After a successful season, the Carleton Ravens competitive ringette club is preparing for their provincial championships.
The team is made up of 17 players, and competes in the Open A-1 division of the Gloucester & Area Adult Ringette Association (GAARA).
Within its division, they play against a team from the University of Ottawa as well as other competitive teams from the Ottawa area.
In the GAARA league, the Ravens finished the season tied for first place with a record of 12-5.
The team has also played in four tournaments this season, and was able to win two of them, while coming in second in the other two.
“We are definitely proud of this accomplishment,” team manager and goalie Leah Morrell said in an email.
After finishing first in the league’s regular season standings, the Ravens kicked off their playoff campaign with three losses in three close games.
“We headed down to Niagara hoping to turn it around, and that was definitely what we did,” Morrell said. “The tournament in Niagara this past weekend was really what the team needed.”
Playing in the college/university division at the Niagara Falls ringette tournament, the team finished the group stages with a record of 3-1.
Their only loss came against a team from McMaster University, whom they would face off against in the final, where they won 6-2.
“The team really came together over the weekend,” Morrell said. “They stopped playing like individual athletes, and were working together well as a team.”
“As a whole, this season has been very strong for us,” she said. “We had a strong tryout with some tough decisions to make, and we ended up with a great team because of it.”
Ravens head coach Dave Berthelot echoed Morrell’s feelings on the overall performance of the team.
“The coaching staff is thoroughly impressed with the team,” Berthelot said. “Our players treat it, and get the whole idea that it is a privilege to play and to represent the school, and you see that when you meet with them.”
He said the Ravens are a deep team as well.
“They’re a great team, and every player on the team offers something,” Berthelot said. “Whether they’re a goalie, a defender, a forward, whether they score or play defense or whatever, they’re a really cohesive group and a pleasure to coach.”
Berthelot said the team, as a competitive club, received about $3,000 from the Carleton University Students’ Association.
He said this is much appreciated and that it helps offset costs, as prior to this year, the team was largely self-funded.
He said while the team usually competes in the University Challenge Cup (UCC), which is the Canadian university ringette championships, they were not able to attend this year because they could not afford the trip, which was to Calgary.
“Hopefully the UCC will return to Ontario in 2017 and the club will be in a better position to attend this event,” Berthelot said.
Heading towards the end of their season, Berthelot said the team usually holds an open practice for players who are interested in attending Carleton next year.
“We are always looking for new girls to come and try out for the team,” Morrell said.
Next up for the third-seeded Ravens are the Ontario A Provincial ringette championships, being held in Newmarket, Ont. from March 19-22.
“We will be in very tough competition this weekend, but we’re ready for that,” Morrell said.
