The Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team is plummeting toward a last-place finish in their first OUA season after a 2-1 loss at the Ice House against the Queen’s Gaels on Jan. 31.
After years of previous struggles in the RSEQ, the Ravens have struggled to make their mark in a new league following their transition to the OUA.
Despite a closely-contested 60 minutes, a short-handed goal at the end of the second period served the Ravens yet another dagger in their hopes of securing a playoff position.
The Ravens have only come out on top in four games since notching their first OUA win against the Brock Badgers on Oct. 11, amassing a 5-17 overall record.
Heading into the game, the Ravens were looking to break a three-game losing streak and spoil the playoff chances of the fifth-place Gaels.
Leading the charge was Carleton rookie goaltender Kaitlyn Langille, who has been a standout performer all season despite her team’s misfortunes. The Ravens have leaned heavily on Langille in the losing campaign as she leads the OUA with 628 saves in her 20 starts.
“Kaitlyn’s been playing great for us all season,” Ravens forward Hayden Serniuk said. “She is, as a first-year, exceeding all of our expectations.”
However, Queen’s broke through Langille’s stalemate in the first period and carried a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Early in the second period, a scrum in front of the Queen’s net nearly resulted in a game- tying goal, but the puck was cleared just in front of the goal line. Carleton struggled to get quality shots on the net, but they stayed persistent.
Backstopped by a confident Langille, the Ravens had the chance to put on the pressure. Their efforts paid off when Serniuk buried a rebound off forward Victoria Kay’s shot to even the score.
“We’ve been playing great lately and I think it just goes to show our connection and we’ve just been creating opportunities,” Serniuk said of her play with Kay and linemate Anya Misner.
The added momentum from the goal was not enough to strike a second time past Gaels netminder Emma Tennant, who stonewalled the Ravens for the remainder of the game. Tennant and Langille both sit at 20 starts apiece, but Tennant’s experience as a third-year goaltender, combined with the Gaels’ defensive support, has afforded her 12 fewer goals against and a .930 save percentage.
Even with a deadlocked game through the final minutes of the second, Queen’s inevitably struck back with just 17 seconds left in the frame with a short-handed goal from Alyson Reeves.
With just under a minute remaining in the third period, Carleton pulled Langille for the extra attacker after calling a timeout, hoping to force overtime. Despite a final push and consistent pressure in the Queen’s zone, the Ravens couldn’t manifest an equalizer before the final buzzer.
Langille played her part between the pipes, saving 33 of 35 shots, but the Ravens largely failed to help her out on their 28 shots at the other end.
“The fact that we’ve let so many shots get to [Langille] is a major problem in my eyes,” head coach Stacey Colarossi said. “She’s done a good job, she competes, she’s not going to get outworked by anyone in this league.”
With only four games remaining in the season and a maximum of 12 points up for grabs, another loss for the Ravens leaves little room for a late-season surge into a playoff position.
“This game meant a lot for us in the spot we’re in,” Serniuk said.
While a playoff spot is still mathematically possible, the Ravens are nine points out from a postseason position and their destiny is no longer in their hands. If either the Gaels or TMU Bold earn any more than three points — equal to a single regulation win — in either of their next four games, the Ravens are out of the running.
“We’re still going to fight, still trying to get the most points we can,” Serniuk said. “Even if we can’t bury goals and come out with the win all the time, we never stop trying.”
Featured photo by Marc Lafleur / Carleton Ravens
