It was the first time that event took place in Laval.

Three matches per day were scheduled between the teams of Stephen F. Austin, Quinnipiac, Montana State, UNCG, MTSU, and Hofstra.

“We know Montreal and Laval are basketball fans,” said Emilio Zaga Mendez, brand manager at Evenko. “We hope it becomes a recurring event every year.”

MTSU Stands Out

All six teams played three matches during the weekend.

MTSU was the only perfect team, winning its three matches. It first defeated Hofstra by a score of 64-54, then registered a convincing 75-63 victory over Stephen F. Austin the next day. The team concluded its weekend by winning a close 72-71 battle against Montana State.

Quinnipac and Hofstra finished the weekend with two wins and one loss. Hofstra also signed a 72-70 win in the game between the two teams, despite a late comeback from Quinnipac. It was also the last game of the event.

The other three universities competing, UNCG (1-2), Stephen F. Austin (1-2) and Montana State (0-3), all when back home with negative records.

Those were sanctioned games by the NCAA. They will thus influence the qualification of each of those teams for the post-season tournament.

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L’article Place Bell Brings Many Smiles with NCAA Basketball Showdown est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Thanks to a grant from the Government of Quebec’s Young Volunteers program, and months of hard work, the young artist’s first album was officially launched on Sept. 30.

Responsible for the entire development process and deployment of her work, Girard now travels to theatres in Greater Montreal, to the delight of the Quebec public.

Journey

Girard made her debut in music by singing in a choir, then in musical comedy at Georges-Vanier high school in Duvernay. She continued to gain experience by attending Cégep Marie-Victorin, and McGill University in jazz singing.

In addition to pursuing her musical career, the young woman is a music teacher, and works in the restaurant industry.

For Some Reason

The album has 13 songs and is titled like of of them. When asked why that name, Girard said “the album reflects [her] life”.

“I think we do things for some reason,” Girard said. “We don’t know how things will be received, what will happen, but we have to get started.”

The song also represents well the particular style of the artist because of the significant contrasts between the sections.

Highly influenced by United Kingdom’s (UK) jazz, Girard is also inspired by several aspects of her life when composing her melodies.

Language

Although Girard’s mother tongue is French, most of the songs of her first album are in English. Some are also bilingual, while her favourite melody is in French.

In addition to the fact the international fanbase mainly speaks English, that language also allows her to go further into introspection.

“[Performing in English] allows me to put myself in a bubble,” confessed the singer. “Sometimes, I find French very close to me. When I sing in French, I feel more exposed.”

Engaged Music

The Laval native’s goal isn’t necessarily to create committed music, but, because of her experience, several pieces are nonetheless.

It’s the case of the song “Graceful Earth”, which sends a very clear message related to climate change. In that song, the artist thanks the Earth, and apologizes for everything humans are doing to it.

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L’article A Laval Artist launches her First Jazz Album est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

The event will bring together six American college teams, facing face off in a nine-game series from Nov. 25–27.

Three matches per day are scheduled between the teams of Stephen F. Austin, Quinnipiac, Montana State, UNCG, MTSU, and Hofstra.

“We invited all the NCAA teams for the event, and those are the ones that answered the call,” explained Emilio Zaga Mendez, brand manager at Evenko. “They’re sanctioned games, so they’ll directly influence the qualification of those teams for the post-season tournament.”

Indeed, it’s not only about preparatory games, like the one disputed between Duke and McGill University in this same building in 2018. The teams will thus have their best lineup on the field.

Laval’s Pick

Zaga Mendez believes Place Bell was the ideal location for the event due to the availability of the place, and the pool of basketball fans.

“We know Montreal and Laval are basketball fans,” he said. “Every year, the [Toronto] Raptors preseason games are working very well at the Bell Centre. We hope it will be a recurring event every year.”

Zaga Mendez sees the event as a “basketball clinic” for young fans of the sport, dreaming of making a career out of it.

Nancy Harold, executive director of the Association régionale de Basketball Laval, sees it the same way.

“It’s clear that it can interest our young people,” Harold assured. “What they need is to believe it’s possible. I think many parents can say basketball is a sport that can lead a young person to academic success, have discipline, team spirit and perseverance.”

Succession

Harold also believes the increase in interest in this sport could lead to the possible presence of a Laval player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

“There’s talent here, and we believe the next Quebec NBA player is at Basketball Laval,” she said. “It’s such a rewarding sport for our young people, and it’s unfortunate that it’s not highlighted. We need more high-level basketball in Quebec.”

In total, the Association régionale de Basketball Laval plans to have around 50 young athletes from its program on site to attend the event.

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article NCAA Basketball Stops at Place Bell est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.