Five-year veteran and former Carleton Ravens team captain Peter Manginas warmed up with the men’s soccer team before the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) bronze medal game Nov. 6 at Keith Harris Stadium.
He hobbled around in a cast due to a fractured foot that has sidelined him since the beginning of October.
Yet, he still laughed and joked around with his teammates.
After witnessing the exuberance with which he was kicking the ball around, few would guess that this would be the last time Manginas stepped onto the field as a Raven.
The veteran midfielder was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Ravens gave up a 2-1 lead to the McMaster Marauders Nov. 5 in the OUA semifinal, eliminating the team’s hopes of a trip to the national championships, and when they fell 2-0 to the York Lions in the bronze medal match the following afternoon.
Since winning the OUA championship in 2005-06, the Ravens have been eliminated six straight times in the final four. Four of those losses came in overtime or penalty kicks.
“It’s agonizing,” Manginas said following the Ravens’ loss in the bronze medal game. “It’s terrible, especially with the group of guys that we have. Obviously I want to be out there and help them.”
Manginas has played 64 games with the Ravens through five seasons — a time in his life he said he won’t forget any time soon.
“It makes me want to cry,” Manginas said. “It’s the best years of your life. [Coaches Sandy Mackie and Kwesi Loney] tell us all the time.
You realize it when you’re done now, and the next couple days you start thinking about it.
“They are the best years of your life, especially with all these guys,” he continued. “You’ll know these guys for the rest of your life. It’s just an amazing experience.”
Loney, the team’s assistant coach, admitted the bronze medal match wasn’t something the men really cared for.
“Playing in a game like today, it’s a little bit deflated for both sides just in terms of getting up for it,” Loney said.
He also noted how it was difficult for the men to find motivation after such a crushing loss in the semifinal.
“Any athlete would tell you, regardless of what coach or anybody says to you, when you’re in that type of situation it’s very difficult for anybody to motivate you,” he said. “Not just emotionally — how we lost the game — but physically just to play a full 120 minutes.”
Along with Manginas, defender Stefano Vieira and midfielders Josh Dewar-Morris and Justin Campos are also graduating this year, leaving next year’s crop of leaders up for grabs.
“Our rookie year this year was very strong,” Campos said. “We weren’t sure at the beginning, but now we’re definitely sure that they can hold themselves easily. I have no doubt in my mind that they’ll be able to continue the tradition we have.”
“There’s a lot of positives moving ahead,” Loney said, “We have a good six or seven first-year players who played heavy minutes this year, and this is a great experience for them, to see what this environment’s like and to see what the next level is so they know what to prepare for moving ahead to next year.”
Following their last game as Ravens, the veterans reflected on the years they spent on the team.
“To be honest, the feelings I have right now are just kind of reminiscing, with all the boys, all the old vets that left before,” Campos said. “It’s been good.”
“We had a special team this year. We did something special, and I’m really confident for the future of Carleton,” Manginas said.
“That’s why Carleton is Carleton, someone always steps up,” he continued. “Ravens graduate, other Ravens step up and carry the torch. It’s always happened, and it always will happen.”
