The women’s hockey team has started their season with two wins, beating the Bishop’s University Gaiters on Oct. 29 and the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Oct. 31.
Carleton is a very young team this year. Since the 2020-21 season was cancelled, there are two years’ worth of rookies taking to the ice. Fifteen of the 25 of the skaters on the team played their first university hockey game ever this past weekend.
This is the first time Carleton has won both games to start a season since 2010. The team won four games their previous season.
This season, Carleton has yet to face Concordia University, McGill University and Université de Montréal, who contend every year on the national level.
Friday: Carleton Wins 3-1
The Ravens opened their season on Friday at home against Bishop’s University Gaiters, the newest team in U Sports and the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) conference.
Veteran players made a huge impact early in the game. Third-year forward Justina Beard was dominant in the faceoff and second-year forward Stephanie Chouchani led the team in shot attempts with six. Chouchani scored the first Raven’s goal of the season off of a primary assist from Sandrine Hachez, a returning player.
In the last minute of the first period, Beard took a penalty for slashing an attacking Bishop’s player from behind. The Bishop’s power play bled over into the second period where Bishop’s came out flying, scoring their first-ever U Sports goal 58 seconds into the period.
Penalties continued as the game went on—each team took five.
Though they didn’t convert the advantage into a goal, Carleton’s power play generated numerous scoring chances. Rookie defender Rhys Cole-Ashbury was a standout player, making critical assists during power plays and lining up four big slap shots on target.
After the game, head coach Pierre Alain said he was happy with how the Ravens used their power play.
“The power play created many good scoring chances, good shots,” Alain said. “We need to be in front of that goalie more. I think she saw too many pucks tonight, so this is what we need to work on.”
The game-winning goal came from Carleton’s top end forwards. Jenna Morais and Emily Smythe entered the zone together taking on three Bishop’s players. Morais took a shot that rebounded off the goalie up into the air, which Smythe batted down into the net.
Carleton goaltender Marie-Eve Cote shut down the net in the third period, keeping Bishop’s at bay. With only seven seconds left, Morais potted an empty net goal.
The weekend was a true team effort, Alain said.
“[The team] has been waiting for a long time to play this first game,” Alain said. “Our girls worked very hard in the summer… they gelled well and it was a team win.”
Sunday: Carleton Wins 3-0
Carleton faced the tougher University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sunday away at the Minto Sports Complex.
Unlike the first game, the referees seemed to swallow their whistles as the players competed in a tough, physical hockey game.
UOttawa dominated the shot column, outshooting the Ravens 44 to 25. Carleton did force Ottawa to make many of these shots low-danger attempts, but Cote once again put on a masterclass in shutting out goals.
The veterans had a strong impact, making the most of fewer opportunities. Morais received a leading pass from rookie forward Annika Scurfield and scored glove side with a shot from near the net. Morais, who only scored three goals in her first year, already has two in just as many games.
Beard followed up with a short-handed goal on a power play, stickhandling through the uOttawa defence alone before scoring a top shelf goal. UOttawa continued to press, but Smythe put the game out of reach when she scored a nice goal from in tight on the goalie.
Carleton will play UdeM at home on Friday.
Featured photo by Anya Swettenham.
