The Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team lost their first home game of 2024 1-0 to the McGill Martlets in double overtime Jan. 12 at the Carleton Ice House.
Carleton followed it up the next day with another home shutout loss to the Bishop’s Gaiters by a score of 2-0.
Despite Carleton’s offensive struggles, Ravens goaltender Caitlin Whitehead had a dominant weekend, making an incredible 66 saves on 69 shots over the two games.
Carleton has struggled this season, sitting in fourth place out of six in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec with a 5-10-1 record. They’ve dropped their last three games and seven of their last 10.
Whitehead’s heroics not enough
Carleton and McGill had played each other twice in the 2023-24 season before their Jan. 12 matchup, with each school winning one game apiece. Once the puck dropped, the high intensity indicated both teams were hungry to break the tie.
The Ravens dominated the start of the first period, getting four shots on net early in
the period and spending most of the first 10 minutes in the offensive zone.
However, the momentum shifted as Carleton received three penalties in the first, including a 5-on-3. The Ravens leaned on Whitehead to kill off the penalties, as she stopped all 13 shots directed her way.
Ravens had their first power play look early in the second period. The Ravens got multiple shots on net but just couldn’t find their rhythm to capitalize.
The Ravens drew another power play chance, featuring a two-zone pass from Whitehead and a 4-on-0 rush from a poorly timed transition by the Martlets. It wasn’t meant to be, as an ensuing pass was made to first-year Ravens forward Aoife Mahaffy, who was two strides behind the puck.
Much like the first period, the Ravens picked up three more penalties in the second to give the Martlets immense opportunities. Their shots on net quickly outnumbered the Ravens’ count.
Penalty trouble persisted for the Ravens in the third. Their penalty kill was stronger than the Martlets’ power play as they dusted off all seven penalties handed out in the third. Whitehead flourished under pressure, shutting down rebounds and stymieing a 3-on-1 chance. She ended the game with 38 saves compared to Martlets goaltender Jade Rivard-Coulombe’s 25.
The Ravens carried more of the play in the third as time ran out in their attempt to break the scoreless tie. Tensions rose late in the third but neither team could muster a goal before regulation ended.
In the Ravens’ first overtime of the season, the 4-on-4 battle was balanced. However, the Ravens didn’t create any promising chances. Rather, Whitehead forced the game into a second overtime period with several saves, notably with a spectacular breakaway stop.
The tie was finally broken 40 seconds into the 3-on-3 double overtime when the Martlets’ Sarah-Maude Lavoie received a pass that left her alone with Whitehead as the Ravens desperately rushed to get back. Lavoie’s wrist shot in between Whitehead’s pads ended the game in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss for Carleton.
The Ravens remained scoreless in a 2-0 decision to the Gaiters the next night. Their struggles continued with a 5-1 loss to the Montreal Carabins Jan. 19.
Carleton will look to get back into the the win column Jan. 20 against the uOttawa Gee-Gees at 7 p.m. at the Carleton Ice House.
Featured image by Concordia Athletics.
