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The season’s second-half spells success for Stingers

The future looks bright for soccer at Concordia this year. In the past five years, neither the men’s nor women’s teams qualified for the RSEQ playoffs. After passing the midway point of the season, the women’s team sits in fifth place, two points from the final playoff spot in their league. The men’s team is only four points away from the final playoff spot.

The women seem to have turned it around this year. Last season, the team finished in second-to-last place with two wins, nine losses and three draws. After seven matches, the team had one win, five losses and one draw. In seven matches this season, the squad has already topped last season’s point total.

A major difference from last year is confidence. The team looks confident when they take the field. Besides a heavy loss to the Montreal Carabins at the start of the season, coach Jorge Sanchez’s group has been able match every other team in the league.

Come game time, the squad remains hopeful leading to better performances. In possession, the Stingers are able to transition up the pitch with few problems. Support from the midfielders is present allowing the team control the pace of the match. Though, the team has to gain efficiency when finishing scoring chances.

On the men’s side, game performances has improved despite what standings may suggest. The team sits in last place in the league with five points. However, unlike the women’s standings, things are much closer for the men. The team is four points away in the fight for the last playoff spot, and only eight points away from first place.

The men may have lost big in their first match but they picked up one win and two draws in the following three fixtures. Three losses in a row now see them slip to last place. Fortunately, other results in the league have allowed the team to stay in the playoff race.

In the 2011-12 season, the men’s team had three wins and four losses after seven matches. Two of these wins came from forfeits. This season, after seven matches, the men have one win, four losses and two draws.

Without looking at the standings or stats, performances on the field are better than last year. The biggest difference is up front. The addition of a few new players – plus an altered formation – now sees a more threatening team. The midfielders are also able to win their battles and this is one of the reasons the Stingers are able to dictate play.

This weekend, both teams had two tough away matches against the Laval Rouge et Or and the UQTR Patriotes. The women’s tied Laval 2-2 on Friday evening and picked up a 3-2 win against the Patriotes on Sunday. The men lost both matches with the same 3-1 scoreline.

The women’s team face McGill on Wednesday night at Concordia Stadium, while the men’s team will look to regroup for their next match on Oct. 11.

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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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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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Back-to-back goals lead to first victory

Concordia file photo.

Concordia women’s soccer team rebounded from their opening loss by beating the UQTR Patriotes on Sunday afternoon. The Stingers scored two second-half goals, four minutes apart, to collect their first three points.

Photos by Brianna Thicke

 

Head coach Jorge Sanchez lined his side up in a 4-4-2 formation. Katrina Filiatrault, Shannon Travers, Elizabeth McDonald and Lindsey Brooks made up the back line. The four midfielders were Melissa Kedro, Valerie Ishak, Kayla Myre and Alexandra Dragan. Jennifer Duff and Gabriela Padvaiskas were paired as the two strikers. Saby Dagenais was the goalkeeper.

UQTR took control early, but only had their first chance in the 19’ minute. Patriotes forward Marie-Michelle Lapointe found herself on a breakaway and ended up rolling her shot at Dagenais.

Six minutes later, UQTR were at it again. Claudia Languedoc almost put the visitors up with her shot inside the box but Concordia center back Shannon Travers did well to block the effort.

The Stingers had their best chance of the half in the 39th minute. After a failed corner kick, the maroon-and-gold recovered the ball and sent in a cross. The ball found Kendro at the far post, but she sent her shot over the bar.

Two minutes later, the Patriotes should have opened the scoring when Lapointe went in on another breakaway. Dagenais was forced to make a terrific stop to keep the score level.

Concordia came out flying after the halftime break. In the 53’ minute, Padvaiskas scored her first goal of the season after receiving an accurate pass from Kendro.

Four minutes later, substitute Shauna Zilversmit made it 2-0. Her powerful shot from the left side of the box found the far side of the goal. Duff picked up an assist on the play.

The two quick goals took any UQTR momentum away; they could not find an answer. Lapointe, the team’s most dangerous player, missed two more chances to reduce the deficit.

The Stingers stayed in command and almost added a third goal in the 84’ minute. Substitute Bella James lobbed a pass to Duff inside the box. Her redirecting shot hit the crossbar and bounced off the line.

The match stayed at 2-0 and ultimately ended that way. The Stingers have now racked up one win and one loss this season.

“What I like about this team is that we kept our head in the game for a lot of the time,” said Sanchez. “We moved the ball around, and for the most part, we stuck to the game plan, kept possession, made them chase us and took advantage of the two good chances we had. That was the difference.”

 

Concordia’s next match is at home on Friday, Sept. 14 against the McGill Martlets in another edition of the Erica Cadieux Memorial Game. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m.

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Stingers gear up for a killer season

Concordian file photo

Before students step into classes on Sept. 5, the Stingers’ season will have already begun. The first team to play is the football team starting the 2012 season with a home-opener against Bishop’s on Sept. 1 at 1 p.m..

For football fans, this will be the only chance to see the Stingers play at home before the end of the month. Following this game against Bishop’s, the team will play three road games against Université de Montreal on Sept. 7, St. Francis Xavier on Sept. 15 and will face off against Bishop’s once more on Sept. 22. Other important dates include an away game to rivals McGill on Oct. 13 and a home game against Laval – the defending champions – to conclude the regular season on Oct. 27.

Soccer enthusiasts will have to wait one day after the school year’s arrival as the men’s and women’s teams each have an away fixture against U de M to kick off the season on Sept. 6. The men’s team looks to improve on last year’s two losses against the same school. The women’s team seeks revenge after being outscored 1-9 by Montreal over both matches last season. The home opener for both teams will be three days later on the ninth. The double header starts at 1 p.m. for the men’s while the women’s team play at 3 p.m. both against UQTR.

Still in the first week of school, the rugby teams play their home-openers on Friday, Sept. 7. The women’s team plays first at 7 p.m. against Sherbrooke. Two hours later, the men’s team takes on Sherbrooke. If you miss the first home-opener, both Stingers teams are in action the following Wednesday. They will welcome McGill in the same time slots.

Hockey fans will have to wait until October to see their Stingers teams play. The men’s team play rivals McGill at home on Oct. 5. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Ed Meagher Arena. Both teams split the season series last year with two wins apiece. The women’s first game is also at home against McGill, although not on the same day. The game is scheduled for Oct. 13 at 2:30 p.m.

As for the most success, last year’s action was on the court. The Stingers basketball season runs from early November until the end of February. The men’s team’s quest to win a third straight championship begins on Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. on the road against UQAM. Their home-opener will take place on Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. against Laval. The women’s team will also play on those same days against the same opponents. They will play an earlier 6 p.m. game on both occasions. Both the men’s and women’s teams will participate in at least two pre-season tournaments.

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Looking back on the 2011-2012 Stingers teams

It was a mixture of highs and lows for Concordia’s Stingers teams last year. The most successful was the men’s basketball team which won their league, the playoffs, and had a shot at the national title.

This team is a favourite for the championship almost every season. Playing in a league which includes McGill, UQAM, Laval, and Bishop’s, the Stingers have topped their division for the last two seasons. Head coach John Dore, who is entering his 24th straight season with the team, led them to a 14-2 record last year, finishing four wins ahead of their biggest competitors McGill. The Stingers went on to beat UQAM by 30 points in the playoff finals. However, in the national championship, the team lost both games.

On the women’s side of the court, the Stingers finished second in the league and made it to the finals. The team opened the season on a high note, beating rivals, and eventual champions, McGill 75-66 on the road. Head Coach Keith Pruden, who has been behind the bench since 1995, led the team to a respectful 8-8 record. Although the women’s basketball team finished the season in second place, they boasted the league’s best defense. In the playoffs, the Stingers cruised past Bishop’s in the semi-finals, but fell to McGill in the finals.

On the ice, the men’s hockey team had a year filled with ups and downs. In the 10-team OUA East division, a division featuring both Ontario and Quebec universities, the Stingers missed the playoffs due to the second tie-breaker. The team tied with Queen’s University with 28 points, with both teams sharing the head-to-head record. It came down to goal differential in both their season games. One of the highlights last year was a thrilling 4-2 victory against McGill late in the season keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The women’s hockey team ended the 2011-12 season in last place. They were four points outside the playoffs. With a record of 4-15-1, the Stingers were battling Ottawa for the final playoff spot. A 6-2 home win over Ottawa in the second-to-last game of the season wasn’t enough to keep their playoff dreams alive.

On the football field, it took a victory in the final game of the season to send the team into the playoffs. The Stingers finished the year with four wins and five defeats, good enough for the fourth and final playoff spot. In the playoffs, the team fell to the eventual Quebec champions Laval Rouge et Or.

In the other kind of football, the men’s soccer team finished the season in sixth place with three wins, eight losses, and one draw. The Stingers were only seven points away from the playoffs. Head coach Lloyd Barker and the rest of the squad expect a better season this year.

The women’s soccer team also finished in second-to-last place. The Stingers finished in ninth place with two victories, nine losses, and three draws matching their 2010 record. Though, the women’s team does play in a difficult division which is dominated by U de M, McGill, Sherbrooke, and Laval.

In the short rugby season, the men’s team finished in third place with one win, four losses, and one tie.  A four-team division meant the Stingers automatically made the playoffs. In the semi-finals, they narrowly beat second place Bishop’s before losing to McGill in the finals.

The women’s rugby team had a similar season, which also took them to the finals. The Stingers finished the year in second place out of six teams and qualified for the playoffs. Their semi-final game was a win against McGill at home but the they ultimately lost to an undefeated Laval in the finals.

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