Most teams would be down on themselves after giving up three unanswered goals in the third period en route to a heartbreaking collapse. Carleton Ravens women’s head coach Pierre Alain, however, was optimistic after his team’s 4-2 loss against the McGill Martlets on Saturday afternoon.
“[McGill] have beaten us 7-0 and 6-2 earlier this season,” said the first-year head coach. “We can tell that we are improving—but you can also tell that skills-wise, we aren’t quite at the same level.”
The Ravens have been outshot 150-34 in three games against McGill this season.
Carleton got on the board early, stunning the visiting Martlets just under four minutes in. Sidney Weiss’ team-leading third of the season gave the Ravens a surprise one-zip lead, with Robyn Belland and Kaylie Welk picking up the assists.
Carleton played quite well with McGill through the first intermission, but the wheels began to fall off for the Ravens in the second period, as the Martlets outshot them 24-4. While Ravens goalie Katelyn Steele gave it everything to try and preserve the lead, McGill tied things up just past the halfway mark of the second, as Elizabeth Hillier potted Leslie Oles’ rebound.
Incredibly, the Ravens regained the lead just under two minutes later on one of their four shots in the period. Streaking in on a breakaway, Kaylie Welk beat McGill goaltender Taylor Hough with a well-placed shot and—completely against the run of play—regained the lead for Carleton.
After 40 minutes, Carleton clung to a 2-1 lead despite having been outshot 33-9 by the Martlets.
The Ravens managed just three shots in the final frame, while McGill pounded the Carleton net for seventeen—three of which beat Steele.
Stefanie Pohlod tied things up for the Martlets at the tail-end of a powerplay before Leslie Oles popped home the eventual game-winner at the 12:02 mark. Jordan McDonell sealed the win for the Martlets less than three minutes later.
“I’m really proud of how we battled this afternoon,” Alain said. “It’s all about the fundamentals and skills, and we’re improving—we’re still in the mix for the playoffs, and we’ve got some crucial games coming up.”
Despite the loss, things are could be trending up for the Ravens. Goaltender Katelyn Steele and leading goalscorer Sidney Weiss are both freshmen, and Alain brings a wealth of national-level coaching experience behind the bench.
With a home-and-home against the University of Ottawa slated for this coming weekend, Alain’s team will have an opportunity to showcase just how much they have improved against a team that perhaps isn’t as much of a powerhouse as McGill. The four points up for grabs on the weekend will go a long way toward determining whether or not Carleton will be able to claw their way back into the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) playoff picture.
