time in three years, Concordia is the top team in Canada.

The Concordia Stingers Women’s Hockey team won their third-straight Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship on March 3. A 10-4 victory against the Université de Montréal Carabins propelled the Stingers into the U SPORTS National Championship tournament as the top-seeded team in Canada.

To advance to the next round, the Stingers’ had to take down the eighth-seeded University of Saskatchewan Huskies on March 14. The Huskies were coming off a heartbreaking series defeat in the Canada West (CW) quarterfinals, though qualified for the U SPORTS National Championship tournament as the host university.

As the puck dropped for the quarterfinal matchup, the Huskies came out strong on home ice. With nearly 2,400 fans in attendance, the first challenge for the Stingers was to weather the storm in the first ten minutes. Despite some close-range opportunities for the Huskies, Stingers goaltender Jordyn Verbeek kept the game scoreless.

With 11 minutes remaining in the first period, the Stingers drew their first penalty. Before the Huskies could get possession on the delayed penalty, Stingers forward and captain Emmy Fecteau took a shot that fortunately bounced over both the defenders and the Huskies goaltender, giving Concordia a 1-0 lead.

A fierce forecheck for the Stingers allowed forward Émilie Lavoie to linemate Rosalie Bégin-Cyr for the one-timer goal and the 2-0 lead. The Stingers carried this momentum into the third period with the semifinals inching closer.

Two late goals from forward Émilie Lussier capped off the shutout for Verbeek and the 4-0 victory in the quarterfinals. Two more wins and the Stingers were back on top of Canadian women’s hockey.

An off day gave the Stingers the opportunity to enjoy their win and get ready for their semifinal opponent on March 16. The Stingers had to get through the fourth-seeded University of Waterloo Warriors next if they wanted to advance to their third straight National Championship final.

Six minutes into action, the Stingers set the tone. Émilie Lavoie found forward Zoé Thibault wide open in front of the Waterloo goal crease, backhanding the puck five hole on Warriors goaltender Mikayla Schnarr to give Concordia a 1-0 lead. The Stingers were not done in the opening frame.

In what seemed like an innocent rush up the ice, Stingers forward Courtney Rice skated through the Warriors defence and rifled a shot past Schnarr to give Concordia some insurance and a 2-0 lead.

The second period saw the Stingers play a disciplined, balanced game where they outshot the Warriors 14-6 but could not add to their lead. Yet, they would retain their two-goal lead heading into the final frame.

Desperate, the Warriors came into the third period with a power play, and they took advantage almost immediately. A goal 29 seconds into the period cut the Concordia lead in half with plenty of time remaining, 2-1. Concordia responded well in the minutes that followed.

With the clock ticking down, the Warriors found themselves with a golden opportunity to tie the game—on a power play with two minutes remaining. What followed did not favour the Warriors, however.

Stingers forward Jessymaude Drapeau stole the puck, drew the Warriors goalie out of position, and buried the dagger as Concordia was now up 3-1 with one minute remaining. The defeated Warriors did not earn any late opportunities as the Stingers had now clinched a ticket to the National Championship final.

With the vibes high for Concordia, one last opponent stood in the way from being crowned Canadian champions. That final team was the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

With the stage set for the winner-takes-all game, the Stingers came out buzzing. One minute into the opening frame, Lussier scored her third of the tournament and most importantly, put her team in front 1-0 in the championship final. Just minutes later, the Stingers added to their lead.

Drapeau fired the puck from a sharp angle behind the net that found its way through Toronto goaltender Erica Fryer, making it 2-0 Concordia early. Toronto answered by sharpening up their defence to calm the storm of Stingers goals. They kept the game 2-0 until the third period.

With Concordia doubling Toronto’s shot total, the Stingers were in a good position despite not being able to add to their lead. Toronto came into the third period searching for an answer, but early penalty trouble only helped the Stingers. Bégin-Cyr corralled the puck and took a mid-slot wrister to beat Fryer. It was 3-0 Stingers with the clock on their side.

Toronto pulled their goalie as a last-ditch effort to pull off a miracle comeback, but that was stopped short as they could only get one goal before the final buzzer. 

As the scoreboard hit zero seconds, the Stingers had officially done it. One year after a heartbreaking silver-medal finish, six months after beginning a perfect regular season campaign, and one month after their playoff journey began, the Concordia Stingers had checked off the final box on their season goals list: becoming U SPORTS national champions.

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Sports

Ezechiel Tieide is here and ready to play

Ezechiel Tieide catching a football in the Stinger Dome, 2023. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian

After playing in the United States since 2016, the football player has come back home

Ezechiel Tieide and his family moved from the Ivory Coast to Montreal when he was five years old. It was in 2009 when his family moved from Cartierville to Lachine, that Tieide’s love for football blossomed into a lifelong passion. Now, after playing in the NCAA, the receiver will be playing with the Concordia Stingers this upcoming season.

Although he was only in grade four when his family moved in 2009, he already knew he wanted to play football. He was only able to start the following year, at 10 years old.

“I saw some kids play football [at the Dalbé-Viau High School],” he said. “I went and asked them if I could play.”

Growing up, Tieide also played soccer, basketball, and track. Despite soccer being his initial pastime, Tieide didn’t see himself pursuing that sport professionally. Keeping busy in multiple sports was integral to Tieide, making him adapt to an active lifestyle early on.

“Every season I was doing something, it was keeping me busy and away from trouble,” he added.

Stingers receiver Ezechiel Tieide in the Dome. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian

After completing his high school education in Montreal, Tieide decided to go to the United States, where he attended St. Paul’s School, a college-preparatory boarding school in New Hampshire.

Tieide then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business management at Boston College, in Massachusetts. After that, he transferred to the University of Toledo in Ohio to study communications, but ultimately he decided to come back to Montreal after a year there.

Tieide is now taking independent studies at Concordia University, where he will be playing as a wide receiver for the Stingers.

The football player started as a receiver, and then moved to quarterback from grade eight up until university, where he moved to the other side of the ball and played as a cornerback for two years. He went back to playing as a receiver in his junior year at Boston College.

Tieide felt like there were more opportunities in Montreal, which is why he decided to come back home for his final year of eligibility playing university sports.

“I felt like I had more opportunities to showcase, or get on the football field, back at home,” he said. “Football is really [about] opportunities. Sometimes you can be really good and then it doesn’t go like you want.”

Stingers head coach Brad Collinson had coached Tieide when he played for Team Quebec in the 2015 Football Canada Cup.

“I feel like Coach Brad will give me the opportunities that I need for me to go play at the next level,” Tieide explained. “I’m not saying that in the U.S. it wasn’t possible, but I feel like here I could show it more.”

Collinson is also looking forward to having Tieide join the team, stating it’s fun to reunite with a player he’s previously coached.

“We know each other already,” he said. “There’s a relationship that’s been built over the years so it’s always fun to get guys like that on your team.”

Although Tieide was playing as a quarterback for Collinson’s Team Quebec, the coach still remembers what stood out about his young player.

“He was a good athlete, somebody that really liked the game of football and wanted to get better,” Collinson said. “He always had a good attitude. He’s a competitor, that’s something that stood out at a young age.”

Collinson is looking forward to seeing his new recruit in action.

“We have a very good receiver group so hopefully he can help us [and] make us better. […] He’s a very athletic kid who has a lot to offer,” he added.

Tieide is going to be seeing even more familiar faces on the team, including safety Dawson Pierre whom he played against in high school, and quarterback Xavier Tremblay, a transfer from the University of Laval.

Tieide practicing with quarterback Xavier Tremblay. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian

Tieide and Tremblay have known each other for about six years now, after participating in quarterback camps together. They both look forward to playing on the same team.

“I want to feed him up [pass to him], I’d like to throw him the ball as much as possible because I know he can be a playmaker on the team,” said Tremblay. “I know he wants to play professionally and it’s his last season [at this level]. And I think he can achieve it if we take advantage of him, his size, and he’s athletic, so he’s a nice asset for the team as a receiver.”

Indeed, with the plan to play professional football, Tieide’s expectation for his last year of university football is “to score a lot of touchdowns.”

“I’m going to earn everything that is given to me. I work, I work a lot, so I want to show people what I can do,” he said.

However, Tieide’s also had to overcome a lot in his football career. He said that his biggest challenge so far was remaining patient.

“When something doesn’t go like you want, you got to stick by the book, stick with the program until the season is done,” Tieide said. “But during the season, when something doesn’t go like you want, it’s hard.”

Dedicating a lot of time to something while not getting the results he wanted was difficult, especially when he was working on it every day from 6 a.m. to noon.

“Sometimes it’s stuff that you can’t control, it’s a higher power than you, so it’s like ‘alright, just one day at a time,’” he continued. “But I’m glad, I got better every day. There’s the good, and there’s the bad, but I got better every day.”

On top of being a student and an athlete, the 23-year-old also coaches basketball at his old high school, where his brother Elom now plays football as well.

“I’m just trying to get involved, I’m trying to help the kids because they’re the future,” Tieide said. “Dalbé-Viau high school is a hotbed for talent. There’s a lot of kids over there, a lot of immigrants, they’re not really from here, but they have insane athletic abilities. […] All they need is to see someone that did it. You don’t have to be a bum, you don’t have to be a gangster, you don’t have to do nothing crazy. Just stick to the books, play sports, you’re going to have a good life.”

If he could give any advice to children or teenagers who are trying to make it in football, here’s what Tieide would tell them:

“Don’t overthink too much, don’t put too much on your shoulders,” he said. “Just play football, and the coach is going to like you for that. They’re going to like you for being yourself and the type of player that you are. You don’t have to put up a front, just be yourself. And then if things don’t happen like you want, there’s a better plan. Nothing happens for no reason. I feel like God has a plan for all of us.”

No matter what level you play at, Tieide said to just play the best season of your life, whether it’s in high school, CEGEP, or U Sports.

“If you’re good they’re going to find you. It doesn’t matter against who you do it. It’s the fact that you can do it. So just ball out.”

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Sports

Areej Burgonio: A leader by example

Stingers guard Areej Burgonio in a game against the Laval Rouge et Or. Evan Buhler/ Concordia Athletics

The Stingers women’s basketball guard discusses stepping up as a leader this basketball season

There is a world of difference between the rookie Areej Burgonio was in 2018 and the veteran star she became this past season.

Going into the 2022-23 season, Stingers guard Burgonio was one of two senior players in a young team. It was also the first time in her four-year career with the Stingers that she had to take on a leadership role. 

“I had such great strong role models, and I was put in the position where I have to be that strong role model now,” said Burgonio.

It was a challenging adjustment at first for the Stingers playmaker who was previously known to keep more to herself.

“Being patient, being able to lead on and off the court, mentoring my rookies until they can be better basketball players while also keeping in mind that I have to perform as a point guard, it was tough,” she said. “But I’m glad I had that opportunity.”

Burgonio started playing basketball when she was 12 years old. Before coming to Concordia, she played for Crestwood Preparatory School, a Toronto high school with a well-established basketball program.

She went on to compete in a tournament in New York with her team from Crestwood, where she met Stingers head coach Tenicha Gittens for the first time.

“Out of all the places, coach [Gittens] was there,” recalled Burgonio. “At first, given the location, I didn’t expect her to introduce herself from a Montreal university. Not going to lie, I [had] never heard of Concordia up until I met her.”

Head coach Tenicha Gittens and Burgonio on Senior Day. Evan Buhler/ Concordia Athletics

For Gittens, it was Burgonio’s attitude on the court that stood out to her.

“She [was] one of the smallest players on the court, but there was just something about her grit,” said Gittens. “I love the way she didn’t back down.”

Burgonio stands at five-feet tall, but Gittens didn’t think that mattered.

“She was one of the biggest players in terms of heart, aggressiveness and competitiveness,” she added. “That’s something I knew we needed on our team.”

The two stayed in contact, and when Burgonio eventually enrolled in sociology at Concordia,  she was invited to join the women’s basketball team after being scouted by the coaching staff while playing in Toronto.

As a 17-year-old rookie, Burgonio was surrounded by a very mature and strong team.

“I had to grow up fast,” Burgonio said. “When you’re surrounded by so many people like Caroline Task and Myriam Leclerc, you conform to their standards, which is excellence and nothing less.”

That year, Myriam Leclerc was a rookie guard like Burgonio, and Caroline Task was a third-year guard.

Burgonio went on to be named to the RSEQ All-Rookie team. Four years later, she was named to the RSEQ’s First Team All-Star and finished the season as the second-best scorer in the RSEQ.

Burgonio’s teammates pointed out that, throughout her career, the star player matured into a better and smarter athlete with extensive knowledge of plays and a great vision of the court. She also became more outspoken, especially this season.

“She had to be one of our top scorers, had to be one of our leaders defensively and be one of our facilitators as well,” said Gittens. “There is no player that I’ve coached at Concordia that has had more responsibility put on their shoulders and has stepped up to it.”

Serena Tchida, the team’s captain and a third-year forward, said that Burgonio abruptly went from being the sixth player to playing 40 minutes per game.

“This year, we didn’t have anyone on top of us to rely on so we had to take on leadership ourselves,” said Tchida. “She really embraced her role, especially when I injured myself and I wasn’t there to help her anymore.”

For the rookies of the team, having a veteran like Burgonio made all the difference.

“She wants to set an example for us,” said rookie forward Fabiola Lamour. “She takes the time to explain plays and she makes sure everyone is on the same page.”

Lamour recalled Burgonio often saying “my money’s on us,” her way of showing her team she believed in them. She also noted that Burgonio had made her feel welcomed on the team from the get-go.

Although Burgonio is a senior, she still has one year of eligibility left with the Stingers. She noted that, given she is only 22, she isn’t ready to walk away just yet.

“I do have goals, for example, going on the national team from the Philippines and playing professionally,” she said. “But at the same time I know that this chapter isn’t fully over if I still have that one year.”

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Sports

Stingers’ men’s and women’s hockey teams are going to nationals

The Stingers' men's hockey team after winning the OUA bronze-medal game vs. the Lakehead Thunderwolves 4-0. Liam Mahoney/ Concordia Athletics

After winning RSEQ gold and OUA bronze respectively, the women’s and men’s hockey teams will play for the national title

Stingers men’s hockey will face UNB in quarterfinals

With the Stingers’ Ontario University Athletics (OUA) bronze-medal win also came a spot at the U Sports National Championship and a chance to compete for the University Cup.

The Stingers were seeded sixth and will face the third-seeded Reds of the University of New Brunswick in the quarterfinals.

The game will take place on Thursday, March 16 at 6 p.m. Montreal time, or 7 p.m. local time. The championship will be held from March 16-19 at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown, PEI, hosted by the University of Prince Edward Island.

The winner of this quarterfinal game will face off against the Patriotes of the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières who beat the Saint Mary’s Huskies 4-1 in their quarterfinal game Thursday afternoon.

The Stingers finished the regular season with a record of 19-7, and were 4-2 in the playoffs.

The Reds, who compete in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) division, had a regular-season record of 24-4-2, and a playoff record of 5-2.

You can keep an eye on the U Sports website for schedule updates and game results.

The Stingers’ women’s hockey team after winning RSEQ gold. Evan Buhler/ Concordia Athletics

Stingers women’s hockey will play Nipissing in quarterfinals

The Stingers were seeded third in the U Sports National Championship.

After being crowned RSEQ champions for a second consecutive year, the Stingers will also have a chance to defend their national title and compete for the Golden Path Trophy.

They will face the sixth-seeded Nipissing Lakers in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 17 at 7 p.m. The University of Montreal is hosting the championship so all games will be played at the CEPSUM arena from March 16-19.

The winner of this game will face the winner of the game between the St-Francis Xavier X-Women and the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m.

The Stingers had a regular-season record of 20-5 and a playoff record of 4-1, while the Lakers (who compete in the AUS) finished the regular season with a 19-7 record and also went 4-1 in the playoffs.

The remainder of the schedule, as well as game results, will be updated on the U Sports website as the championship advances.

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Sports

RSEQ women’s hockey championship series in photos

Stingers forward Caroline Moquin-Joubert celebrating her goal with her teammates. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian

The Stingers will also have a chance to defend their national title next week

After beating the Montreal Carabins in the RSEQ final, the Concordia Stingers were crowned RSEQ champions for a second consecutive year.

Game 1: The Stingers won Game 1 at home with a score of 2-1

Stingers forwards Emmy Fecteau, Rosalie Bégin-Cyr, and Jessymaude Drapeau fist-bumping goaltender Alice Philbert before the game.

Forward Émilie Lavoie battling a Carabins player trying to take her down.

Stingers forward Zoé Thibault facing off in the Carabins’ zone against forward Marie Terriault.

The Stingers celebrating Bégin-Cyr’s second and game-winning goal. She was named one of the Stingers’ athletes of the week.

The Stingers’ mascot Buzz hitting a drum and hyping up the crowd at the Ed Meagher Arena.

Stingers head coach Julie Chu talking to her team after the Carabins asked for a timeout before the end of the game.

The team celebrating the win at the end of Game 1.

The Stingers lined up in the middle of the ice, saluting the crowd after their victory.

Game 2: The Carabins won with a score of 4-1 at the CEPSUM arena

Drapeau skating in the Montreal zone, near the net.

Stingers’ Fecteau and Carabins forward Joannie Garand battling at faceoff in the Montreal zone.

Six-foot-one Stingers forward Megan Bureau-Gagnon screening Carabins goaltender Aube Racine.

The Stingers celebrating defender Alexandra-Anne Boyer’s goal.

Game 3: The Stingers won the big game 4-1 at home

Stingers forward Caroline Moquin-Joubert scoring the game-winning goal on a shorthanded breakaway.

Moquin-Joubert celebrating her goal with her teammates.

Moquin-Joubert scoring her second goal of the game on an empty net.

Moquin-Joubert pointing at the arena’s student section and celebrating her goal.

Gloves and sticks flying all over the ice as the Stingers celebrate their RSEQ championship win.

Players hugging each other as they take in the moment.

Stingers forward Justine Yelle smiling after receiving her gold medal.

Captain Olivia Hale lifting the Dr. Ed Enos Trophy and celebrating with the rest of the team.

The entire team hugging and holding the trophy together.

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Concordia’s men’s hockey team to battle for OUA bronze and a spot in the National Championship

Game 2 of the OUA semifinal series between the Concordia Stingers and UQTR Patriotes. Maria Bouabdo/ The Concordian

The Stingers will be facing off against the Lakehead Thunderwolves

The Concordia Stingers’ men’s hockey team will be competing for the bronze medal against the Lakehead Thunderwolves on March 11 at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, ON. The winner of this game will also be headed to the U Sports National Championship to compete for the University Cup.

In what was a close OUA semifinal battle, it took three games and an extra period of hockey for the UQTR Patriotes to beat the Stingers. Concordia won Game 1 in Trois-Rivières with a score of 5-1, while UQTR took a 5-3 win in Game 2 at Concordia, and ultimately won the series at home after a 5-4 overtime win in Game 3.

On the other side of the semifinals, the Thunderwolves and Windsor Lancers were battling. Windsor shut out Lakehead 4-0 in Game 1, but Lakehead got a 2-1 overtime win in Game 2. Windsor then won the series after a 4-2 win in the third game.

The top three teams in the OUA get a chance to compete at nationals. Both the Patriotes and Lancers are guaranteed berths there, as they’re about to compete for the Queen’s Cup on March 11.

The Stingers and Thunderwolves will be facing off on Saturday at 7 p.m. for the final OUA spot at nationals. The Championship will be hosted by the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, PEI. It will take place from March 16-19 at the Eastlink Centre, an NHL-sized rink, and the home of the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL.

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Sports

Concordia’s men’s and women’s hockey teams advance in the playoffs

Concordia Stingers men's hockey vs. McGill Redbirds in Game 2 of OUA quarterfinals on Feb. 24, 2023. Evan Buhler/ Concordia Athletics

Both Stingers hockey teams sweep their opponents in their best-of-three series

Stingers men’s hockey will play UQTR in OUA semifinals

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team sweeps McGill in a best-of-three series in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarterfinals. The Stingers will be facing off against the Patriotes of the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières (UQTR) in the OUA semifinals.

Game 1 will be taking place in Trois-Rivières next Wednesday, March 1, with Game 2 at Concordia on March 3, and Game 3 back at UQTR on March 5 if necessary.

The Stingers finished the regular season ranked second in the OUA East division, right between UQTR and McGill, with both the Stingers and the Patriotes earning themselves a first-round bye and sweeping their opponents in the quarterfinals.

In what was an intense and physical battle, the Stingers came out on top, beating the McGill Redbirds 6-3 in Game 1 and 4-0 in Game 2.

Although the Stingers had a 1-3 record against the Patriotes this regular season, they have shown, night in and night out, that you can’t count them out. They always come out to play, especially in the third period, and this could be a game-changer for them in this series.

Concordia Stingers women’s hockey vs. Bishop’s Gaiters in RSEQ semifinals, 2023. Kyran Thicke/ Concordia Athletics

Stingers women’s hockey will face Montreal in RSEQ final

For the second year in a row, the Stingers’ women’s hockey team is headed to the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) final. This year, it was following a sweep of the Bishop’s University Gaiters in a best-of-three series.

The Stingers have also clinched a spot in the U Sports National Championship, starting on March 16.

The defending provincial and national champs will be facing the University of Montreal Carabins in the RSEQ final.

Game 1 vs. Montreal will be taking place on Thursday, March 2 at the Ed Meagher Arena, Game 2 on March 4 at the CEPSUM arena, and Game 3 back at Concordia on March 5 if necessary.

The Stingers finished the regular season first in the RSEQ, with the University of Montreal in second place, giving Concordia home-ice advantage.

The Stingers dominated the series against the Gaiters, winning both games with a score of 5-1. The Montreal vs. Ottawa series needed overtime in the third game to determine the winner.

Concordia had a 3-2 record against Montreal in the regular season. As it’s been the case all season long, Stingers hockey never disappoints, so this will make for an entertaining RSEQ final.

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Sports

Stingers men’s hockey team finds roster transformed since the U Sports pause

Bradley Lalonde, Concordia Stingers defenceman, 2021. Kyran Thicke / Concordia Stingers

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team is looking very different now compared to before the winter break

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team has lost eight players since U Sports, the national governing body of university sport in Canada, was forced to pause in December, according to Marc-André Elément, the head coach for the Stingers men’s hockey team. Universities in Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes were affected by the shutdown.

Four players have signed professional contracts: two in the United States with the ECHL (East Coast Hockey League), and two overseas. The other four players who left the team decided to stop playing hockey.

Elément said pausing the season now after having a season-long shutdown last year has been difficult for his team.

“We only played eight games in two years, so that’s hard on the guys,” Elément said. “And they wanted to play games, they wanted to play hockey, and that’s what they chose.”

Bradley Lalonde is one of the players who decided to leave the Stingers to play professional hockey in the ECHL, along with Chase Harwell. Lalonde signed a contract with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in South Carolina until the end of this season.

Lalonde said he didn’t believe the Stingers would be able to play a full rest of the season, given the restrictions in Quebec.

“I needed to kind of build my hockey career,” he added. “And playing those eight games in two years was just not enough.”

“It was really a decision that I made based on where I wanted to go with my hockey career and what I wanted to do for the next few years,” said Lalonde.

This is Lalonde’s last semester at Concordia, majoring in political science with a minor in law and society. He has three classes remaining and was able to find fully remote courses, which played a big part in accepting Greenville’s offer.

The 24-year-old defenceman had a few opportunities to play throughout the ECHL and in Europe, but he thinks Greenville makes the most sense hockey-wise.

“And it is a little bit warmer here,” Lalonde said, calling from his new apartment in sunny Greenville. “So I wanted to enjoy seeing a different part of the world. I’ve never been to South Carolina or even anywhere this south in the United States, so I just kind of wanted to explore a different area a little bit.”

He added that staying in the same timezone works out well with his online classes, considering he has an evening class, which would be in the middle of the night or even early morning in Europe. So Greenville was the simplest option for him.

Bradley Lalonde, Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 2022. Photograph by Emily Lipshetz

Lalonde got to Greenville on Jan. 17. He passed a physical exam with the doctor, and was on the ice practicing the same day. He was supposed to make his debut on Jan. 21, in Norfolk, Virginia. But according to Lalonde, the Zamboni wasn’t working, so there were problems with the ice, and that game, along with the other weekend games, ended up being rescheduled. That pushed his debut to Jan. 26. He has played in five games since then.

Tyler Hylland, an alternate captain for the Stingers, said he had opportunities to sign with different places during the pause, but wanted to stay with his team.

“For me, personally, I felt like I wanted to honour my commitment to my team that I’m on now, and I want to finish my school and I have some stuff going on here, and my family,” Hylland said. “So for me, I felt it was important to stay, and especially seeing a lot of guys on our own team leave […] I didn’t want to leave the program in a tough spot if the season were to restart.”

He added that at the end of the day, they’re all just trying to get through this pause and hope to be able to play again soon.

Elément said the team took on more players in case they found themselves in a situation where some of them left the team. They also added some players from their Division II program, which is another hockey program at Concordia where the players only practice, and now some were given the chance to join the team and play once the season restarts.

Elément said the team is “more than ready” to play again once they’re allowed to and that they’ve been waiting for a long time.

Lalonde said that leaving the Stingers wasn’t the way he wanted to end his time and career at Concordia.

“I would have loved to lead them to a championship, or win our division, win our league, and end up at Nationals,” he said. “It’s just that this was the thing that I needed to do to advance my hockey career.”

“The opportunity presented itself for me to pursue a professional hockey career and graduate at the same time, and that opportunity was just kind of too good to pass up,” Lalonde said.

 

Photograph by Kyran Thicke

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News Sports

Update: U Sports has cancelled its men’s and women’s national championships

New U Sports logo. Courtesy of U Sports.

UPDATE: U Sports has officially cancelled their national championship tournaments in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Official statement from Lisette Johnson-Stapley, U Sports’ Chief Sport Officer:

“As proud partner of Hockey Canada, we understand how difficult a decision this was to make. We understand the disappointment felt by our student-athletes, coaches, officials and wonderful hosts however the decision was made with the best interest of all participants in mind.”

 

Original article:

U Sports has told The Concordian that all of its national championships will go forward, and that the organization is in close contact with Public Health Officials across the country. 

Official statement from the organization:

“U SPORTS and our championship hosts are in contact with Public Health Officials in each province where we are hosting national championships this weekend. As of 9:45 this morning, we still have clearance from Public Health to go forward with the championships.
We will provide an update if anything changes. In the meantime, you can read more on the steps U SPORTS and its members are taking to deal with COVID-19 by visiting our website at: https://usports.ca/hq/covid-19-advisory”
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Ottawa 3, Concordia 1: Penalties kill the Stingers against the Gee-Gees

I just want to start off by rescinding a take I made on Twitter before Sunday’s game between the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team and the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. 

The last time I saw Ottawa play Concordia was a 6-2 Stingers win in early January. On Sunday, I went on Twitter and commented on how Ottawa (currently the #3 seed in the RSEQ) would be a better match-up for the Stingers than Montreal or McGill.

I’d like to take that back now.

The Stingers took six penalties and just seemed to be a step behind all game against the Gee-Gees. To Ottawa’s much deserved credit, they did everything that the Stingers usually do so well. They got shots off in dangerous areas, disrupted the Stingers zone entries, and drew penalties when it mattered.

The Gee-Gees (21 points) are now riding a five-game win streak and moved past Montreal (20 points) in the standings.  They look like a team with a purpose. They move the puck extremely well, play with speed and work their special teams with efficiency. This is a dangerous team. With two games left in their season, they could technically even pass McGill (24 points) for second place.

Ottawa clearly had fresher legs after their Friday game against the Carabins was cancelled due to weather. Stingers head coach Julie Chu wasn’t making any excuses though.

“I don’t know if it was fatigue,” said Chu after the game. “I didn’t like the jump at the beginning of the second period. We just took penalties…We took six penalties, and they were all deserved. For a team that’s really good like Ottawa, they got good goaltending, they work hard, they can put pucks away.”

Stingers captain Claudia Dubois picked up her third goal of the weekend on a power play goal early in the first period. She’s up to 12 on the year now. After that, Ottawa controlled most of the pace.

“We had our power play opportunities in the first, we scored one which was good,” said Chu. “The key is in the second we had two breakaways, a pretty good rush and another backdoor play. I’d say four really good scoring chances. We have to put one or two of those away.”

Alice Philbert made the saves she could, but Ottawa hammered away around the net. Despite being outshot by the Stingers 30-22, the Gee-Gees looked like the more dangerous team. Sophie Gareau, Christine Deaudelin, and Melina Roy were Ottawa’s goal scorers.

The Stingers only have one game left in the regular season, a Valentine’s Day match against the last-placed Carleton Ravens. Even with playoffs looming, Chu isn’t looking past the regular season quite yet.

“We have our eyes set to do everything possible to make sure our team is feeling good and playing great hockey,” said Chu. “We have a big game against Carleton, and we’ll shift our focus after that […] That’s been one of our keys this year is that we haven’t been looking way down the road. We haven’t been talking about RSEQ championships, or nationals, or playoffs. We’ve been taking it one game at a time, and today was a big part of that.”

NOTES:

  • The RSEQ is in a blender. If I’m Julie Chu and the Stingers, there’s no clear advantage to any of the potential matchups. Ottawa is getting hot at the right time. Montreal is a tough, experienced squad with a proven track record, McGill is relentless on the forecheck. Every series is going to be a marathon, and I can’t wait to see what happens.

Feature photo by Britanny Clarke

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Concordia 5, Ontario Tech 1: Stingers cement fifth place finish in regular season

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team won their last regular season game against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks in convincing fashion by a score of 5-1. 

In a season of ups and (a lot) of downs, the Stingers head into the playoffs in a great position. Since Christmas, the Stingers have a 7-3-2 record and have won four straight games. On top of it all, Kyle Jessiman has done a fantastic job replacing Marc-Antoine Turcotte—in 10 games, Jessiman has a .919 save percentage.

Head coach Marc-André Élement was pleased with his team’s overall play on Friday.

“We had a really good start, the guys showed up,” said Élement. “It’s the last game of the season, so we wanted to start on a high note heading into the playoffs. I thought it was a really good team performance.”

The Stingers dominated the game from start to finish, outshooting the Ridgebacks 31-19. But even with the low work rate needed from Jessiman, he still managed to make some highlight reel saves.

“He’s playing really well, he plays the puck well too and it really helps out the [defence],” Élement said. “He deserves all the credit. He works really hard.”

One of the many positives coming out of the game was the team’s depth players contributing most of the offense in the game. Colin Grannary scored two goals and Jeremy Diotte scored his first goal as a member of the Stingers.

Captain Philippe Sanche, who also scored a goal, was very happy with the team’s game as well, and felt like a lot of pressure is being taken off of him, Tyler Hylland and Alexander Katerinakis as their depth has been pitching in offensively.

“You always want to get help from all four lines. That’s why we’re having success right now,” said Sanche. “[Jake] Fletcher and [Colin] Grannary have been getting points, it’s really good for us overall.”

The Stingers’ opening round playoff opponent is still to be determined, but what is known is that game one of their series will be on Wednesday night, against either McGill or the University of Ottawa who still have two games left in their seasons. Game two will be at the Ed Meagher Arena on Saturday and should there be a need for a game three, it will be on Sunday.

Feature photo by Kyran Thicke, Concordia Stingers Athletics

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Concordia 2, Montreal 1: Stingers outlast Carabins in statement win

After losing to the McGill Martlets yesterday, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team had just 24 hours to prepare for the other titan in the RSEQ; the Université de Montreal Carabins. 

“I still thought we played pretty well yesterday,” said head coach Julie Chu post-game. “Special teams needed to be better, but in general I think we just wanted to reset and refocus.”

The message got through to the Stingers, who managed to outlast the Carabins through two periods of overtime to take the win in the shootout. Emmy Fecteau provided the game-winning goal in the shootout thanks to a sneaky backhand shot through the five-hole of Carabins goalie Maude Trevisan. Trevisan finished the game with 40 saves on 41 shots.

“That’s really not the move I do usually,” said Fecteau. “Usually I go right, and this time I went left, but I knew what I was going to do. I talked to [Stingers goalie Alice Philbert] about what I should do, and she told me to go five-hole and that’s what I did.”

“We know we’re in a great league,” said Chu. “Even in the first half, we had like four overtimes or shootout situations. Sometimes they go our way, sometimes they don’t.”

The first period didn’t see either team pick up too much momentum, although the pendulum was definitely leaning towards the Carabins early. UDEM captain Catherine Dubois was a force, powering her way through Stingers defenders and driving play the whole game. But no goals after one period.

It took the Stingers two minutes to break the deadlock in the second period. Rosalie Bégin-Cyr continued her scoring streak when she found herself all alone in front with the puck. Not in a rush, the forward outwaited Trevisan and buried the puck to get the Stingers up by one.

It took the Carabins 18 seconds to tie the game up, and of course it was UDEM’s captain. Dubois came down on Stingers’ goalie Madison Oakes, and ripped a shot short side to tie it back up.

But that’s all that would get by Oakes. The second-year goalie has been the team’s main backup this season. Tonight she made 36 saves on 37 shots to snatch the win. In what was just the third game of her U Sports career, Oakes was the reason the Stingers were able to win this game. Her game tape will include an incredible blocker stop in the third period (“What’s going through my head, I probably can’t say,” said Oakes. “But like, damn. How’d I do that?”), as well as blanking all three Carabins shootout attempts.

“Honestly, I had a pretty good warm-up so I was feeling pretty good going into the game,” said Oakes. “I was a lot more calm than my game against Carleton. [I] come out decently far in the shootout. I’m a relatively small goalie, so I just stay calm and read what they do.”

“For a goaltender that maybe hasn’t played as many games for our program, those first couple of shots are the biggest,” said Chu. “It’s kind of like your first shift back after not playing for a while. But I think she settled in really well as the game went on. She’s a gamer. I think anytime our goaltenders are able to make big saves, that gives us a boost of energy.”

With the win, the Stingers extend their lead on first-place in the RSEQ to five points. The team in second? The Carabins.

“This was a fun game for people to watch,” said Chu. “I think for our team it was important. Every game is experience. Yesterday was experience losing, but bouncing back and having the experience of feeling the pressure, the intensity of overtime and all these different things.”

To finish this recap, you gotta remember that some things are bigger than hockey. That includes the news that Concordia Stingers women’s hockey coaches Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette are expecting their second child in May. Players streamed out of the dressing room post-game to do their cool-down with the couple’s gender reveal cake. Congrats to both Chu and Ouellette. Watch out, draft class of 2038.

NOTES:

  • Bégin-Cyr is now tied for sixth in U Sports scoring with 12 goals and 10 assists in 14 games. Every player ahead of her has played between 18 and 21 games.

Feature photo by Britanny Clarke

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