Emotional after this heartbreaking defeat, Brad Collinson was however very proud of the performance of his flock and he sees the future with optimism.
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“The guys believed in their chances until the end and they showed a lot of character by erasing a 14-point deficit late in the 4th quarter,” said the Stingers pilot. This is the third time this season that we have erased a deficit of 14 points or more. The players left everything on the pitch and I’m very proud of them even if it’s not fun to lose like this in overtime.”
“We will continue to build on this match, but we sent a clear message to everyone that we are here for real, to pursue Collinson who was part of the 2002 edition of the Stingers who beat the Rouge et Or at the occasion of the Dunsmore Cup. The days when there were only two clubs in our conference are over.”
Collinson also had a good thought for the graduates who chose the Stingers even though Montreal and Laval had not shown any interest in them coming out of the college ranks.
“I get emotional when I see a guy like Jacob Salvail who wasn’t recruited by the big programs and left his heart on the field. I’m so proud of Jacob.”
Salvail caught three passes for 60 yards in his final career game. “There was no scenario in my head where we ended with a loss. I’m proud of the guys and what we showed on the field.”
Flowers for the Stingers
Glen Constantin praised his opponents. “We could have escaped a few times, but the Stingers never gave up,” summarized the Laval pilot. They released all the games. I take my hat off to them.”
“For our part, the guys showed perseverance,” added Constantin. I never doubted our team. The defense had a big game, especially against the ground game, while the offense again made errors in timing and readings. In the playoffs, however, there are no ugly victories. Only victory counts.”
In the defeat, Ezekiel Tieide had quite a game with eight receptions for 143 yards and two majors. He also completed two passes on fake punts that gave Concordia first downs and led to ten points.