The Carleton Ravens men’s water polo team defeated both the McMaster Marauders and University of Toronto Varsity Blues Nov. 20 en route to the team’s first Ontario University Athletics (OUA) title since 2008.
Coincidentally, it was the Varsity Blues who knocked off the Ravens back in 2008.
But before they had an opportunity to get their revenge, the Ravens beat the Marauders in the semifinal match 7-4, in what first-year player Harrison Boyd called a very physical game.
“Our captain, Logan Seaman, got [hit] in the eye and actually had a couple of blood vessels pop,” Boyd said, adding that Seaman continued playing despite the injury.
“They play a tough style . . . it was a pretty hard-nosed rough game, but we felt like we controlled, and came out with the win, which we were happy with,” said second-year player Cole Wagner.
The win sent the Ravens to the final against the Varsity Blues, who won the previous three OUA championships.
Earlier in the tournament, the Ravens fell 6-5 to the Varsity Blues. Wagner said although the team was nervous about facing off against a team they had lost to before, they were confident they could pull off a victory.
“When we came into that one we were nervous, but it was a good feeling of nervousness, like we can do this, not like we’re going to screw up,” he said.
The team managed to keep the lead during most of the game, but the Varsity Blues kept fighting back. Second-year player Charles Bouwer scored the game-winning goal for the Ravens in the final two minutes of play, as Carleton secured a 9-8 victory in the OUA final.
The team’s focus on defence this year helped them throughout the tournament, Wagner said.
“We had trained all year to be a defensive team, and I think in the end it was our commitment to defence that really helped us in the win, especially in our game against [the Varsity Blues who have] a pretty talented offensive team,” he said.
Wagner said the toughest part of the tournament was playing five games over the course of the weekend.
“I mean, we had great conditioning, but it grinds on you, it’s a tiring weekend,” he said. “[It’s] a lot of games in a short amount of time.”
The OUA championships marks the end of the water polo season, but the team is already looking forward to next year, Boyd said. The team consists mostly of first and second-year players, with only three third-years and one fourth-year. This will play to the team’s strength next year, Boyd said.
“I think it’s what’s going to help us get the banner next year,” he said. “The synergy we have, how we work with each other, we’re just going to pick off where we left off, which is post-season training until April, and then we’ll come back and do it all over again.”
