Carleton’s hockey teams showed last year just how comfortable they are in the varsity circuit. As they gear up for the 2009-2010 season, women’s varsity coach Shelley Coolidge and men’s counterpart Fred Parker say experience will play
a big part in their run for the top spot this year.
 
Coolidge is a new addition to the women’s Ravens, as she just left a six-year stint with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees to replace Jean-Francois Messier at Carleton. But she’s not the only new addition. She mentioned rookie defenseman Erin Beaver and Sidney MacDonald are joining her this year.
 
“[Beaver] is a real prominent young Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) athlete who will bring a lot to the table,” Coolidge said. “[MacDonald] practices and competes at a level of intensity that is going to help bring up practice intensity another level.”
 
Coolidge said the Ravens may have an edge on the cross-town rivalry because of the return of veteran goaltender Valerie Charbonneau. It all comes down to training though, and Coolidge has enlisted a strict routine including off-ice and diet training.
 
“I want you to play in the 60th minute like you played in the first minute,” Coolidge said of her squad.
 
The men’s Ravens know all about the 60th minute, having their season decided twice by overtime last year. The team is just entering their third varsity year, but they made it all the way to Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarter-finals last year where they lost in overtime to Université du Quebec á Trois-Rivières.
 
Head coach Fred Parker is looking forward to having a few veteran players along for the ride this year.
 
“This will obviously be the first time we have guys in our program in their third year,” Parker said. “They know the league, they know how it works.”
 
The team is also picking up experienced players from other leagues, such as Stephen Blunden from the Ottawa 67s, Mike Berg, a leading scorer in the Central Junior Hockey League, and Joey Manley who is transferring from a D1 scholarship in the United States.
 
Besides another serious run at the finals this year, Parker said the strategy remains the same.
 
“We’ll assess our team as we make it through the season, see what strengths and weaknesses there are and try to make it so we are all on the same page by the time playoffs start,” Parker said. “We’re trying to get the building filled every game for that added advantage over the rest of the teams in the OUA.”