On a weekend where the current Carleton Ravens men’s soccer team got the opportunity to bond with alumni, today’s generation of Ravens put on an impressive performance, winning both home games Sept. 24-25.

Players had the unique opportunity to meet their predecessors and get advice from them at their alumni banquet. They followed that experience with a 3-1 win against the Nipissing Lakers Sept. 24 and a 2-0 shutout against the Laurentian Voyageurs the next day.

“A lot of the players got a chance to sit down with the alumni guys and just talk about the old days and what it used to be like,” said assistant coach Kwesi Loney, also a former Ravens player. “Our rivalries with [teams like Laurentian] never change from year to year. For the players to kind of see that link and build those relationships, it builds in them the tradition and the history of the program. So for them to come out and perform like they did, I think Alumni Weekend had a little something special for them.”  

Thanks to two goals by striker Andrew Latty and a late goal by midfielder Alexksandar Despotovic, the Ravens beat the Lakers for the second straight time.

After a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Laurentian Sept. 17, the showdown with the Voyageurs Sept. 25 was shaping up to be an important game for the Ravens. The team was determined to rebound and avenge that loss, said Ravens midfielder Joey Kewin.

“We shouldn’t have lost to them the first time and we just wanted revenge,” Kewin said.

Carleton started strong with a quick goal from veteran defender Stefano Vieira in the seventh minute to jump out to an early 1-0 lead.

From that point, the Ravens took control of the game, adding another marker in the second half courtesy of Kewin, and ending the game with a 2-0 win.

It was a very physical game and the tension between the two teams was evident throughout the match. Several players received cards and many short scuffles broke out.

With the two weekend wins, the Ravens extended their lead atop the Ontario University Athletics East Division, where they stand alone with a 6-2 record.

After avenging their early-season loss against Laurentian, the Ravens will surely hope to do the same Oct. 1 against the Queen’s Golden Gaels, before playing the Trent Excalibur for the first time this year Oct. 2.

“We want to progress,” Loney said. “Every game, you just want to get better until you get to that point in the playoffs where you are excelling and peaking. The guys understand that, and as long as they keep coming to the pitch looking to work hard then we should be fine moving forward.”

The players themselves were also encouraged by their strong play against Nipissing and Laurentian and plan to build on it throughout the rest of the season, Kewin said.

“This weekend was a big two games and I feel like going forward we only have confidence.”