Ontario Tech 6, Concordia 4: Miscues and misfortune spell out heartbreaking end to Stingers’ men’s hockey season

Eight penalties stagger Concordia’s momentum, ending their season

SportsConor Tomalty — Published March 17, 2022 4 minutes

The Ed Meagher Arena was filled to the brim with fans who had come out to watch the Ontario University Athletics Eastern men’s hockey Eastern Quarterfinal between the Concordia Stingers and the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. Penalties and defensive woes were to blame for the Concordia men’s hockey team’s loss. Injuries to defensemen Alexandre Desgagnes and Kyle Havlena meant the size advantage was in the favour of the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks.  

“I’m really not the type of guy that’s going to go with excuses,” said head coach Marc-André Element post-game, “We lost Desgagnes with his wrist. Last practice we lost Havlena […] [I’ve] got to give [Ontario Tech] credit. They came prepared, they worked hard.” 

Concordia started off hot. A cross-crease pass from Zachary Zorn to Maxim Trepanier opened the scoring at 3:55 minutes into the first period. This was one of four points on the night for Trepanier.

OTU would respond; After mishandling the puck in their own zone, Concordia would turn it over in front of their net. Ryley Lanthier would control it for the Ridgebacks, throwing the puck on goal where Nicolas Tardif would collect the rebound and tie the game.

At 9:42 minutes into the frame, Concordia would light the lamp when Zachary Desrochers would bury a shot from Trepanier off the post making it a 2-1 game in favour of the Stingers.

The Ridgebacks dominated the entirety of the game with their net-front presence, and it was on display for the remainder of the first period. Concordia struggled with clearing the puck out of their own zone, costing them two goals to close out the final minutes of the first from Jack Patterson and Sean Ross. Patterson finished with four points in total with a hat-trick and an assist, while Ross finished the game with two points from a goal and an assist. 

“In this league, if you want to win, you need to play for sixty minutes.” said coach Element. He would continue by acknowledging that the defensive zone goals were detrimental. 

Zorn would be taken down with a trip by Patterson with 23 seconds left, meaning Concordia would be on the power-play to start the second. Heading into intermission, the score was Ontario Tech 3, Concordia 2, with the Ridgebacks leading in shots 17-10.

Twelve seconds into the second Ridegbacks’ forward James White gets called for a trip, sending him to the penalty box leaving the Stingers on a five-on-three advantage. It took Concordia less than a minute for captain Phelix Martineau to pot in a rebound off of a shot from Isiah Campbell, notching the score at three goals each. 

It all went downhill for the Stingers from this point on. Trepanier would be called for a hold at the 5:54 mark. OTU would capitalize on the power play with Patterson deflecting a point shot from Evan White, making it a four to three game. 

Penalties would null any momentum the Stingers had. Trepanier’s hold was one of four penalties for Concordia in the second period, and one of eight in the game. OTU couldn’t find the back of the net throughout the rest of the second period, and at intermission, the score remained 4-3 for the Ridgebacks, with shots still dominated by OTU 24-18.

Down only by a goal, Concordia went into survival mode. Their effort wasn’t enough as OTU forward Andrew Suriyuth was able to tuck a goal under the pad of Stingers goalie Jacob Delorme, making it a deflating 5-3 game with 9:25 minutes left to play.

WIth 2:26 remaining, Concordia would make the games’ story interesting. With Delorme pulled and an extra attacker on the ice, a shot from Stingers’ winger Alexander Katerinakis made its way past OTU goalie Leif Hertz, 5-4 OTU. 

The goal was all for naught. An interference penalty from Trepanier meant that even with the goalie pulled, the teams played a five-on-five. The Ridgebacks’ Patterson, whose big build wreaked havoc in Concordia’s crease all night, scored an empty netter. Patterson’s goal closed the book on the Stingers season, final score OTU 6, Concordia 4. 

“We didn’t execute what we wanted to do,” Said Element. “We battled injuries. We lost eight guys at Christmas. It was not an easy year, to be honest, but like I said, I’m not a guy who’s going to go with excuses.”

With the men’s season finished, the attention now turns to the women’s team who have their first RSEQ finals match scheduled versus the McGill Martlets on March 17 at 7 p.m. at McConnell Arena.