Weathering the effects of a flu outbreak, the Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team fell 5-2 to the Nipissing Lakers on Nov. 2 in an exhausting home game.
The Ravens’ locker room dealt with a flu the previous week, which Carleton head coach Stacey Colarossi said contributed to unusual line combinations and fatigue on the ice. However, Ravens captain Justina Beard made it clear the team’s attitude was unwavering.
“We’re not gonna let that take us down, it’s only gonna bring us closer together,” Beard said.
The 2-6 Ravens made that attitude appear true early on as they skated toe-to-toe with the first-place team in the OUA East. However, Carleton allowed three Nipissing goals in a difficult second period characterized by penalties and defensive setbacks, which was ultimately their undoing.
“You just have to stay out of the box with that team. They have way too many high-skilled players that can finish,” Colarossi said.
In the first period, Ravens forward Shae Laprade struck first with a wrist shot from a tough angle deep in the Nipissing zone. But the lead was short-lived as just five minutes later, Nipissing created a frenzy in front of Carleton’s net. Lakers forward Jill Hennessy pounced on a loose puck to even the score.
The back-and-forth continued as Nipissing took the lead following a failed Ravens power play. Lakers forward Malory Dominico buried Nipissing’s second goal by cleaning up a rebound resulting from another net-front battle.
Only 20 seconds later, Laprade knotted the score as she earned her second goal of the night.
The Lakers quickly seized the momentum in the second period. Lakers defenceman Madison Laberge afforded Nipissing their second lead of the game just over a minute into the period, as she put home another loose puck around the Carleton net.
As the period progressed, the Ravens struggled to keep the puck out of their own zone.
WHKY | Jenna Goertzen with an epic glove save! pic.twitter.com/vCwARrtkNg
— Carleton Ravens (@CURavens) November 3, 2024
Nipissing took advantage as Hennessy scored again as they maintained pressure on the Ravens’ defence.
The Lakers scored once more after exchanging chances on both sides of the ice, asserting control over the game with a 5-2 lead. The Ravens did little to counter Nipissing’s offence through the rest of the difficult frame, or in the third, where neither team scored.
“I think they just capitalized on our little mistakes,” Beard said. “I wouldn’t really say that our second period was bad, to be honest. I think we played a full 60 minutes today, and there are just little breakdowns, and they capitalize on that — they’re a good team.”
Colarossi said the game was a learning experience for her team, stating the importance of proper discipline on the ice. Colarossi made it clear her team was in for some tough love ahead of their next game.
“We’ll be skating this week because those penalties are all stick violations because we didn’t want to move our feet,” Colarossi said.
Despite the tough defeat, the Ravens showed flashes of potential that Beard said the team hopes to build upon in their upcoming games.
“We’re really excited for this upcoming weekend, and I really want to have another game where we play the full 60 minutes and we really want to get a couple of wins on the board,” Beard said.
The Ravens will take on the Guelph Gryphons on the road on Nov. 8, where they will look to turn around their 2-6 record this season.
Featured photo by Marc Lafleur / Carleton Ravens
