For the fourth time this season, uOttawa Gee-Gees star goaltender Franky Lapenna held the Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team to just one goal. This time, it guided the Gee-Gees to victory in the 2024 Colonel By Classic Feb. 8 at TD Place.
“[Lapenna is] kind of a nightmare for us this season,” Ravens forward Kieran Craig said. “Hate to say it, but he plays in our mind a little bit. You have to make a really nice play to beat him.”
Thursday’s iteration of the annual Colonel By Classic was a far cry from last year’s 15-goal thriller that saw the Ravens topple the Gee-Gees 8-7 in overtime. Despite the modest 3-1 score in favour of uOttawa, the tenacious physicality and grit both teams displayed generated excitement throughout the tilt.
Surprisingly, Ravens goaltender Tye Austin got the starting nod from head coach Shaun Van Allen. Only starting three games himself, Austin has served as Mark Grametbauer’s backup all season.
“Moving ahead we gotta see what Austin can do,” Van Allen said.
It only took the Gee-Gees 44 seconds to open the scoring as forward Max Grondin fired a bullet over Austin’s shoulder.
“It always feels good to get a quick one in at the start of the period,” Grondin said. “It brings the team up.”
Things looked bleak for the Ravens during the first period, as they struggled to maintain puck possession against the forechecking pressure applied by uOttawa.
Austin collected himself between the pipes and provided some relief for Carleton as he stoned Gee-Gees forward Nick Bowman on a dangerous breakaway chance.
“We’re not surprised at all,” Craig said. “We see [Austin] in practice everyday.”
The fierce rivalry soon bubbled over in the form of physicality and chippy play on the ice.
Craig stopped sharply after a whistle, spraying snow in Lapenna’s face after he froze the puck. This sparked an immediate response from Gee-Gees players, as helmets flew off and punches were thrown not even halfway through the first frame.
Frustrated, Craig slammed the penalty box door after getting booked for two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.
UOttawa created another big chance to extend their lead as forward and captain Anthony Poulin flew into the offensive zone on a breakaway, but he was denied by Austin’s outstretched pad as he stretched across his crease.
“During the first [period] we probably didn’t deserve to be in the game, but we were,” Van Allen said. “That’s what happens when your goaltender makes saves.”
Although both teams looked to take control early on, the score remained 1-0 for uOttawa as time crawled past the halfway point of regulation.
The Ravens looked to shift the momentum 12 minutes into the second when forward Nick McCarry redirected defenseman Nolan Seed’s delivery from the point, evening the score at one.
But the Gee-Gees didn’t let their rivals make any traction without resistance.
Just after the tying goal, several players from both teams engaged in a post-whistle brawl. Grondin and Carleton forward Reese Belton exchanged blows and both served time in the penalty box for fighting.
As the Ravens tightened up their defensive play, they drew a high sticking penalty from uOttawa blueliner Peter Stratis, giving Carleton their first power play opportunity with just over five minutes remaining in the period.
Gee-Gees forward Mathieu Desgagnés soon forced a turnover in the Ravens’ defensive end and struck on the opportunity to put uOttawa up 2-1.
The pressure continued as Carleton’s Parker Aucoin received a slashing penalty with 30 seconds to go in the second and the Gee-Gees carried the man advantage into the third frame.
UOttawa’s power play was unable to materialize in the opening minutes of the third and soon found themselves on the penalty kill after Grondin boarded Carleton’s Craig in a manifestation of the growing feud between the two players during the game.
The Ravens deployed a high-flying offensive strategy which generated plenty of quick chances, but Lapenna stood his ground.
“Franky saved us at the end there,” Grandmaître said.
With five minutes remaining, an odd sequence ensued during a Carleton offensive drive where McCarry bumped Lapenna’s pad while skating across the blue paint, knocking it loose. Lapenna dropped to the ice to entice a whistle from the referee while uOttawa defenseman Vincent Maisonneuve cross-checked McCarry to the ice. McCarry was booked for goalie interference and Maisonneuve for roughing.
The dying minutes of the game featured goaltending excellence from both sides.
Austin saved yet another breakaway opportunity with two minutes to go to keep his team alive and Lapenna responded by denying Aucoin at the other end of the ice with only a minute and a half remaining.
It took Van Allen pulling Austin for an extra attacker for the Gee-Gees to finally score the insurance marker, as uOttawa captain Poulin forced a turnover in the Ravens’ zone and buried the puck into the yawning cage.
“We love winning in front of our fans,” Grondin said.
The Ravens will hit the ice for their season finale Feb. 10 against the McGill Redbirds at the Carleton Ice House at 7 p.m.
Featured image by Anya Swettenham/The Charlatan.
