Now that all of the 2018-19 Carleton sports seasons have finished up, the Charlatan is running its annual Readers’ Choice awards. Readers will be able to vote for their top Ravens head coach this season. Online voting will be open until April 2 at charlatan.ca.
Dave Smart
Men’s basketball
Following another undefeated season, Smart led the Ravens to another Ontario University Athletics (OUA) title, as well as their 14th U Sports national championship in 17 years after a dominating 83-49 win over the University of Calgary Dinos in the U Sports gold medal game.
The former men’s basketball coach also helped the Ravens to exhibition wins against Division I NCAA basketball teams such as the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Ole Miss Rebels—both of whom qualified for this year’s March Madness tournament.
Smart recently announced he will be stepping down as the men’s basketball head coach and will become the Ravens’ director of basketball operations. He leaves the team with an impressive overall win-loss record of 591-48.
Patrick Thompson
Women’s rugby
Thompson wrapped up his third season by leading the women’s rugby team to a program best regular season record of 5-2, and the team’s first playoff appearance in school history.
Although their season came to an end against the Laval Rouge et Or in the RSEQ semifinals, the team’s regular season success allowed Thompson to win the Jim Atkinson Award for U Sports Coach of the Year.
Thompson coached a team which also consisted of three future RSEQ all-stars this season in winger Maya Addai, lock Charlotte Elliott, and scrum-half Roberta Drummond.
Tom Sinclair
Men’s curling
Sinclair helped propel the men’s curling team to its first OUA Championship and its first national title in program history this season after a convincing 10-4 performance against Memorial University Sea-Hawks in the U Sports gold medal game.
Since the team was revived back in 2011-12 after a 40-year absence, Sinclair has coached the Ravens to three national championship appearances.
Kwesi Loney
Men’s soccer
Kwesi Loney was at it again this season as he captured this year’s OUA East Division Coach of the Year after coaching the men’s soccer team to an impressive 14-1-1 regular season record and a bronze medal win at the U Sports nationals. The squad finished in a tie with the Ryerson University Rams for first place overall in the OUA.
Loney has also worked off the field to build up the Junior Ravens soccer program and is regarded as one of the best coaches in Canadian university men’s soccer.
Shaun Van Allen
Men’s hockey
After losing key veteran players due to roster turnover last season, the Ravens men’s hockey team refused to skip a beat during head coach Shaun Van Allen’s second year on the job.
Van Allen led the Ravens to capture the OUA bronze medal after a 3-0 shutout against the Western University Mustangs, and qualified for the University Cup before being ousted by the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Varsity Reds in the quarterfinals.
The men’s hockey team finished second in the OUA East standings behind the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, and finished fourth in the OUA for goal per game (3.50) and goal against per game (2.52)
