The Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team kicked off 2020 with two essential games in their push for playoffs this season.
The Ravens collected a crucial 2-0 win over the University of Ottawa (U of O) on Jan. 9 to challenge the Gee-Gee’s last playoff spot, but failed to seize it in their 5-0 loss against McGill on Jan. 11.
Before Thursday’s crosstown matchup, the Ravens trailed U of O by three points in the standings, with this game’s outcome either stretching or shrinking the distance between them at a critical time. Thanks to the Ravens’ rigid defensive play and Marie-Eve Cote’s first career U Sports shutout, the gap shrank.
The key was “simple plays,” head coach Pierre Alain said after the game. “We covered the slot very well. When you don’t give a goal it’s a team effort. Yes, our goalie was very good but it’s a team effort.”
Though outshot in the first period, Carleton managed to outnumber U of O in scoring chances, their steady defence confining the Gee-Gees to routine shots from distant areas.
“Sometimes I didn’t see the puck,” Cote confessed afterwards. “But the girls played very well, I didn’t have so much shots. My D [defence] stopped some… they helped me a lot.”
For the Ravens, restrictive, defensive play thrived on both ends of the rink. Late in the first period, the Ravens commandeered the 1-0 lead directly because of a deft defensive maneuver from forward Claire Merrick.
“I saw the D cutting the net and I just stripped her of the puck and took a quick shot,” Merrick explained.
The goal was simple, but evocative of Carleton’s strong sticks. Merrick foiled the breakout behind the net, spun and fired a snap-shot short-side, all thanks to a slick takeaway.
The 1-0 lead endured throughout the second, but midway through the third period, Ravens forward Annie-Pier Tremblay sprung for her second breakaway of the game.
This time she decelerated in the slot, distracted goaltender Aurélie Dubuc with a head fake and deposited the puck five-hole to extend Carleton’s advantage to 2-0.
The lead was maintained as the third period wound down due to some stellar saves from Cote, who kept the Gee-Gees’ slate blank until the final buzzer, which signalled the Ravens’ 2-0 win.
After the game, Cote was all smiles for her shutout and the team’s redemptive triumph.
“I’m happy, the team is happy. I didn’t feel pressure. I was just having fun, like really having fun.”
The next game, the Ravens were only one point away from a playoff position but faltered against McGill and could not claim a tentative playoff berth.
According to their coaching staff, Carleton strayed from their typical white-knuckled defense to be ultimately drubbed 5-0.
“[McGill] did really well to get open in the high slot and we didn’t follow our assignment,” assistant coach Tawnya Guindon said after the game.
“It was an important game for us, for our season, and we didn’t show up. We didn’t work hard, and that’s our team’s DNA.”
The Ravens struggled to contain the Martlets’ effortless puck movement, who seemingly computed breakouts, calculated zone entries and connected every pass within the offensive zone.
For example, on McGill’s second powerplay (after already scoring on their first), forward Marika Labrecque capitalized on their effective passing. She saw the gaping ice in front of her, danced two steps into the space and thundered a slap shot past Cote for the 2-0 lead.
The final two periods continued in a similar fashion, McGill extending the lead one goal at a time principally by seizing the puck from the Ravens and never letting go.
Their third goal, scored by forward Mackenzie McCallum, stemmed from intercepting a breakout pass and popping a point-blank snap shot over Cote’s shoulder.
In the third period, forward Jade Downie-Landry snagged her third point of the night by receiving a distant pass, veering into the zone from the right wall and flipping the puck high short-side to stretch the lead to 4-0.
One more McGill goal sealed it with five minutes remaining in the game, the final buzzer sounding with the score at 5-0.
The outfought Ravens filed into the dressing room still one point behind U of O in the standings.
Nonetheless, Carleton was already focusing on their next home contest on Jan. 18 against Montreal after the game.
“Spirits are still high in the dressing room,” captain Leah Scott warned after the loss.
“It’s just a matter of getting that puck to go our way… now we know what we need to go into the next game with.”
The Ravens will take on the Montreal Carabins on Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. in the Ice House.
Feature image from file.
