For the fourth year in a row, the Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team fell to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Alerts Cup, losing in a tight 4-1 game at TD Place Arena on Nov. 30.
The Ravens, who have not won the annual game since its inception in 2018, dropped to a 4-11 record on the season with the loss to rival uOttawa.
The Gee-Gees extended their win streak to three games and are 9-6 on the season, sitting in second in the OUA Eastern Conference.
The Gee-Gees wasted no time getting on the board with a goal in tight by forward Alyssa Biesenthal, who cleaned up her own rebound just 52 seconds into the game.
A quick start for the @uOttawaGeeGees as Alyssa Biesenthal gets them on the board early. 🏒
💻 https://t.co/lu2qzr1zMs#MarqueeMatchup | #OTTvsCAR pic.twitter.com/uHlt1dF2vc
— Ontario University Athletics (@OUAsport) November 30, 2024
The Ravens came into the Rivalry Series matchup with a chip on their shoulder after falling 7-1 to the Gee-Gees on Nov. 28 in the first game of a double-header weekend between the two clubs. Conceding a goal less than a minute into the game was not encouraging for Carleton.
The Gee-Gees dominated the first period, holding the majority of possession and putting up 21 shots against Carleton goaltender Kaitlyn Langille.
“I definitely prefer when there’s a lot of action, because that makes it a lot more fun for both teams,” Gee-Gees goaltender Mireille Kingsley said.
The Ravens showcased a strong penalty kill to hold off two Gee-Gees power plays in the first frame.
In almost identical fashion to the first, uOttawa doubled its lead with another early goal 43 seconds into the second period, thanks to forward Arianne Gagnon and her team-leading 10th tally on the season.
The Ravens had multiple dangerous rush chances in the second, including a race to the puck in the Gee-Gees zone between Ravens forward Sydney Berta and goaltender Kingsley rushing from her crease. Kingsley scrambled back to her net just in time to stop Berta’s wrap-around chance.
A few minutes later, thanks to a skilled drop pass by Shae Laprade to Olwen Jones on a 2-on-1, Carleton got on the board to cut the Gee-Gees’ lead in half.
“She’s a first-year goalie seeing more ice than she’s ever seen,” said Ravens head coach Stacey Colarossi. “First year at this level, she did settle in and she was keeping things in front of her, which was great.
“You won’t outcompete that kid. She’s a youngster that really gives her heart and soul.”
“We really bounced back on this one,” Ravens captain Justina Beard said. “I think we regrouped really well this week.
“Really proud of the group today.”
But the Ravens found themselves shorthanded three times in the first half of the final period and struggled to generate a consistent stream of offensive opportunities.
As a result, the Gee-Gees secured the win with a couple of empty net goals from Béatrice Bilodeau and Biesenthal.
“It’s a really good learning game for us,” Beard said. “There was a lot of positives in the game as well, so we’re gonna take the positives and go up from there.”
Colarossi said playing in a high-stakes game like the Alerts Cup was something her young group won’t soon forget.
“For these players to play under the lens that’s out there tonight is a great experience for them, Colarossi said. “Something they’ll take home forever.”
The Ravens will be back in action in 2025, taking on the Montreal Carabins on Jan. 3 to start the back half of their season.
“You can’t play your best every game, but you can work your hardest,” said Ravens forward Hayden Serniuk. “As long as your teammates around you are doing their best, you can trust them and know [we] will be able to succeed in some way or another.”
Featured photo by Owen Spillios-Hunter/the Charlatan
