Stingers roundup

By John Austen

European vacation for player, coach

Concordia Stinger left wing Yannick Noiseux and head coach Kevin Figsby went to Innsbruck, Austria, this week to represent Canada at the 2005 Winter Universiade from Jan. 12 to 22.

The top 26 players in the conference competed for 21 roster spots at the team's training camp in Woodstock, Ont., from Dec. 15-19.

Noiseux is the leading scorer on the Stingers, with eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 13 games. He is the second leading scorer in the OUA and has the second best numbers in the nation. He is an Administration major.

Noiseux has been on provincial teams and competed at the Canada Games as a baseball player. However, the Winter Universiade will be his first international competition.

Also representing Concordia will be head coach Figsby, who joins Team Canada as an assistant coach. He is a successful motivator with more than 20 years of coaching experience at the provincial, national and international levels, including serving as head coach of the bronze medal Quebec entry at the world under-17 championship in 1995.

Canada will compete in a pool with China, the Czech Republic, Japan, Ukraine and defending champion Russia. The Canadians will open the tournament on Jan. 13 against China.

Cage Vikes top Lady Stingers

The University of Victoria Vikes defeated the Concordia Stingers 68-60 to win the third annual Concordia-Reebok Women's Basketball Tournament in Montreal earlier this month.

Jody Potts led the charge in a physical game between two of the top women's teams in Canada. She was the leading scorer in the game with 26 points. Jen Diana chipped in with 14 points and Lindsay Hewson added 10 points. Victoria is ranked No. 6 by Canadian University Sport.

For the No. 8-ranked host team, Pascale Morin scored 19 points and Graziella Charles added 12 points. The score was 36-27 at half time. The Stingers tied the game mid-way through the second half but couldn't hang on against the Vikes.

In the third-place game, the Bishop's Gaiters rolled over the Memorial Sea-Hawks by a score of 70-48.

The Queen's Golden Gaels topped the Laurentian Voyagers 72-59 to finish first on the consolation side.

Wilfrid Laurier finished in seventh place with a 69-51 victory over the UQAM Citadins.

Concordia cagers shave heads

Four members of the Concordia Stingers women's basketball team shaved their heads in front of more than 250 people last Wednesday night at the Stingers men's hockey game.

The women — Emilie Ruel, Fanie Ruel, Shannah Ernest and All-Canadian M.J. Raposo — made the exceptional gesture in hopes of raising a couple of hundred dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society. Due to the generosity of friends, teammates, family and supportive hockey fans, approximately $1,000 was raised. The student-athletes were inspired by the Ruel sisters' uncle. They wanted to do something to encourage him in his fight against cancer.

The Stingers boast a 5-2 win-loss record and were recently ranked No. 8 in Canadian University Sport.

Stingers win holiday tourney

The Concordia Stingers men's basketball team defeated the Saint Mary's Huskies 71-63 to win the annual eight-team Rod Shoveller Memorial Tournament hosted by Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Senior guard Phil Langlois led the Stingers' attack in the championship game on Jan. 2. He scored 13 points and added eight rebounds and seven assists, and was named the tournament MVP.