After a full year of accomplishments in Carleton sports it’s hard to pick out the best. But after careful analyzing, here are the top 10 moments of the 2015-16 sports season at Carleton in no particular order.
Football
In only their second year back, the football team had a lot to celebrate. The team finished the season with a 5-3 record and made the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. They also recorded Carleton’s first playoff victory in 29 years, beating the Queen’s University Gaels in the quarter-finals.
The highlight of the season, however, was the Ravens’ back-to-back Panda Game wins against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. A record-breaking 17,000 fans turned up at TD Place to watch the Ravens pull off a 48-45 victory in double overtime.
For the second year in a row, Carleton fans stormed the field to celebrate their team’s victory, in what is quickly reclaiming its place as the most exciting rivalry match in Canadian university football.
Women’s basketball
A standout moment for the women’s basketball team was their 73-50 win over the Gee-Gees at Capital Hoops earlier this year.
After losing a close game to their crosstown rivals earlier in the year, the Ravens came to the Canadian Tire Centre ready to avenge the loss. A strong performance in the opening halves of the game saw the Ravens head into halftime with a commanding 43-16 lead.
With the win, the Ravens handed the Gee-Gees their second loss of the season, who went into the game ranked eighth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) rankings. The win also marked the first Capital Hoops victory for the team since 2013.
Women’s Nordic skiing
At the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships in February, the women’s Nordic ski team unseated the reigning OUA champions from Lakehead University.
The win ended Lakehead’s 11-year stranglehold on the title, and was Carleton’s first women’s Nordic ski banner since 2004. It was also the ninth OUA banner in Carleton’s history.
Carleton’s Megan Evans picked up two silver medals at the event, while her teammate Emilie Stewart-Jones took home a bronze.
At the event, five skiers from Carleton were also named OUA All-Stars.
Men’s basketball
If there was ever a year where the strength of the men’s basketball team was in question, it would be this year. Heading into the season, the Ravens had a new head coach, as well as only one returning starting player from last year.
However, the team soon silenced the doubters, starting the season strong with a seven game win streak. They would finish with an overall record of 16-3.
The highlight of the season was the Ravens’ sixth straight CIS championship, their 12th in the last 14 years.
The Ravens put on a dominating performance in the final, beating the Calgary Dinos by a score of 101-79. Offensively and defensively the team kept the Dinos at bay, showing why they are more than worthy of carrying the title of a dynasty.
Women’s hockey
The team’s best moment came at the end of the season, with a 4-3 shootout victory in their last game of the season against the Gee-Gees.
After a hard fought game that ended in a 3-3 tie, the Ravens came out on top after going 14 rounds in a shootout.
The win marked the Ravens’ first win streak in three seasons, and led them to an overall record of 5-15, their best in three seasons.
Despite missing out on playoffs, the team finished the season with high hopes for next year, after a game that showcased the growth the team had undergone over the course of the season.
Men’s water polo
When it comes to men’s water polo, it’s fair to say that Carleton has developed an impressive rivalry with the University of Toronto.
This rivalry came to a head yet again in this year’s Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship match, where the men’s team played one of its best matches of the season.
Down 7-5 late in the third period, the team fought its way back, scoring the equalizer with less than two minutes left in regulation time.
The game ended up going to a shootout, where Carleton would go on to win the game by a score of 10-9. The win marked Carleton’s third OUA banner in the last five years.
Baseball
After finishing the regular season with a record of 8-8, the baseball team wasn’t expected to make an appearance at the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association Nationals, especially after being matched up with the Concordia Stingers in the semifinals.
However, in what would be a defining moment of their season, the Ravens went on to win the series 3-2, securing a spot at their fourth national championship in five years.
The team would return from nationals with a bronze medal, losing to the eventual champions from McGill in the semifinals.
Men’s hockey
After picking up an OUA bronze medal with a 4-1 win over the Guelph Gryphons, the men’s hockey team headed off to the CIS nationals for the second time in three years.
Their first game of the University Cup versus the number two seeded University of Saskatchewan Huskies was one for the record books.
After tying the score at 2-2 in the second period, the game remained scoreless for 80 minutes. The Ravens remained strong through four periods of overtime before the Huskies scored the winning goal.
Lasting five hours and eight minutes, the game went down as the longest in University Cup history. Despite the loss, the team should be commended for playing a solid season of hockey and for achieving results that the team will look to build on next season.
Women’s soccer
It may seem odd to say that the highlight of the women’s soccer team’s season was a loss to the Gee-Gees, but not when referring to what was a thrilling match-up between rivals.
Down to just 10 players in the semifinals of the OUA East division, the Ravens dug deep and put on a season best performance.
After trailing the Gee-Gee’s 2-0 at half-time, the Ravens clawed their way back to a 2-2 tie. A late equalizer by the Ravens then cemented the score at 3-3, forcing the game to go to extra-time.
Despite the loss, the Ravens showed an incredible amount of heart. When the crosstown rivals meet up again in the 2016-17 season, the Ravens will definitely be carrying the memory of this game with them.
Swimming
The Carleton swim team has been training hard all season, and saw their hard work rewarded at the OUA championships.
Nine swimmers competed for the Ravens at OUAs this year, compared to just one in the previous year. A number of swimmers recorded personal bests at the meet, with several breaking team records.
With a record breaking 50-metre freestyle swim, Thomas Leung qualified for CIS nationals, the first swimmer from Carleton to do so in 10 years. Leung also qualified for the 50-metre freestyle at the Olympic Trials in Toronto in April.
