The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team is taking the long way to its first shot at the national title, securing the sixth and final seed in the University Cup by winning the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) bronze medal.
With a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship on the line, the Ravens are travelling to Saskatoon to play in the tournament March 20-23.
The Ravens men’s hockey program is relatively new, as it was only re-added to OUA in the 2007-2008 season.
“This is year seven for the program and it’s a tribute to the guys that have graduated before us, and to the people that have put in a lot of hard work,” Johnston said.
“In year seven of a program to get to nationals, I think that’s something that Carleton should be proud of,” he said.
Johnston is in his fourth season as Ravens head coach and was a CIS first team all-Canadian during his playing career.
Working alongside Johnston is assistant coach Shaun Van Allen, who played 12 seasons in the NHL.
Ravens forward Mitch Porowski credited the coaches’ hard work for the team’s success.
“They’re working just as hard as we are; off the ice, doing game tapes, and looking over their players and making sure that we’re seizing the opportunities and playing to our capabilities,” Porowski said.
“I think that they’re guys that are able to bring that out and there’s a lot of trust in the coaching staff to help us get there,” he said.
Traditionally, athletics at Carleton have been noted for dominating in men’s basketball, having won 10 national championships in the last 12 years.
However, defenceman Matthew Stanisz said this culture is now evolving with the prominence and success of the men’s hockey program.
“We’ve been working at it for years. Even before I came, [the team’s] been growing and building each year and I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys,” Stanisz said.
Last season, the Ravens fell to the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes in game three of the OUA East final in a four-overtime stunner.
This season the Ravens were once again unable to capture the OUA East title, falling to the McGill University Redmen in the semi-final.
In both cases, the Ravens won the first game, but could not close out the series. After finally breaking through this season and securing their spot in the University Cup with an OUA bronze medal, Stanisz said the team knows there is still work to be done.
“We want to go and attack and show them what we’re made of,” he said. “The past is the past. We only use that for motivation now. We look back, and the feelings that we had after those games we use to fire ourselves up and come out for the big games.”
Stanisz stressed the importance of strong defence if the Ravens are going to be successful during the tournament.
“With the guys in there, our offensive chances are going to come,” he said. “If we keep the game simple, keep moving our feet, and work hard, I think we’ll be fine.”
