The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes men’s hockey team advanced to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) gold medal game with a 6-3 victory over the Carleton Ravens on March 5 at the Ice House. The win completed the two game sweep over the Ravens in a best of three series.
The matchup was a familiar one as the Ravens have been eliminated by UQTR in five of the last six seasons including last year.
“Obviously it’s disappointing. I thought the guys competed really hard—you can’t fault their effort . . . You have to give credit where credit is due—they’re an excellent team, they’re talented and it’s a tough one,” said Ravens head coach Marty Johnston.
After losing 4-1 to the Patriotes in game one of the series, the Ravens came out with lots of energy in the first period, but it was UQTR forward Mathieu Lemay opening the scoring in the first period. The Ravens quickly answered back with a goal of their own from Ryan Van Stralen, assisted by Michael McNamee and David Weckworth.
The goal gave Van Stralen five goals and seven points in six playoff games. Earlier in the period, Ravens regular season scoring leader Brett Welychka went down with an upper-body injury and did not return after a hit from Vincent Marcoux, who was assessed a 10-minute misconduct. The period ended tied 1-1 with shots favouring Carleton 14-11.
The Ravens started the second period on the power play but couldn’t capitalize, as UQTR’s goalie Sebastian Auger came up huge on several occasions.
Ravens goalie Francis Dupuis stopped several breakaways and odd-man rushes to keep his team in the game.
The Ravens took the lead 2-1 midway through the second period off a goal from Alexandre Boivin.
UQTR answered back less than 30 seconds later with a goal from Mathieu Lemay—his second of the game. The lead was snatched back by UQTR towards the end of the second period with a goal by star forward Tommy Giroux. The Patriotes took a 3-2 lead into the second intermission, although Carleton was still out-shooting UQTR 27-18 after 40 minutes.
The third period was the Ravens’ undoing, as UQTR’s incredible speed proved too much to handle. Patriotes forward Pierre-Maxime Poudrier tucked a shot above Dupuis’ left shoulder on a breakaway to make it 4-2, which ended up being the winning goal.
Giroux got his second goal of the game just over a minute later. Carleton did make the game interesting, with defenceman David Weckworth cleaning up a rebound to make the score 5-3 with 3:43 left in the third.
Van Stralen almost potted his second goal of the game soon after, but Auger slid cross-crease to deny him with a toe save. UQTR scored an empty net goal in the final minute to seal the game and punch their ticket to the OUA gold medal game where they await the winner of the Guelph vs. Western series.
Carleton will play the Guelph Gryphons in the OUA bronze medal game on March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Ice House. The winner of that game will advance to nationals in Halifax and have a chance at redemption.
Speaking about the bronze medal game, Johnston said, “Hopefully the guys are re-energized and are ready to go because it’s going to take everything we have to beat two excellent teams, whoever ends up facing us. Right now we’re not even in that head space but it’s going to be a tough test.”
