The Ravens women’s hockey team captured the Alerts Cup and their first win of the season thanks to an initiative from the team’s leaders.
On Nov. 16, the Ravens beat the University of Ottawa [U of O ] Gee-Gees 5-2 in the Alerts Cup. The cup was named after the Ottawa Alerts, one of Ottawa’s first competitive women’s hockey teams from 1915-1930. It was the first Alerts Cup since 2005.
“Five [goals] is pretty awesome,” Ravens head coach Pierre Alain said. It’s the first time the Ravens have scored five goals in a game since 2008. They also scored two power play goals as Alain credited the team’s energy and work ethic for the win.
It started with the team’s change in their pre-game routine. The team’s captains—Leah Scott, Katelyn Steele, Jennifer Semkowski and Nicole Allison—met with Alain recently to talk about changing the routine.
“When you get in a slump like we’ve been in, we just wanted to switch it up,” Scott said on their bout of losses heading into the Alerts Cup.
She said the captains talked to a sports psychology specialist and changed to a routine that focused on players motivating each other. First-year forward Amy Doherty called it “a huge change.”
“They kept firing us up before every game and firing us up before every period,” Doherty said. “Even if you had an off shift, you’d hear them on the bench continuously cheer each other on and be positive, so it gives a good mentality in the [dressing] room.”
Scott added that while the players still follow the coaches’ game plan, the routine “changed the momentum.”
“We need to get excited—we need to play for us,” she said. “This is our team. We need to do what we think is best.”
Doherty said her teammates are already very close with each other off the ice.
“Just everything we want to do as a group to make sure everyone’s included,” she said. “Even if someone has a bad day, everyone’s going to see if they’re okay, not just their best friend.”
Now, she said, they’ve translated it to on-ice success.
Scott, a fourth-year health science major from Ottawa, said she doesn’t know if she wants to leave after this season.
Scott scored against the Gee-Gees while veterans Jamie Wainman and Shannon Pearson also found the back of the net. Allison scored on the power play while fifth-year goalie Katelyn Steele was in net.
“We’re counting on [the leaders],” Alain said. “They’re the core of our team.”
“We’re the leaders of this team, so if we’re not working hard, why should anyone else?” Scott added. “So, it’s important that we step up, show that we’re here to play and everyone else will follow suit.”
Scott said the team has continued to progress every year she’s been there—evident not necessarily in wins but in skill.
The team celebrated on the ice with the trophy afterward.
The Ravens picked up another point against the McGill University Martlets on Nov. 18 as they fell in a 3-2 shootout. Steele stopped 55 shots that night.
Carleton is fifth in the RSEQ, only one point behind the U of O for the final playoff spot, having played one less game than the Gee-Gees. None of the players have made the postseason in their time at Carleton.
“[The playoffs] would be huge,” Scott said. “We’ve been progressing this whole time so that would just be the epitome of our progression.”
Photo by Tim Austen
