The Colonel By Classic, the second game as part of the Rivalry Series between the Carleton Ravens and the University of Ottawa (U of O) Gee-Gees, hits the ice on Oct. 19 when the two men’s hockey teams faced off at TD Place Arena.
The game was the first match between the two teams since the Ravens defeated the Ravens on Jan. 4, 2014 by a score of 5-2 at the Ice House.
“Before the puck even drops these guys know what they’re playing for, you see this [U of O] team around the city and now it’s your chance to prove to them that you’re the best,” said Ravens head coach Marty Johnston.
Former Ravens forward Mitch Zion, now playing for the Brampton Beast in the ECHL, said he remembers the rivalry games fondly.
“The best way to put it is playing [U of O] was like a playoff game . . . everyone had that extra gear and played their hardest,” he said.
That season Carleton defeated [U of O] in both of games by scores of 4-2 and 5-2, however Zion said this was not easy.
“Those games were like a battle,” Zion said.
According to Johnston, the teams knew that these games were different than most.
“You were playing to be the best in the city . . . the emotions were high and the games were fast and intense,” Johnston said.
Zion said he now misses these rivalry games and the atmosphere they had.
“We always had the game against [U of O] circled on our calendar,” he said. “The games always meant a lot to our team and to the school, the emotions from those games are what sets them apart.”
U of O’s men’s hockey program was suspended in March 2014 due to allegations of sexual assault during an incident in Thunder Bay. The program was suspended for 15 months before the University hired head coach Patrick Grandmaitre to prepare the team for this season.
“It’s never good when something like that happens and I’m happy that their program is back,” said Michael McNamee, a fourth-year veteran on the team. “It’ll be fun with the fans there and the neutral ice . . . I think we’re all looking forward to the atmosphere.”
The game was played at TD Place Arena—a venue that seats 9,500 fans.
“It’ll be tough for the guys to handle that kind of energy and emotion but they can do it,” Johnston said. “Everyone is really looking forward to it and I’m excited to have this rivalry back and a game that will bring more exposure to the high quality of play that these guys produce.”
The Ravens have had plenty of success in the past three seasons. The team has played at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport University Cup twice, and earned an Ontario University Athletics bronze medal last season.
Despite this, the Ravens have had a slow start this season. Through four games, they sport a 2-2 record heading into the Colonel By Classic.
“The beginning of the season has been slower than we expected, but we want to win and we have the team that can win,” McNamee said. “[U of O] will be coming out strong but we just have to play hard and stay composed because at the end of the day the win is all that matters.”
