Stingers roundup

By John Austen

Stingers clinch first with win over Laval

It looks as if the Concordia Stingers have finally figured out how to beat Laval on the basketball court this season. All they have to do is use their speed and superior team defence to neutralize Laval's size and potent offence. A few last-minute heroics from their star player don't hurt either.

All-Canadian hopeful Philippe Langlois hit a three-point shot with just two seconds remaining in a key game last month, sending Laval and the Stingers into extra time.

The Stingers rolled in overtime and beat the Rouge et Or 79-69 before more than 400 fans at the Concordia Gym. The win clinched first place for the Stingers (15-1) and bodes well for their upcoming playoff run, since Concordia will enjoy home court advantage throughout the “second season.”

Laval has given the Stingers fits over the years, but this season Concordia has taken three of four regular season meetings with their rivals.

The women's team weren't as fortunate as their male counterparts, losing 62-49 to Laval. M.J. Raposo scored 20 points in a losing cause. Concordia will now travel to Lennoxville, where they will play Bishop's in a sudden-death semifinal March 9.

Men's hockey team loses a heartbreaker

The Concordia men's hockey team has been snakebit yet again. It's been more than 20 years since the Stingers won a conference title, and they won't win it this year either. That fate was sealed last Sunday, when the Stingers lost a sudden-death game 3-2 in double overtime to the Ottawa Gee Gees.

The Stingers were tied at a game apiece going into Sunday's third and deciding game of the OUA East Conference quarterfinal at the Ed Meagher Arena. Stinger goals came from Andrew Davis and Joey D'Amico.

Stingers receive bursaries

Two members of the Concordia Stingers hockey teams were honoured by Le Club de la Médaille d'Or in a grande fête du hockey hosted by the Montreal Canadiens recently at the Bell Centre.

Fred Faucher, a high-scoring left winger on the men's team, and pint-sized Dominique Rancour, an all-Canadian centre on the women's team, each received a $500 bursary and a keepsake medal from Réjean Houle, president of the Canadiens Alumni Association.

Le Club de la Médaille d'Or is a foundation that assists elite Quebec athletes. At the gala ceremony it honored nine young hockey players, one official and a coach.

Rancour and Faucher were deemed the most worthy Quebec university hockey players by the foundation. Faucher is an assistant captain and the top goal scorer on the Stingers. He is studying exercise science and hopes to pursue a career in pharmacology. Rancour is the leading scorer in the Quebec women's conference. Rancour is majoring in human relations and minoring in education.

Lady Pucksters clinch first

The Concordia Stingers clinched first place in the Quebec university women's hockey league with a 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees recently at the Ed Meagher Arena. The Stingers took a 3-0 first period lead on goals from Angela Di Stasi, Marie-Pier Cantin-Drouin and Dominique Rancour. The Gee-Gees replied with two straight goals in the second period from Sarah Balch and Kim Blain. The final goal of the game was scored by Concordia's Geneviève Dupuis late in the second period.

Concordia goaltender Cecilia Anderson was exceptional, turning away 21 of 23 shots. The win was the first for the No. 3-ranked Stingers versus the 10th-ranked Gee-Gees this year. In their previous four meetings, Concordia had one loss and three ties with Ottawa. Concordia had a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

The Stingers and the McGill Martlets began their best-of-three championship series last night at Concordia.