The University of Ottawa (U of O) Gee-Gees and Carleton Ravens are set to take each other on in the quarterfinals of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s hockey playoffs.
The Gee-Gees and Ravens have had opposite seasons going into their first round matchup in the OUA East. The Ravens came into the season under new direction; following the departure of head coach Marty Johnson to the Manitoba Moose.
Expectations were kept low for new coach Shaun Van Allen, who had to navigate nine new players going into the season, and lost several key players such as first line center Michael McNamee. Despite the losses, Van Allen was able to guide his team to a fast start of the season, ending at the halfway point with a record of 10-4-2.
The Gee-Gees on the other hand, came into the season expecting to take a step forward after missing the playoffs the year before. Riding a hot preseason including a trip to the U.S. to take on strong National Collegiate Athletic Association schools such as Penn State, the Gee-Gees struggled to start, but with a 8-1-1 finish to the season were able to make the playoffs on a hot streak.
Against the Ravens, the Gee-Gees have also struggled. The series record is 3-1 in favour of Carleton, who have outscored their rivals 20-13. The lone Ravens loss was in the 2017 Colonel By Classic, the marquee game of both program’s regular seasons.
The Ravens’ strengths this season has been the scoring depth. Five players have had over 20 points on the season, allowing the Ravens to juggle lines and play different combinations based on what the opposition will throw at them. Carleton can match up to a speedy game down the wings just as easily as they can match up with a heavy crashing forecheck.
The Ravens also rely on a crop of mobile, puck moving defencemen to quarterback play forward and try to catch opponents either with quick passes or getting rebounds for forwards to sweep up. Josh Burnside is a prime example of Van Allen’s system working, as he is the team leader in assists on the season despite being a defenseman.
Jared Steege will be an important factor for the Ravens in this series, as the first-year has been the team’s lethal scorer, putting up 16 goals this season.
Where the Ravens will have to be careful is in the penalty box. Carleton has had trouble throughout the season with penalties, taking a total of 478 penalty minutes, fourth highest in the OUA. The U of O will be looking to capitalize on the man advantage as they are 20 per cent on the power play.
Carleton will be relying on their goaltender and defensive system to keep the Gee-Gees to the outside and limit any strong scoring chances. The U of O team has put up 1,074 shots this season, enough for second in the OUA, and almost 200 more shots than Carleton.
The last time these two cross-town rivals met was in early December where the Ravens were able to put up six goals in the first period and finish the game with a 7-2 win. However, the game saw emotions flare with both teams combining for 46 penalty minutes.
“There’s gonna be an emotional component to playing UOttawa for sure,” Van Allen “They’re a real tough team, we’re going to have to be really good to beat them.”
The Gee-Gees are coming in hot, riding a five-game winning streak. Despite finishing fifth, the Gee-Gees should not be considered underdogs, as just two points separate the teams in the standings. The Gee-Gees are led in scoring by Kevin Domingue who is third in the OUA for goals with 19 this season.
Hoping to settle once again who the best team in the city is, the series begins on Feb. 14 at the Ice House at Carleton, followed by a game on Feb. 16 at the Minto Sports complex and if need be a third game on Feb. 18, at the Ice House.
