The Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team saw their playoff dreams slide to a halt Feb. 25, when they were shut out by the McGill Martlets for the second straight game in their first-round playoff series.
The Martlets swept the series with 1-0 and 4-0 wins in games one and two respectively, eliminating the Ravens from the playoffs in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ).
Despite the loss, Ravens head coach Shelley Coolidge said she was extremely proud of her team’s efforts during the game.
“I thought that today we didn’t quit,” Coolidge said. “Even though we were down, the team kept trying to push . . . In the last 30 seconds of the game, our kids were competing as hard as they did in the first 30.”
An early first-period marker put the Martlets ahead 1-0. Midway through the period, the Ravens allowed the Martlets a 33-second two-man advantage but managed to kill both penalties.
McGill went on the powerplay again and got one past rookie goaltender Victoria Powers with less than three seconds to go in the period. The Ravens would give the Martlets a total of six power play opportunities by the end of the game.
“It’s tough to play against a team that can control the puck as McGill does [and] be on the [penalty-kill],” Coolidge said. “You can’t generate a whole lot of offense against that team being down a man.”
Generating offense against McGill isn’t easily done with goaltender Charline Labonte in net for the Martlets. The two-time Olympian recorded eight shutouts against RSEQ opponents in the regular season.
“You’ve got to score goals to win games and when you play against a goalie like Labonte with a defensive corps that McGill’s got, you don’t get a lot of second chances,” Coolidge said.
After a scoreless second period, the Martlets recorded two goals in the final frame to cement their victory.
“In terms of the series, it’s disappointing to lose for sure,” Coolidge said, “but they put everything they can out there and they’re proud of the effort that they brought forward.”
Graduating defenceman Erica Skinner agreed. “I thought even when they scored on us, we didn’t give up [and] we battled hard,” she said. “Overall, I thought it was a good series. We just couldn’t put the puck in the net.”
After the game, Coolidge spent over half an hour in the locker room talking to her team.
“We took a few minutes there post-game to go around the room for people to share their insight on the season and really take a look at what we can build off of here moving forward,” she said. “Next season we’ve got to put ourselves in a better spot to head into playoffs.”
Fourth-year forward Kaila Lassaline was expected to graduate this year with Skinner, Melanie McKnight and Kristen Marson, but Coolidge said Lassaline has decided to return for her fifth year.
“Kaila will bring a lot of leadership,” Skinner said. “It’s really good for the team that she’s coming back.”
Skinner said she believed the team is “going in the right direction.”
“With the way the season ended this year, I think its going to be a confident group. The team’s character is the best I’ve ever been on,” she said. “[There’s] a lot of drive, a lot of heart, so I think that means only good things for the program next year.”
“I think they’re going to come out flying,” Skinner added.