Raven captain Tara O’Reily fought off the Stingers defence as she got into position to receive a pass from her teammate (Photo: Greg Mason)

After a hard 1-0 loss against in their season opener, the Carleton women’s hockey team brought home its first win of the regular season Oct. 24 against the Concordia University Stingers.

The energy was high in the Ice House as the women battled back to beat the Stingers 3-2.

The Ravens came out flying in the first period, pressuring the Stingers hard at the net and in the defensive zone.

Despite their strong efforts, the Stingers snuck one past Raven goalie Valerie Charbonneau.

The Ravens hit their stride in the last few minutes of the period, but were unable to get the puck past Stinger goalie Stephanie Peck.

After intermission, the Carleton came out battling even stronger.

With the Stingers in the box, the Ravens tied the game with a goal by Victoria Germuska, assisted by Victoria Gouge and Sara Sailer.

The Ravens took the lead with two and a half minutes left in the period when Claudia Bergeron took a hard shot on net, which rebounded and was set up perfectly for Jennifer Slewidge, who found the back of the net.

The Stingers weren’t about to give up, as they tied the game a minute later with a fast shot by Mallory Lawton.

The period ended on a sour note, with Raven defenseman Erica Skinner leaving the game with an injury after being checked hard into the boards.

This resulted in Stinger forward Catherine Rancourt receiving a five-minute major penalty for body checking.

The Ravens used their man-advantage to get ahead 45 seconds into the period.

Defenseman Melanie McKnight scored the go-ahead goal after a great passing effort by the entire team.

The final period was played well by both teams, but Charbonneau’s fantastic saves and the team’s perseverance resulted in the Ravens bringing home their first win of the regular season.

Ravens head coach Shelley Coolidge said that she felt good going into the game, having worked hard in practices that week.

She said the team is “looking forward to the season” and that it will be a challenge, as “the section is really tough.”

Raven captain Tara O’Reilly said, “The team was really looking for a win and was really pumped about this game.”

Carleton’s next home game will be Nov. 7 against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, Coolidge’s former team. Puck drops at 6 p.m.