In an handily-won game at the Ice House Jan. 28, the McGill Martlets wasted no time in showing why they are in a class of their own atop the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). The Martlets hammered the Ravens 10-0, avenging a Ravens victory on Sunday Jan. 22.
Though Carleton pulled off the upset then, a repeat was not in the cards for the Ravens, whose 10-0 defeat was their worst defeat all season and extended McGill’s already considerable lead atop the RSEQ.
“The momentum of the game was in their favour and they kept it the entire game,” said third-year defender Kelsey Vander Veen. “We couldn’t get anything going against them and they exploited our systems at every turn.”
The Martlets set the pace early in the game, as forward Kim Ton-That opened the scoring four minutes into the first period. That sparked the ensuing onslaught of offence. Powered by a four-goal game by forward Katia Clement-Heydra and a five-assist effort by forward Melodie Daoust, the Martlets got on the scoresheet early and often.
Ravens second-year goaltender Tamber Tisdale, who had been riding a hot streak to enter the match, was pulled after a 12-save first period, which saw the Ravens escape with a four-goal deficit.
Second-year goaltender Eri Kiribuchi came in to relieve Tisdale and allowed six goals in 34 shots over the final two periods.
Offensively, it was slim pickings for the Ravens, who couldn’t seem to build off the home-ice advantage. They were able to muster just 20 shots, most of which were either taken from the perimeter or were easily stopped by McGill goaltender Charline Labonte. Despite this, Ravens head coach Shelley Coolidge remained optimistic.
“It’s key, I think, to take lessons out of a game like that when they’re provided to you, and make sure that you’re just prepared to play the next game,” she said. “The great thing about sports is that it provides you with a unique opportunity to just move forward and not worry about what’s behind.”
The Ravens suffered a scare in the second period, as Vander Veen hit the end boards awkwardly and needed help to get off the ice. She didn’t return to the ice for the third period, but was able to lace up for the team’s second match of the weekend.
“It was hard to watch my team lose like we did, but it was already 6-0 when I left the game so there was no point in risking further injury to myself,” said Vander Veen. “Not finishing the game was just a precautionary measure since the score was already so high.”
On Jan. 29, the Ravens couldn’t turn away a surge by the Université de Montréal (UdeM) Carabins, dropping the contest by a score of 6-2. Tisdale stopped 51 of 55 shots until she was pulled after UdeM scored their fourth goal of the game. Kiribuchi turned aside all six shots she saw in her relieving role.
“You know, you’ve gotta feel bad for the goalies in the situation they faced this weekend,” said Vander Veen. “They faced over 100 shots and they did the best they could under the circumstances. We weren’t supporting them and they made some stellar saves.”
“Our goalies have been stopping the pucks they should and even some of the ones that they shouldn’t,” added Coolidge. “The goalies are giving us a chance to compete.”
Carleton received goals from Vander Veen and fourth-year forward Kristen MacDonald, while UdeM got a hat trick from forward Ariane Barker. Forwards Kim Deschenes, Caroline Martin-Guay and Jessica Gagne also chipped in with a goal apiece.
“We need to recapture the flame we had against McGill when we won. We were in top form that night and there’s no reason we can’t play like that every game,” said Vander Veen.
Carleton will look to bounce back from the weekend’s two setbacks when they face the Concordia Stingers at the Ice House Feb. 4.
