The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team opened the 2013-14 season by splitting a pair of away games with the University of Windsor Lancers Oct. 11-12.
The Ravens spoiled the home opener against the Lancers with a dominating 8-1 win in a performance that was bolstered by a pair of goals from first-year forward Michael McNamee, playing in his first regular season game as a Raven.
“He’s a really talented kid . . . In the [Quebec Major Junior Hockey League] he had a point per game or more and he’s just finding his groove and luckily he can find his groove early,” third-year defenceman Matthew Stanisz said.
It took 17 minutes into the opening frame for the Ravens to get going, but once they did, they never looked back. Fourth-year forward Linden Bahm scored the only goal of the first period before the Ravens were able to find their feet.
The Ravens came out a new team in the second, taking only 57 seconds to find the back of the net while on the power play via McNamee’s first marker. The Lancers were able to get one back through MacAulay McDonnell’s first of the season before the Ravens pulled away with three more goals before the second intermission.
“In the first game we got 42 shots, obviously if we keep putting the puck at the net good things are going to happen,” Stanisz said.
The Ravens were able to keep their offence firing, scoring three more goals in the final frame of the game to secure their first win of the season.
“All four lines had good chemistry . . . and we can all put the puck in the net,” Stanisz said.
The next night, the teams met again for the second game of the weekend.
“They came out and they brought their A game in the second game, when they didn’t play to the best of their ability in the first,” Stanisz said.
The first period looked as though the Ravens would be going home undefeated, taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. However, the Lancers came out in the second period determined to stop the Ravens from going home with all four points. They put four goals past fourth-year goaltender Matthew Dopud while finally halting the Ravens offence rounding out a 5-2 win.
The Ravens sit in third place in the Ontario University Athletics East division. They will look to improve their record as they travel to face the Nipissing University Lakers Oct. 18.
