There’s more to Carleton sports than watching the Ravens men’s basketball team slaughter their opponents in the national final. Here’s a month-by-month guide to the must-see games, events and tournaments for the upcoming year of Carleton varsity sports.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
NCAA exhibition
Sport: Basketball, Soccer
When: Ongoing
Both the men’s and women’s basketball and soccer teams test out their pre-season
prowess against some southern opponents. Games against National Collegiate Athletic
Association teams are typically hard-fought, with Carleton looking to prove itself against
tougher opponents.
So far in this year’s cross-border battle, the ball has been in Carleton’s court. The
men’s basketball team won two of three games, with their next matchup coming Oct. 27
against the Boston College Eagles. The women’s basketball team came up short on two games but won 83-64 against the Youngstown State Penguins Aug. 16. The men’s soccer team saw just one American opponent in pre-season play, tying the University of Maine Bengals 0-0 Aug. 20 and beating them 4-1 the next day. The Bengals play in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.
Look for more NCAA exhibition games throughout the coming months.
OCTOBER
Rugby playoffs
Sport: Women’s rugby
When: Oct. 19-21, 27-28 and Nov. 2-4
The women’s rugby team hits the field this year for the first time as a varsity team. The squad has played for years as a competitive club, but now has a chance to prove themselves in the Reseau du sport etudiante de Québec (RSEQ). RSEQ semifinals go Oct.19-21, with the finals coming the following weekend. If the Ravens do well, they’ll head to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) finals Nov. 2-4 in Nova Scotia.
NOVEMBER
OUA Finals
Sport: Soccer
When: Early November
Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams suffered heartbreaking playoff losses last season. Expect the women’s team to come back this year with a vengeance after losing to the eventual CIS champs, the Queen’s University Gaels in the OUA quarter-finals. The men lost the semifinal match to the McMaster Marauders last year before losing the bronze medal to the York Lions.
JANUARY
MBNA Capital Hoops Classic
Sport: Basketball
When: Jan. 23
The men’s and women’s basketball teams will look to defend their Capital Hoops titles Jan. 23 at Scotiabank Place. Rowdy fans and a competitive atmosphere make this game one of the best all year. Both the Ravens and their opponents, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees bring their best game to the floor for Capital Hoops, and the Gee-Gees usually give the Ravens a run for their money.
FEBRUARY
Ravens vs. McGill
Sport: Women’s hockey
When: Feb. 10
In a five-team league like the RSEQ, late-season performance can mean the difference between having a chance at the league final and being the one team left out of the playoffs. Meeting the CIS bronze medalist and perennial RSEQ powerhouse the McGill Martlets in the Ravens’ second-last game of the regular season gives the team a chance to earn some crucial points heading into the playoffs.
MARCH
CIS Final 8 Championship
Sport: Men’s basketball
When: Mar. 8-10
CIS basketball returns to Scotiabank Place in March for the Final 8. Barring any major meltdowns, the men’s basketball team will once again be amongst the top teams in the country, and will have a chance to eclipse the Victoria Vikes for the all-time number of national titles. Winning the 2012-13 CIS championships would mean that the Ravens would have nine national titles in just 11 years.
Given the amount of Carleton supporters who made the trek to the Final 8 in Halifax the last two years, expect Scotiabank place to be packed with Ravens fans for all three games.
