With their 4-2 win over the RMC Paladins on Nov. 16, the Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team have found a groove, improving to a 5-8 record in front of a home crowd at the Ice House.
The Ravens capitalized on a key opportunity to get their season back on track during a double-header where they matched up against the bottom two teams in the OUA.
Thanks to strong goaltending and a dominant two-goal performance by forward Gio Morneau, the Ravens secured back-to-back wins. They extended their winning streak to three games – their longest of the season.
“We needed some confidence boosting,” Ravens head coach Mark Cavallin said. “We played some good games before that stretch but didn’t get the wins. So, I’m happy the guys got some reward for some good hard work.”
The win follows a 6-4 victory against the York Lions on Nov. 15, where Cavallin criticized the team’s play despite the result. Cavallin said he was happier with their result against the Paladins the following day.
“The team galvanized together, they played well together,” he said. “It was an improvement for sure.”
Carleton got on the board early in the first period thanks to Morneau, who now has goals in three straight games. His precise snipe from the high slot — set up by forward Will Collins and blueliner Alexandre Hogue — gave the Ravens a 1-0 lead.
MHKY | Morneau opens the scoring for the evening! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/85f5yvnLRI
— Carleton Ravens (@CURavens) November 17, 2024
“Super good,” Morneau said of his recent performance. “Everything’s clicking right now, confidence is really high, team confidence is getting up there.”
Morneau has been integral to Carleton’s back-to-back wins, totalling three goals during the double-header with the addition of an empty-net goal later against the Paladins.
“We knew we had to get these wins,“ Morneau said. “These are must-wins for us to make playoffs. We’re going to build off these three wins and try and bring it into the harder games.”
Both teams were kept off the scoresheet in the second period, but not for a lack of chances. Carleton controlled the majority of puck possession and looked dangerous on the power play, but couldn’t break Paladins goalie Michael Davis.
Carleton put up 37 shots against Davis, who made 33 saves by the end of the night.
However, the Ravens showed no hesitation going into the third period as forward Félix Bédard scored just 32 seconds in. Bédard’s slick backhand in tight off a rebound from blueliner Nolan Seed‘s shot extended Carleton’s lead to two.
Forward Alex Fournier added another for Carleton in the third, tapping in a rebound off the crossbar to make it 3-0.
On the other side of the ice, Ravens goaltender Steven Bacovksy was having a game of his own, earning his first win of the year with a solid performance.
“Nothing better than winning on Saturday night, right?”
Late in the third, Paladins defenceman Bruce Coltart dashed Bacovksy’s hopes of a shutout, but the Ravens held on to take the two points helped by Morneau’s empty net goal for insurance. The Paladins added another goal after the empty-netter with just 16 seconds left in the game, but it was too little, too late to complete the comeback.
MHKY | Morneau gets the open net and makes it 4-1! pic.twitter.com/9mnFMaI9sE
— Carleton Ravens (@CURavens) November 17, 2024
Following their loss, the Paladins stay at the bottom of the competitive OUA East division standings, falling to 1-9 on the season.
The Ravens are hoping to forget their recent six-game losing streak and continue their winning ways. They will be back in action on Nov. 20, facing the 8-5 UQTR Patriotes on the road.
“If we play our game, if we work hard, we’re going to win,” Bacovsky said.
Featured photo by Marc Lafleur/Carleton Ravens
