The annual crosstown rivalry game between the Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team and the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees was underscored by high tensions and high stakes.
The two teams were vying for the Alerts Cup at the Ice House and it was uOttawa who eventually hoisted the cup after posting a 4-1 win over Carleton.
Named after the Ottawa Alerts, a pioneering competitive women’s hockey club in the early twentieth century, the cup was first conceived as a championship trophy for women’s hockey leagues in Ottawa. However, last year the commemorative title was revived and is now presented annually to the victor between uOttawa and Carleton.
The Ravens triumphed in last season’s contest with a 5-2 win, however they could not stave off a vengeful uOttawa team this year, and relinquished the trophy.
Led by a hat-trick from first-year forward Alice Fillion, the first of her U Sports career, the Gee-Gees grasped their first win of the season, leaving Carleton the only winless team in the division.
After the game, Ravens’ head coach Pierre Alain diagnosed their early struggles as a symptom of inconsistency.
We haven’t played sixty minutes yet,” Alain said, addressing the Alerts Cup as a premier example. “I don’t think we set the tone today, we were catching up. The effort was there but it was not enough.”
A shaky start stifled the Ravens early, as within the first 30-seconds they found themselves short-handed. On the ensuing power-play, Fillion stationed herself in front of Carleton starter Alexandra Lehmann and tapped an awry puck five-hole on the second shot of the game.
More penalties plagued each side for the remainder of the period, as Carleton was booked for two more infractions. The Gee-Gees also caved twice to penalties in the first frame, as both teams played fierce, spirited hockey in pursuit of the cup, but it was uOttawa who held a 1-0 lead at the first buzzer.
Three minutes into the start of the second, uOttawa doubled their lead through rookie Jade Todd, scoring her first career U Sports goal.
Planting herself alone in the high slot, Todd capitalized on a gorgeous centering feed from Sophie Gareau behind the net and beamed a snapshot into the net, making it 2-0.
Their power-play proved especially effective, with forward Claire Merrick repeatedly controlling the play, circling the hash marks and dishing the puck off to teammates over and over trying to generate scoring opportunities.
On their second power-play of the period however, Merrick disrupted the pattern and launched a shot herself from the top of the faceoff circle, lofting the puck past a screened Aurélie Dubuc’s left shoulder and shaving the deficit. But the goal was no fluke, as Merrick explained after the game
“It’s a play that we’ve been working on for the whole season. Basically, I just come off the wall, I have a habit of passing but I’ve been told that I should try more shots so I shot the puck… it’s a set play.”
Fueled by the goal, Carleton remained dominant on the ice and they were gifted with two more power-plays in the period and refused to relent their attack, outshooting the Gee-Gees by 15 in the frame. Dubuc stayed sharp however, stranding the Ravens in the 2-1 deficit for the third period.
It was a heated final 20 minutes that was ultimately decided by Fillion’s second marker of the night. In a fashion similar to her first goal, Fillion slapped home a lingering rebound to secure the late 3-1 lead for the Gee-Gees.
To quell any last hopes for the Ravens, Fillion scored an empty netter where her teammate Ariane Aubin unselfishly passed the puck on a breakaway so Fillion could complete her hat-trick.
Despite being outshot by Carleton 23-21, the Gee-Gees won the game 4-1 and captured the Alerts Cup.
Unfazed by the lost trophy and still seeking that pivotal first win, Alain is urging simplicity and consistency from the team when the Ravens play against McGill next weekend.
“We need to create something in the offensive zone when we bring the puck over,” he said. We need finish with at least a shot and go for rebounds, we need to make simple plays… and then play 60 minutes.”
Next, the Ravens will travel to Montreal to take on McGill University on Nov. 10.
Feature image by Spencer Colby.
