Stingers 2, Carabins 1: Concordia cements a dynasty
The Stingers rallied from a late deficit to capture the RSEQ title
After a one-year valley, the Concordia University women’s hockey team returned to the mountaintop of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), defeating the Université de Montréal Carabins 2-1 on Saturday, March 8, to clinch a 2-0 sweep of the best-of-three series and take home the conference championship.
The Stingers rebounded from a heartbreaking 2025 finals loss in which they won the first game, only to let the Bishop’s University Gaiters steal the next two to win the series. Concordia head coach Julie Chu commended the team for its resilience in a tough crosstown matchup.
“We knew there were going to be battles against Montréal, and that's what it was today,” Chu said. “It was a tight game, it could have gone either way at different points, but the energy of our bench, the energy in our locker room was really special.”
After a wild Game 1 that ended with a final score of 5-3, a nearly even split of Concordia and UdeM supporters had to wait over 40 minutes for the first goal on Saturday. The first two periods did not pass without fireworks, however, as the teams combined for six penalties.
In a game that built up pressure slowly, Stingers captain Jessymaude Drapeau praised the team for its resilience.
“I couldn't be more proud of everything we've done outside of the rink,” Drapeau said. “It brought us together all year long, and in those moments, we couldn't be more proud of all the efforts that we put in.”
Once the third period rolled around, however, the fireworks began.
“Obviously, we’re going to enjoy the moment, live in the present, but we’ll get back to work on Monday and continue to practice and keep doing what we’ve been doing all year.” — Ekaterina Pelowich, forward, Concordia University women’s hockey team
Carabins forward Audrey-Anne Veillette collected the puck at the blue line and blasted a shot that slipped under the arm of Concordia goaltender Jordyn Verbeek to give UdeM a 1-0 lead in a do-or-die game. But just four minutes later, Stingers rookie forward Juliette Leroux scored her second goal of the series to send the game back to a deadlock at 1-1.
Chu commended the Stingers’ fourth line, which saw forwards Kate Furlong and Audrey Clavette help set up Leroux’s game-tying goal.
“[They’re] real difference makers for us right now because we can have them take some really important minutes that also help to elevate our team,” Chu said. “It allows our other players to be more rested and be fresher at the end of games.”
As the clock wound down, sudden-death overtime began to look more and more likely. But with the extra rest, Concordia’s top line clinched the championship.
As forward Zoé Thibault moved into the Carabins’ zone, her drop pass found Drapeau in front of the net. The captain couldn’t convert the chance, but winger Émilie Lussier pounced on the rebound and shovelled the puck through the legs of UdeM goaltender Maude Desroches to make it 2-1.
Despite a furious final rally from the Carabins, Concordia held off their Montreal rivals to win their fourth RSEQ title in five years. As the horn sounded, sticks and gloves flew into the air as the Stingers rushed onto the ice in celebration.
The Concordia players received their medals on the ice and took turns hoisting the trophy in front of a raucous Stingers fanbase. Verbeek, on the back of a masterful performance, was named player of the game.
With the RSEQ title clinched, Concordia seems likely to secure a high seed at the U Sports national championship. And forward Ekaterina Pelowich emphasized that the team’s job is just getting started.
“Obviously, we're going to enjoy the moment, live in the present, but we'll get back to work on Monday and continue to practice and keep doing what we've been doing all year,” Pelowich said.
Concordia has the potential to be named the No. 1 overall seed at the national tournament, which will begin on March 19. If the Stingers secure the top spot, they would face the University of Waterloo Warriors in the first round, whom they lost to at the 2025 tournament.
