The Carleton Ravens football team defeated the University of Ottawa (U of O) Gee-Gees by a score of 43-23 on Oct. 1 during the annual Panda Game at TD Place.
The win marked the third consecutive win for the Ravens at the Panda Game—a feat that had only been accomplished by the Ravens once before in the 48-year history of the event.
After the game, Ravens head coach Steve Sumarah said the win didn’t feel any different in comparison to the recent last-minute victories at the Panda Game.
“It never felt less stressful—it was stressful right until the end, I don’t care what the score is,” he said.
The first quarter began with equal possession of the ball, and good plays from each team. Three minutes into the quarter, Gee-Gees kicker Lewis Ward scored a 25-yard field goal to open the scoring for U of O.
Not long after, Ravens wide receiver Nate Behar scored a touchdown, while kicker Michael Domagala added a field goal to give Carleton a 10-3 lead.
“We have to keep working every week. You can’t ride a victory like this and rest on your laurels,” Behar said after the game. “It’s really about [working] every single week, so that by the time playoffs come around, you’re firing on all cylinders—you can’t just sit back and coast on it.”
The Gee-Gees couldn’t answer back until the end of the quarter, when wide receiver Kalem Beaver ran 20 yards for the touchdown to tie the game.
U of O regained the lead to open the second quarter with a second field goal, though the Ravens would quickly answer back with a touchdown by running back Jayde Rowe, and two field goals from Domagala to give the Ravens a 21-13 lead at the half.
The third quarter saw Behar and Domagala in the spotlight again. Ravens quarterback Jesse Mills connected with Behar on a 14-yard pass for a touchdown, while Domagala added his third field goal of the afternoon.
A team safety early in the quarter also bolstered the lead for the Ravens.
The Ravens defence, meanwhile, continued to contain the Gee-Gees offence, and only allowed a field goal in the third quarter.
Carleton scored their biggest touchdown of the game in the final quarter, when defensive back Tunde Adeleke returned a punt for 120 yards down the field and into the end zone.
After the game, Adeleke gave credit to his coaches when describing the play.
“It just happened. Missed a field goal, caught it—we had a scheme to go up field and . . . it just worked out,” he said. “I can’t take any credit for that, that’s all [the coaching staff] to be honest.”
“When [Adeleke] gets the ball and he gets space, he’s pretty impressive and the guys on the field know he could score at any time,” Sumarah said.
Domagala added a final field goal late in the game, and the Gee-Gees would score one more touchdown, though it was too late to ignite a late comeback.
Though it was a valiant effort by Gee-Gees—they were unable to “bring back Pedro” as their fans often chanted. Instead, he’ll stay on the banks of the Rideau Canal at Carleton University for another year.
The Ravens will return to the field on Oct. 7 when they host the Windsor Lancers at MNP Park.
