The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team was eliminated from the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs following back to back losses against the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes in game two and three of the best of three series on Feb. 18 and 19.
In game two, the Patriotes stormed out to 3-0 lead on home ice and never looked back, as they defeated the Ravens by a score of 4-2.
UQTR forward Guillaume Asselin led the charge, scoring twice in the first period.
Six minutes into the second period, UQTR forward Marc-Olivier Mimar added another goal for the Patriotes on the power play.
Just under three minutes into the third period, Carleton forward Hayden Hulton found the back of the net to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Eight minutes later, Carleton forward Ryan Van Stralen took a pass from goaltender François Brassard and found Brent Norris, who scored to cut the UQTR lead in half.
But Carleton’s comeback was cut short when UQTR forward Carl-Antoine Delisle put the puck into an empty Carleton net with just under a minute to play to ensure a return to the Ice House for game three.
“[In game two], we didn’t come out with the urgency we needed to and we gave them hope,” said Ravens head coach Marty Johnston.
At the start of game three, Johnston said he felt the team had a quick start—something they lacked earlier in the series.
“We had a real good first period, something we hadn’t had in the first two games,” he said.
Five minutes into the game, UQTR goalie Sebastien Auger made a save following a scramble in front of him to keep the game scoreless.
Six minutes later, after a face-off, Ravens forward Michael McNamee fed Alexandre Boivin, who found Josh Burnside, and he fired the puck into the net for the games’ first goal.
Soon after the goal, Carleton defenseman Jason Seed took a penalty for tripping and sent UQTR to the power play, but Carleton managed to kill off the full two minutes.
“I thought our penalty kill was real good, obviously their penalty kill stymied our power play and then that first goal was a bit unlucky, us tipping the puck into the net changing the momentum in the second,” Johnston said.
Shortly into the second period, UQTR defenceman Jeremy Ouellette-Beaudry wired a shot from the point that tipped off a Carleton player and past Brassard to tie the game at one.
With nine minutes left to go in the period, after the Patriotes found a rebound in the Carleton zone, UQTR defenceman Charles-David Beaudoin converted to put UQTR up 2-1.
Carleton tied the game with two and a half minutes left in the period when McNamee scored on his own rebound after a tic-tac-toe play with Boivin and Brett Welychka.
Two minutes into the third period, Asselin put the puck past a screened Brassard for what would stand as the game winning goal.
Carleton tried desperately to tie the game up—firing 13 shots at the UQTR goal and pulling Brassard with a minute left in the game, but ultimately came up short.
“[In the third], not going to fault the effort of our guys, I thought we had numerous chances to score and we didn’t come out on top,” Johnston said.
This is the sixth time in seven years that Carleton has been defeated by the Patriotes in the OUA playoffs.
“Anything can happen in a winner-take-all game,” Johnston said. “I’m not going to fault our guys, I think they gave everything they had and it’s just a tough pill to swallow.”
– Photo by Dan Robertson
