Connor Wood
Men’s basketball
27 votes
Connor Wood was the only returning starter on a squad that was doubted by many. Nevertheless, he and the Ravens men’s basketball team won yet another Canadian Interuniversity Sport Final 8 this season.
He averaged 13.4 points per game this season and was one of the Ontario University Athletics’ (OUA) biggest three point threats, shooting 47.8 per cent from deep.
While his biggest weapon was his shot, Wood was also able to score off the dribble, either pulling up for a quick jumper or finishing at the rim.
While he was the Ravens’ third leading scorer, he was also their leading perimeter defender, leaving his impact on both sides of the court every game.
“He pushed everyone else to get better,” said graduating teammate Gavin Resch. “He worked hard and it showed.”
While the Ravens placed second in the OUA, the team pulled together to win the national title.
Wood won the tournament MVP award, averaging 19 points and five rebounds per game. “He went off at the right time,” Resch said.
Wood hit 14 three-pointers in three games to lead the Ravens to their sixth straight gold.
Next season, Wood and the Ravens will aim for a record-tying seven straight national titles.
“As a fifth-year on the team next year, he needs to be the vocal leader to the other guys,” Resch said. “He will have some different things to focus on.”.”
Heather Lindsay
Women’s basketball
25 votes
Heather Lindsay was the starting centre on the Ravens women’s basketball team this season, leading the team in both points and rebounds.
She averaged a double-double with 15.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, and led the OUA in field goal percentage with 52.9 per cent and in points scored per minute.
This was Lindsay’s third season on the team and her numbers have seen improvement each year.
“She’s a big presence on the floor,” said teammate Stephanie Carr. “We often look to her, whether it be from set plays or in transition, and she gets it done.”
The 6’3’’ forward was the team leader for the entire season. She was also named TSN 1200 athlete of the week on several occasions. Her biggest highlight included a 24-point performance defeating the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 28.
She was a force in the paint for the Ravens, drawing double teams as the go-to weapon on one end and protecting the rim on the other.
“Generally the other teams have a difficult time defending her one-on-one, so that opens up opportunities for others,” Carr said.
On the defensive side, she was the Ravens’ interior presence, finishing second in blocks in the OUA.
The Ravens earned a playoff spot with their strong late-season play, but fell to the Windsor Lancers in the OUA quarter-finals. Lindsay will go into her fourth year as a Raven next season, looking to build on an already monstrous season.
Katelyn Steele
Women’s hockey
23 votes
In another season of rebuilding for the Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team, goaltender Katelyn Steele was the one who often stole the show.
She started 17 of 20 games for the Ravens and posted a save percentage of 0.930 and a goals-against average of 2.74, even though she faced 598 shots, by far the most in the league.
“She leads by example,” Ravens head coach Pierre Alain said. “She works so hard at every aspect of her game, on ice and off ice.”
“Playing like she played this year was great for the team and great for her and now she’s in the top goalies in the country,” he said.
Of the four wins she recorded during the season, two of them were shutouts.
The most significant win was on Nov. 13 when Steele stopped all 35 shots she faced to secure a historic 1-0 victory over the visiting McGill Martlets.
The win was the first home ice victory over McGill in the history of Carleton’s women’s hockey.
Steele also helped the women’s hockey team end the season with their first win streak.
Steele’s stellar contributions were also evidenced by the Ravens’ defensive improvements this season. After surrendering 96 goals in 20 games last season, the Ravens only allowed 65 goals against in the same amount of games this year.
She will be a key member of a rebuilding women’s hockey team looking to improve for the 2016-17 season.
Rodrigo Rojas
Men’s water polo
89 votes
Rodrigo Rojas was a major contributor on the Ravens men’s water polo team en route to winning gold at the OUA championship this season.
Rojas scored two goals in regulation as well as two in the shootout to earn the victory over the University of Toronto in the championship game.
“He’s a very intelligent water polo player, he really knows a lot about the game,” teammate Austin Stanton said.
“He’s really excellent at helping communicate in the pool and he’s certainly in the pool and out of the pool, one of the leaders on the team.”
Stanton cited Rojas’ ability to score goals as a factor that makes him one of the most talented players on the team.
“He’s always able to put the ball in the net, he is always able to step up in a game, maybe it’s a little bit low scoring, and we can always count on Rodrigo for three or four goals,” he said.
In his spare time, Rojas coaches water polo at the Capital Wave water polo club.
He previously gained water polo experience on the national stage when he competed at the Four Nations tournament with the Peruvian national team.
At the conclusion of this season, Rojas was recognized for his endeavours when he was named the OUA MVP as well as a member of the all-star team. Rojas was also the leader in votes for the Readers’ Choice awards, finishing with 89 votes, 42 ahead of the second place Megan Evans.
Megan Evans
Nordic skiing
47 votes
Megan Evans made a triumphant return to the Carleton Ravens women’s nordic ski team after missing last season with an injury.
Evans had strong finishes in several events, including two silver medals in both the 7.5-km interval free and the 10-km mass start events at the OUA Nordic Skiing Championship.
Then in the Canadian Championships, she and her partner Emily Jones won bronze in the team sprints. Evans also won silver in the 5-km interval start classic race with a time of 34:47.3.
“[She] improved steadily over the season, blowing away some members of the team that were more established on the team,” said teammate Graham Perry. “Other than her results, she’s always at practice, Meg really utilized the Carleton program to jump right back to where she was when she stopped, which was inspiring to say the least.”
Graham said he couldn’t believe what she accomplished.
“I was personally shocked and super proud of her because she came a long way,” he said.
Perry also noted that the only player to consistently come ahead of Evans was Lakehead’s Alysson Marshall, a competitor with experience at World Cup events.
Evans was named to the OUA all-star team at the conclusion of the event, and was also recognized within the Carleton athletic community as the Female Athlete of the Year.
