The Carleton Ravens ringette team won gold at the provincial championships this season. The tournament, hosted by the Gloucester Cumberland Ringette Association in Ottawa, ran from March 8-11. After playing seven games over a period of four days, the Ravens defeated the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in overtime, winning 3-2.
Head coach Dave Berthelot said the victory against the University of Ottawa is a huge step for the program.
“To beat them in the final game at provincials was meaningful,” Berthelot said. “It was a total team effort. Every player on the team contributed to our victory for this tournament and throughout this entire season.”
Berthelot described the team’s performance at provincials as “phenomenal.” The Ravens were led by top defensive player Sarah Lemkow, with other outstanding performances by goalie Sarah Cram, Christie Kellam and Emma Thom. Christie Kellam secured the win for the Ravens by scoring the final goal during overtime.
Berthelot said the team is known for their calm and confident attitude, which contributed to their success at provincials.
“No nervousness, everybody had smiles on their faces and everyone had quiet confidence. That was the attitude. When you play with that much confidence, it often works out for you,” Berthelot said.
Graduating player Andrea Barker said the Gee-Gees are an opponent the Ravens face often, making it that much more special to defeat them for a gold medal. Barker attributes the win to the team’s strong chemistry and positivity energy.
“Everybody did what they needed to do for the team, not for themselves, for the team,” Barker said. “I’m incredibly proud to be a part of this team and proud to be a Raven.”
At the beginning of their season, Berthelot predicted it would be a “building season” for the team as they had six new players join the team. But, after winning 43 games, three tournaments and bringing home a gold medal at provincials, Berthelot describes the year as their “best season ever, on the ice and off the ice.”
“They will always remember this year, if they bump into each other 15 or 20 years later they’ll go, ‘remember when we won the gold?’ “ he said.
The Ravens will finish their season on April 8 when they play in the championship game at home in Ottawa.
