In their first action of 2022, the Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team was defeated twice in games against the McGill Redbirds.
Coming into the weekend, McGill held a 4-8-0 record and sat in last place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Far East division. Carleton, which held a 4-2-2 record and hadn’t lost back-to-back games all season, appeared to have the upper hand.
“[Our expectations were] the same as they always are,” Carleton head coach Shaun Van Allen said. “Compete really hard, that’s the main thing. We try to play smart and give us our best chance to win.”
Friday: Ravens narrowly miss second point in 3-2 overtime loss
Returning from a nearly 90-day break, the Ravens expected to show some rust. The Ravens also had a shortened bench as a result of the loss of five players to pro contracts.
“There’s nothing we can do [about them leaving], but of course, we probably have a better chance when we have 18 players dressed,” Van Allen said.
The Redbirds, on the other hand, were fresh off of a two-game winning streak, having already played three games in February.
The discrepancy showed early, as the Ravens found themselves on their heels and unable to gain much traction in the offensive zone. Redbirds forward Brandon Frattaroli took advantage of the slow start and wired a shot past the glove of Ravens goaltender Mark Grametbauer to take an early 1-0 lead.
In the second frame, timely saves and a crucial penalty kill from Grametbauer paved the way for Carleton to score. Forward Oliver Castleman, who leads the Ravens in scoring this season with 13 points, put away a rebound off forward Aiden Wagner’s point shot, tying the game.
Grametbauer continued his stellar play through the period, stymying the Redbirds’ attackers on multiple rushes. The Ravens picked up steam with a late-period power play opportunity but were ultimately unable to finish, leaving the game tied 1-1 heading into the final period.
The Ravens came under fire in the final 20 minutes, surrendering 19 shots over that span. With less than seven minutes left to play in regulation, an opportune penalty against Redbirds forward Mitchell Prowse opened the door for the Ravens to take their first lead of the game. Forward Parker Aucoin finished off forward Madoka Suzuki’s feed to take control of the game.
With desperation setting in for McGill and goaltender Emanuel Vella pulled for the extra attacker, the pressure mounted against Carleton. With the Ravens only 17 seconds away from victory, forward Jordan-Ty Fournier took a pass in front of Grametbauer and flipped the puck over his pad to send the game to overtime.
Receiving a 100-foot stretch pass from McGill forward Keanu Yamamoto, forward Scott Walford rushed the goal and forced a shot past Grametbauer to stun the Ravens just 40 seconds into overtime.
Saturday: Redbirds shut out Ravens
For the first time this season, the Ravens were shut out as they lost 1-0 on Saturday at the Ice House.
Despite the quick turnaround from the previous night’s match and the shortened bench, the Ravens put up a spirited fight.
“They felt pretty good,” Van Allen said. “It was close to 90 days that they hadn’t played a game, so I thought the guys handled it pretty well and I thought the pace was higher Saturday than it was Friday.”
However, much like the previous night’s game, the Ravens got off to a rocky start. They surrendered a short-handed goal just under four minutes into the game on a one-timer shot from Frattaroli.
The Ravens pressed on but failed to convert on numerous power play opportunities and quality scoring chances. McGill goaltender Alexis Shank kept Carleton at bay, making several impressive saves to preserve the lead.
Van Allen acknowledged the importance of finishing on opportunities. The Ravens only scored two goals this weekend, despite numerous power play chances.
“Our power play probably could have scored three goals,” Van Allen said. “Their goalie made some huge saves and a couple shots went wide and we hit a couple posts, so we just need a little more polish and finish.”
The third period brought on an even greater wave of pressure from the Ravens, including a great scoring chance for Aucoin, forcing Shank to answer the call. Shank would remain unbeaten to earn the shutout.
The Ravens, who at the end of 2021 looked to be one of the dominant teams in the Far East division, have now lost three consecutive games. McGill has posted a 4-1-0 record since returning to play in February.
Van Allen is unphased.
“[We’re] not [worried] at all because it doesn’t matter what happens with the playoff [seeding], you’ve still got to win three games, so we’ll just worry about our plan,” Van Allen said.
This season, the standings are determined by points percentage, not by points alone. This is to make up for the disparity in games played. Carleton sit in third place with just two games left, barring the rescheduling of their postponed games against the Concordia Stingers.
The Ravens will be back in action March 8 and 12 as they take on the Concordia Stingers in Montreal, Que. for their final regular season matchups.
Featured image provided by Marc Lafleur/Carleton Ravens.
