(25Feb99)  Late Thursday afternoon at venerable Varsity Arena, the Stingers of
Concordia edged the host University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-2, after a 2-2
draw, a scoreless ten minute extra time and a 2-1 shootout.  For the first
half of the contest, it looked like Concordia would win easily by any score
they wanted.  But the Varsity Blues tied it up late and lost by the smallest
margin possible.
 
Concordia, the Quebec champion, came out swarming.  They played the best
hockey I have seen this season.  The Stingers play with a brilliant precision
that features a coordinated style of exciting movement.  Every Concordia
player is on the same page.  The flow and attacking shape they achieved was
incredible.  Nevertheless, despite the numerous chances, there was no scoring
in the first - just lovely hockey.  Merci!
 
In the middle session, there was more two-way play, as Toronto picked up their
game.  As The Fates would have it, Concordia scored when a point shot/pass was
carefully redirected by Lisa-Marie Breton (Genevieve Fagnan, Catherine
Bertrand) to catch the goalie going the wrong way.  Wow - lovely goal!  With
the lead, the Stingers sadly went off the boil and Toronto started to push it.
 
In the third, UT pressed, Concordia looked dangerous, but nothing was
clicking.  Finally, Kari Colpitts (Corinne Swirsky, Annie Boucher) gave the
Stingers a 2-0 advantage when she one-timed the perfect feed from Swirsky.
The game looked over.  But, in the last thirty seconds, Toronto's Rhonda
Mitchell got credit for a deflected point shot.  Ten seconds later, on the
opposite side of the ice, Kim Malcher tied the match at two on a near
identical play.
 
In overtime, Concordia put on some early pressure, but both teams looked
whipped.  In the shootout, two of the first three Stinger shooters scored to
put the stress on, and eventually win 2-1.
 
When Concordia is on song, they are a fantastic team to watch.  They play with
patience, and then at the right moment, explode with lethal force.  Goalie
Jessika Audet snuffed several UT shooters and came up huge in the shootout.
The defensive pairing of Suzanne Kay and Laura MacKenzie is outstanding.
Kay's breakup touch is marvelous.  MacKenzie angles off her opponent so well.
The Stingers skate four lines and they all play lovely hockey.  Bertrand led
her line of Marie-Claude Allard and Breton with some excellent back and fore-
checking.  Monelle Hebert produced several sparkling rushes with her mates
Anne Rodrigue and Karen Kendall.  And the fourth line of Annie Surprenant,
Sara Matheson and Leanne Martell maintained Concordia's sensational style.
However, the dynamite line is Swirsky, Boucher and Colpitts.  The misdirection
plays those three can run are amazing.  The woman of the match was Swirsky.
Her soft hands and elegant moves let her dance around the other team.  Swirsky
is a joy to watch.  Concordia is what makes ice hockey so good.
 
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was
unfortunately in fashion at the University of Toronto.
 
"To accept the standard of one's age is a form of the grossest immorality."
-O. Wilde
 
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 good shooting
 hungerf
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