Building a successful athletic program can be an incredibly difficult task for any university.
Before an on-field or on-ice product can be delivered, attention must be given to funding, infrastructure, and a wide assortment of other issues that can plague athletic projects right out of the gate.
This predicament underscores the return of both the men’s hockey and football programs at Carleton.
The re-launch of Carleton’s men’s hockey program took place in the fall of 2007, following a hiatus of nearly 40 years. Football returned for the 2013 season after last being played in 1998.
Still in its infancy, the men’s hockey program already has a number of feathers in its proverbial cap: former players participating in semi-professional leagues around the world, a state-of-the-art hockey facility on campus, a coach of the year award, and most notably an appearance at the University Cup last season—the national championship tournament.
Although the hockey team lost both of its games at the national championship at the end of last season, their journey to reach that point has been nothing short of impressive.
Traditionally touted as a men’s basketball powerhouse on the strength of 10 national championships in the past 12 seasons, Carleton is proving that it is more than just basketball.
In building a new program, Ravens football head coach Steve Sumarah emphasized the importance of emulating the steps that the hockey program has taken in recruiting dedicated, character guys.
“The biggest thing that we want is good student-athletes,” Sumarah said.
“[We want] guys that are going to be committed . . . and not just play on a team, but be part of a program,” he said.
Sumarah stressed that this type of program is essential in establishing a solid foundation from which a successful, winning program can ultimately emerge and blossom.
Rightfully so, much of the success of the men’s hockey program at Carleton has been accredited to its leader and head coach, Marty Johnston, who has been with the program since the beginning.
A former Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) athlete himself, Johnston understands what it takes to develop a successful university athletic program, from recruiting, to coaching, to on-ice production.
“The guys that came in brought good players with them and you can’t recruit without good, quality kids already in your program,” Johnston said.
The team has done just that since its inaugural berth at the University Cup last season, recruiting talent from a number of leagues across the country in order to deliver a well-rounded, competitive team for the upcoming season and beyond.
In many ways, this active recruitment process not only speaks to the Ravens’ position as an emerging contender in the CIS, but also to the quality of competition that has begun to characterize the league as a whole.
“It’s continued to be the best-kept secret in terms of level of play,” Johnston noted. “We hope that as more people know about it more people are going to come to the rink and watch these guys play because it’s certainly a very fast and high-end product.”
Anyone that has basked in the hard-hitting atmosphere of a game played at the Ice House can attest to its tremendous quality, and affirm Johnston’s claim that the CIS is truly ‘the best-kept secret’ in Canadian competitive hockey.
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