Stingers roundup

After a disappointing road loss to Laval the week before, the Concordia Stingers football team rebounded in fine style last Saturday and demolished the Mount Allison Mounties 44-10 in Sackville, N.B. The win gives the Stingers a 2-1 record, good enough for third place in the CIS League.

The Stingers erased an early 3-0 Mountie lead and were ahead 35-3 at halftime. Head coach Gerry McGrath then rested many of his starting players including quarterback Jon Bond, who gave way to rookie Scott Syvret.

Bond completed 10 of 23 passes for 164 yards, including a touchdown toss of 44 yards to Alain Rousseau. Rousseau had four catches on the day for 115 yards. Syvret, a graduate of the John Abbott Islanders, completed seven of 10 passes for 119 yards.

Scoring highlights for Concordia included a 70-yard run from linebacker Pat Donovan, a Kerry Calhane punt return of 65 yards and a fumble recovery which Troy Cunningham ran 60 yards to paydirt.

Stingers split under the lights

It was a good news, bad news situation as the Concordia Stingers men’s and women’s soccer teams made history last Friday night. For the first time ever the university hosted soccer games under the lights. The men defeated UQAM 2-0, while the women fell 1-0 to their UQAM rivals.

Over the last several months, Concordia has tackled a large field renovation project on its Loyola campus that began May 24 with the demolition of the old grandstand. The completed project includes the installation of two new AstroPlay fields, both with lighting, and temporary stands with seating for 3,200. The work will take about 17 weeks to completion.

The football team had christened the new stadium two weeks before, but this was the first night game at the new facility. While there was adequate lighting on Concordia’s old practice field, there has never been lighting in the stadium. Soccer and football could never consider a night game or even a late afternoon start.

After opening the season with two wins, the women’s team has now lost two straight. The girls were dumped 2-1 by Laval in Ste. Foy on Sunday afternoon.

The women’s team is hoping to build on the 2002 season’s phenomenal success that saw the Stingers finish in third place with a QSSF record of 7-4-3 and post a dramatic 1-0 semifinal win over the top-ranked McGill Martlets. Concordia put up a valiant fight in the conference championship but lost 2-0 to the Laval Rouge et Or.

“We will be more competitive on a regular basis,” said head coach Jorge Sanchez. “We’ve added a lot of experienced players to our lineup. It will be a competitive league. The team that wins will be the team that works the hardest.”

Defence will be the key to success, especially in the early going for the men’s soccer team, which posted a 6-4-2 record last season.

“We will be fairly strong in back,” said veteran head coach Vladimir Pavlicik. “We have all-star Steven McCauley in nets and a strong returning lineup on defence. We will have stability there.”

Tops in Canada

Concordia Stinger Jean-Michel Paquette was named the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) offensive player of the week. The speedy running-back was instrumental in the Stingers’ 46-3 victory over the Bishop’s Gaiters in the season opener earlier this month.

Paquette led the Stingers’ offence against the Gaiters by running up 301 yards of total offence and scoring two touchdowns.

Paquette was also named the Quebec Interuniversity Football Conference offensive player of the week and the Concordia male athlete of the week. The Stingers captain is studying Human Resources at Concordia.

Big Mat Attack!

The Concordia Invitational Wrestling Tournament will take place Oct. 26 at the Athletic Complex. Dozens of wrestlers are expected to take part in 11 weight classes for men and seven for women. Medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in each cateogory.

Christie, Badawieh honoured

Sommer Christie of the women’s rugby team and Ammar Badawieh of the men’s soccer team were named Concordia Stinger athletes of the week for the period ending Sept. 14.

Christie, a fifth-year scrum half and team captain, collected six tries and five converts in Concordia’s 85-0 opening victory over the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. She is a two-time All-Canadian and four-time QSSF all-star. Christie is studying sciences at Concordia.

Badawieh, a native of Jordan, collected two goals and an assist in the Stingers’ first two games. He scored two goals and was named player of the game in the Stingers 4-0 victory over Sherbrooke. The following day, he set up Concordia’s only goal in a 1-1 tie with the UQTR Patriotes.

-by John Austen