Stingers 3, Carabins 2: Concordia celebrates the Teddy Bear Toss with a close win

Stingers outplay Carabins in a memorable night of hockey and charity

SportsAylee Ahmadzadeh — Published December 1, 2025 3 minutes

The win came on the night of Concordia’s annual Teddy Bear Toss, where hundreds of bears were thrown onto the ice after the Stingers’ first goal, scored by forward Ekaterina Pelowich.

“We were all just at the net, jamming at that puck, and it came on my stick, and I was able to lift it over the goalie’s shoulder, and hands went up in the air, and then the teddy bears came,” Pelowich said. “It was super fun.”

The Carabins capitalized early in the second period off a turnover, keeping pressure on the Stingers for the rest of the night.

Forward Emilie Lavoie, who recorded two points during the game, reflected on what was working for her throughout those 60 minutes. 

“Everything [was working],” Lavoie said. “Actually, we've been talking as a team that we want to work a full 60 minutes, and I think for the last two games, that's what we've been doing.”

Pelowich had a similar view on the game. 

“I think what was working was our forecheck and sticking to our basic plays and our simple plays,” Pelowich said. “Moving our feet fast and communicating with each other and keeping it positive on the bench is what's been working for us so far.” 

Beyond their offensive game, the Stingers found a way to shine on special teams as well. 

With a power-play goal from Rosalie Parent in the second period, and an impressive penalty kill throughout the whole game, Concordia seems undefeatable right now.

“It's obviously something we try to do every year, try to bring the community around,” Lavoie said, reflecting on the team’s involvement in the community. “On Monday, we're going to a hospital to visit some kids. So it's fun for us to see that we have an opportunity to bring some kids here.” 

This was more than just a game for the Stingers. The Teddy Bear Toss marks one of the biggest charity events of the season, with the stuffed animals collected going directly to children’s hospitals, shelters and family support organizations. This year, they are headed to the Walkley Community Centre in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

“It was a surreal moment,” Pelowich said. “It was so fun. I've never played in one of those games before.”

The Stingers exit 2025 conference play at 12-1-0, atop the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec standings. They will face the Italian National Team in an exhibition game on Dec. 13 at Verdun Auditorium to close out the year. Puck drop is set for 7:40 p.m.