For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team is headed back to the U Sports National Championships in Lethbridge, Alta.
Starting with their quarterfinal matchup on Mar. 15, the Ravens are set to face off against the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Reds.
“It’s just regular. We don’t want to change a whole lot,” Ravens head coach Shaun Van Allen said on his team’s preparation. “We just want to watch some video on UNB, and see what their tendencies are, and see what we can do to give us a better chance of winning going into that game.”
During the season, the UNB Reds clinched the best record in the Atlantic University Sports (AUS) league, with a 25-2-3 record, and 53 points—a 14-point difference from the second place Saint Mary’s University Huskies.
“Evidently, everybody knows that they’re a skilled team, they’re talented, but I think that we have the guys and the pieces to the puzzle that we need to really give it to them,” forward Alex Boivin said. “And I think if we play the way that we can play, it should be a good game.”
For Boivin, this is his second nationals, as he was on the 2015-16 team, along with forwards Hayden Hulton and Brett Gustavsen.
“We can give little hints and pointers as to how it’s going to be, but I think at the end of the day, we’re going to have to worry about us,” Boivin said. “As a team, I’m not thinking about the past, and hopefully it’s a whole new experience, and hopefully it turns out a little bit better than last time.”
For others, like defenceman C.J. Garcia, it will be his first U Sports nationals experience.
“I’m excited to play among the top eight teams in the country, and to know where you stand with those top eight teams is really, really good in my books,” Garcia said. “And hopefully we can do something special here and win the first game and hopefully beat UNB, so that would make it even better.”
For first-year defenceman Andrew Jarvis, his first nationals experience also brings along the first time he’s travelled on an airplane.
“Very smooth,” Jarvis said on his first ever flight. “Justin Nichols and Francois Brassard sat with me and told me what to expect.”
As a third year on the team, forward Adam Chapman will be returning to Ravens action after a four-game suspension which saw him suspended at the end of the University of McGill Redmen series in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) semifinals.
“He’s been a big part of our team since he showed up,” Boivin said on the return of Chapman.
“Obviously he’s had a little bit of time off so he’s going to have to adjust and push the pace this week in practice. But he’s got that gritty strength, and he’s got the ability to put the puck in the back of the net, so, we’re going to need him out there for sure.”
While Chapman’s return does strengthen the team, the loss of forward and team captain Hayden Hulton, due to injury, will bring motivation to the team as he travels with the team to Alberta.
“Oh, it helps. He’s a great leader, he’s been a great leader all year, on and off the ice, he’s a hard worker,” Van Allen said. “If there was a chance he could play, we would seriously consider it, but there’s no thought that we’d put him in the lineup, so we still need his leadership.”
The Ravens now look ahead to Mar. 15, as they get set to face off against UNB in their quarterfinal matchup at 3:00 pm.
“In a one-game elimination, anything can happen, and we’re just going to have to work our best and see how it goes,” Boivin said.
Photo by Spencer Colby
