Ravens forward Hayden Serniuk (17) skates up the ice during Carleton's Nov. 22 win against the Windsor Lancers. Serniuk totalled one goal and two assists in Carleton's 4-1 victory. [Photo by Charles Fortin]

The Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team delivered a decisive 4-1 win over the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 22, fueled by goaltender Kaitlyn Langille’s 48-save performance.

With Langille keeping pucks out of the Carleton net, a dominant second period saw the Ravens score three goals in less than 10 minutes to pull away from reach. 

This victory marked back-to-back wins for the Ravens as they look ahead to the much-anticipated Alerts Cup, as part of the Colonel By Classic at TD Place Arena on Nov. 30.

The Ravens were coming off a 3-2 shootout win over the Queen’s Gaels on Nov. 16 heading into their matchup against the Lancers.

Windsor presented a defensive challenge, as Langille was forced to make 27 critical saves in the third period alone to keep Windsor off the scoresheet. 

“It was a great group effort tonight,” said Ravens captain Justina Beard. “We’re really connected, and it’s only going to get better from here. I’m especially proud of Kaitlyn [Langille], she took a lot of shots and kept us in the game.”

Despite struggling to clear their zone at times, the Ravens kept their composure and carried their lead from an explosive middle period to the final buzzer.

“Consistency is the hardest part of sport, even at the pro ranks,” said head coach Stacey Colarossi. “But the momentum we gained through simple plays in that second period made all the difference.”

Five minutes into the second period, forward Sydney Berta broke the stalemate and energized the home crowd by tucking in a rebound off Beard’s shot. 

Not even five minutes later, Ravens forward Anya Misner doubled the lead with another goal for Carleton. 

“We’ve been working hard during the week, making sure we set ourselves up for success,” Misner said. “Tonight, it really paid off. Everyone was behind each other, and we kept the momentum going.”

Carleton’s dominance continued as Hayden Serniuk cleaned up a big rebound from blueliner Shannon McDonald, extending the Ravens’ lead to three. 

“To see that play unfold, with speed and precision, was amazing,” Colarossi said. “It’s those little moments of trust and execution that make all the difference.”

Misner scored her second goal of the game on an empty net with just five minutes to go in the third frame, giving the Ravens a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Lancers managed a late response to spoil what would have been a monster shutout for Langille. Despite the late goal, Langille still stymied 48 of 49 shots, giving the Ravens plenty of breathing room in what could have been a closer contest.

The Ravens are now 4-9, showing steady improvement as they build toward back-to-back matchups with the uOttawa Gee-Gees, the second of which is the Colonel By Classic.

“Tonight was a big confidence boost for us,” Misner said. “We’re building momentum, and with continued hard work, we’ll be ready for what’s ahead.”

Ravens forward Anya Misner celebrates her first of two goals against the Windsor Landers on Nov. 22 with captain Justina Beard (10) and defender Avery Krawchuk (8). Misner has scored six goals and 10 points through 13 games for the Ravens this season. [Photo by Charles Fortin]
With their recent success and growing confidence, the Ravens aim to carry this momentum through the remainder of the season as they hope to inch closer to playoff contention in their first campaign in the OUA.

 

“Right now, they’re feeling good and believing in each other, which wasn’t the case three weeks ago,” Colarossi said. “If we keep managing details and preparing properly, we’ll continue to grow as a group.”

Featured photo by Charles Fortin

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