The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team took one of two games Feb. 8-9, defeating the Nipissing University Lakers 4-3 on Friday night, but followed that up with a 5-2 loss against the Ryerson University Rams.
Despite missing five regulars from the lineup, the Ravens still had enough to pick up the win Feb. 8 against the Lakers.
Ravens starting goaltender Ryan Dube stood tall for the Ravens in the win, coming up big when he was needed.
“We got some big saves from Dube. Although we outshot them, I thought that he certainly took away their scoring chances, especially early on,” Ravens head coach Marty Johnston said.
Nipissing struck first, but Matt Stanisz responded with his first of three goals on the night, streaking down the left side and sliding the puck past the Lakers goalie.
Nick Duhn put the Ravens up one, while sitting on his backside just outside the crease, he slid the puck between the Lakers goalie.
The Lakers tied things up heading into the third period, but Stanisz was able to restore the lead, this time for good. Nipissing added one late, but it was too little too late.
Before Saturday afternoon’s game, the Ravens honoured the players that will be graduating at the end of the school year.
One of these players is Joey Manley, who will be finishing his fifth year as a communications student.
“I’ve tried to be a leader out there and stay positive and help guys out with little things here and there,” Manley said, who totalled 24 points this season. “I also try to produce offensively, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job.”
The Ravens fell behind early in the game against the Rams when Connor Barrett received two minor penalties for elbowing and unsportsmanlike conduct. Ryerson took advantage of the four-minute power play, scoring the first goal of the game. Soon after the goal, Ravens defenceman Michael Folkes was given a two-minute penalty and a 10-minute misconduct for a check to the head, and once again the Rams capitalized putting them up 2-0.
Forward Mitch Porowski was able to respond for the Ravens with a power-play goal assisted by Jeff Hayes and Matt Stanisz, before the end of the first period. Porowski knocked the puck down in front of the net, turning around and firing it glove side, catching the Rams goalie going the wrong way.
The Rams restored their two-goal lead just 40 seconds into the second period. Halfway through the second though, forward Joey West brought the Ravens back to within one, with assists to Andrew Glass and Ryan MacLean.
That was as close as the Ravens would come to catching the Rams, who pulled away through the third period picking up two more goals.
The Ravens finished second overall in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division.
Despite the last game of the regular season ending on a bad note, Johnston isn’t worried about entering the playoffs.
“Overall, I feel pretty good. It’s always encouraging and at the end of the day, it’s a new season. We’re going to get back to work on Monday and go from there.”
The Ravens will begin their playoff run Feb. 13 against the seventh-place Queen’s University Gaels.
