Ravens forward Félix Bédard (9) waits for a redirect in front of the Nipissing Lakers’ net on Jan. 18, 2025 at the Ice House. Bédard scored two goals in the Ravens’ 6-4 win. [Photo by Marc Lafleur/Carleton Ravens]

With his team trailing 4-3 late in the game, Carleton Ravens forward Gio Morneau, who is no stranger to clutch moments this season, pulled off “The Michigan” to put his team in the lead.

The rarely seen lacrosse-style move stole the spotlight for the Ravens mens’ hockey team, as they cruised to a 6-4 win over the Windsor Lancers on Jan. 18.

The moment electrified the home crowd as the Ravens mobbed him following the rare and spectacular feat. He said it was something he’d been meaning to try in a game scenario.

“Had a fresh tape job, and a lot of wax on it, so I went for it,” Morneau said, chuckling. “I’ve tried it a lot in practice and figured I’d try it in a game. I scooped it up and everything was going perfectly so I just put it in.” 

The epic display of skill catalyzed a come-from-behind win that served as a measure of revenge: The night before, Windsor snapped the Ravens’ eight-game win streak, putting their playoff hopes on the line.

“[Morneau has] been a big-time player for us and just a clutch guy,” said Carleton head coach Mark Cavallin. “It’s one of those where you just know that at some point he’s gonna come and bail us out, and that was a pretty opportune time for him to do that.”

Before Morneau’s heroics, the Lakers gained the upper hand early, capitalizing on a failed Ravens’ clearing attempt less than a minute into the game. However, the Lakers held their lead for all of 30 seconds before Ravens forward Félix Bédard knotted the game on a redirect.

After the Ravens failed to convert on a 2-on-1 chance, Lakers forward Harrison Caines came the other way and fired his second of the night past Ravens goaltender Steven Bacovsky to regain the lead. 

The Ravens responded six minutes into the second period when Morneau fed a pass to Reese Belton, who ripped another tying goal past Lakers netminder Reece Proulx. 

The Ravens and Lakers continued taking turns hitting the back of the net through the rest of the frame. Minutes after the Ravens’ tying goal, Lakers forward Kyle Foreman put his team back in the lead. 

Trailing toward the end of the second, the Ravens kept their foot on the gas. With less than five minutes left in the frame, forward Oliver Castleman tipped in Madoka Suzuki’s shot on the powerplay to tie the game 3-3.

But with just over a minute left in the period, forward Charlie Johnson restored the Lakers lead after cleaning up a scramble in front of Bacovsky’s net.

“We need more patience,” said head coach Mark Cavallin said. “Our offensive zone has really been developing, which has been great for everyone else, but for playoff hockey, … [it’s] not as good. Less offence would be better, tip the scale into defence.”

The Ravens skated off for the second intermission trailing 4-3.

Proulx held his ground in net for the Lakers, as the Ravens put 50 shots on the Lakers’ goal by the end of the night. 

Midway through the third period, the Ravens had already tallied 40 shots on goal and needed a goal to tip the scales in their favour. Morneau delivered with his jaw-dropping goal halfway through the frame. 

The goal lit a fire under the Ravens’ bench, inspiring them to take their first lead of the game when Alex Johnston redirected a point shot from blueliner Connor Toms just two minutes later.

Bacovsky and the Ravens held the Lakers off the board the rest of the way, insuring their victory with an empty-netter from Bédard.

Though the Ravens had pieced together a strong offensive game, Cavallin credited Morneau’s “Michigan” goal as the play that tipped the game’s momentum in their favour.

Morneau now sits at fourth in OUA scoring with 25 points, just one point behind teammate Nick McCarry.

The Ravens will look to gain some security in a tight playoff race as they head on the road for a double-header weekend against the Guelph Gryphons on Jan. 25 and the Brock Badgers the following night.

Featured photo by Marc Lafleur.

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