Members of the Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team are returning back to Canada with a bronze medal and a wealth of memories after competing in the 2017 Winter Universiade.
Ravens forwards Corey Durocher, Michael McNamee, Ryan Van Stralen, and Brett Welychka, along with Ravens head coach Marty Johnston, traveled to Almaty, Kazakhstan in January to represent Team Canada at the international level.
According to Durocher, the experience was similar to that of being famous.
“The overall experience was great. From the time we got to Almaty to the time we left, we were like celebrities,” he said. “People were asking for pictures and autographs.”
The Ravens were part of a team that is known for producing quality results. Team Canada captured their 15th medal in 16 International University Sports Federation (FISU) appearances. This time around, they earned the bronze medal in a 4-3 win over the Czech Republic following a 4-1 loss to Russia in the semi-finals.
According to the U SPORTS website, Canada has amassed four FISU titles, three silver medals and eight third-place finishes since its first appearance in 1968.
Despite the third-place finish, McNamee said he is proud of the way his team performed, and is honoured to have been a part of the team in the first place.
“[The] experience is really tough to put into words. It’s something that not many people get to experience,” he said. “Being able to represent your country playing the sport you love is something all athletes aspire to do. I’m just really glad and proud that I had the opportunity to do what we did and come out having represented Canada well.”
In the bronze-medal game, Canada led the game 3-1 after the first period, 4-3 after two, then hung on for the win in the third period. McNamee lead the Ravens with two assists in the final game, while Welychka tallied a goal, and Van Stralen added an assist.
According to McNamee, the support he received from the people back home made the experience much greater.
“I was blown away with the support we received from family, friends and fellow countrymen back home,” McNamee said. “Hundreds of emails and videos were received wishing us luck and having that support behind you really means a lot. You realize that you’re all one country playing together.”
– Photo provided by almaty2017.com
