The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team split their two road games this past weekend against two strong Quebec opponents.
The Ravens took on the defending Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Champion Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes on Oct. 14 and defeated them by a score of 5-1. It was the first matchup between the two teams since last year’s OUA East Finals, which the Patriotes won.
The following night, the Ravens fell 3-2 to the Concordia Stingers.
Freshmen goaltender Francois Brassard was tested early on in the game against UQTR but was able to shut the door, while Carleton’s Corey Durocher and Hayden Hulton capitalized on their opportunities to put the Ravens up 2-0 by the first intermission.
Both Brassard and Patriotes goaltender Alexandre Belanger were able to keep the puck in front of them in the second frame, resulting in a scoreless period for both teams.
In the third period, Carleton’s star forwards continued to make their presence known as the Patriotes got into some penalty trouble.
The top line of Michael McNamee, Ryan Van Stralen, and Durocher combined for six points on the night, with McNamee tallying his first goal of the season on a 5-on-3 power play to increase the Ravens’ lead to three.
Still on the power play, Carleton was able to take advantage again, this time with Adam Chapman burying the puck off a feed from Sean Bamford.
Brassard had his shutout snapped in the third period when UQTR team captain Martin Lefebvre broke through on the power play.
By that time, it was too late for a Patriotes comeback, and Carleton was able to breeze to a 5-1 victory. Brassard picked up his second win of the season with a 36 save performance.
Brassard started in goal for the Ravens for a second straight night when they took on the Stingers, and stopped 31 of 34 shots.
Carleton struggled to remain disciplined throughout the night, a problem that hurt them throughout the preseason and in their most recent defeat in their home opener against the RMC Paladins. They racked up 31 penalty minutes in the game.
The Stingers opened up the scoring with a goal by Scott Oke midway through the first period, and followed it up with a power play goal from Anthony De Luca a few minutes later, leading the Ravens 2-0 by the end of the first period.
Durocher was able to cut the Stinger lead to one in the second period, with his second goal in as many nights off a pass from Van Stralen, though UQTR forward Oliver Hinse was able to beat Brassard to re-establish the two-goal lead.
Carleton cut the lead back to one goal when Alexandre Boivin scored a shorthanded breakaway goal. However, four minor penalties by the Ravens killed all offensive momentum they had in the second and they were held scoreless in the final frame.
Carleton’s next game will be against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Colonel By Classic at TD Place Arena on Oct. 19.
