The Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team saved their best for last this season. In their season finale, the Ravens topped the University of Ottawa (U of O) Gee-Gees 4-3 in a 14-round shootout at the Ice House on Feb. 21.
With the win, the Ravens ended the season on a two game win streak—their first win streak in three seasons—and also finished with their best record in three seasons at 5-15.
“It’s exactly what we need and this team has worked hard all year,” said Ravens head coach Pierre Alain. “They deserve what happened today.”
“It’s the perfect ending. People leave with a smile and coach leaves with a smile,” he said with a laugh.
With the game having no bearing on the standings, the Gee-Gees seemed keen on preparing for their opening playoff match-up with McGill next weekend. They only dressed 17 skaters, and one of their top scorers, Roxanne Rioux, was a healthy scratch.
The first period was filled with back-and-forth hockey with neither team gaining an edge, although the Gee-Gees outshot the Ravens 15-6.
Nicole Miners buried a power play blast from the point less than two minutes into the second frame to give the Ravens the lead.
Less than a minute later, the Gee-Gees capitalized on a defensive breakdown and tied the game.
Carleton responded less than three minutes later when Kenzie Coney was able to give the Ravens the lead.
Midway through the period, U of O pulled goaltender Sarah-Maude Labrecque and replaced her with Megan Halhed, who made her career debut in university hockey. The move was likely an effort to provide both goaltenders with on-ice action ahead of the playoffs.
Ottawa would tie the game later in the period, putting the game deadlocked at two after two.
The Gee-Gees gained their first lead of the game early in the third. However, Ravens defender Jen Semkowski was able to score with a fluttering wrist shot from the point and sent the game to overtime.
Neither team was able to score in the extra frame, and the game concluded with a shootout.
The second shooter for the Gee-Gees, Carol-Ann Upshall, nicked the puck with her stick at the start of her attempt, over-skated the puck as it sat at centre ice, then circled back, collected the puck, and scored on Ravens goaltender Hailey Perreault.
The Gee-Gees celebrated a goal while the Ravens disputed the call. After the referees convened at centre ice, the attempt was deemed no goal.
Neither team managed to find the back of the net until Ravens captain Tawnya Guidon scored in the ninth round. However, Gee-Gees top scorer and rookie Melodie Bouchard answered for Ottawa and extended the shootout.
The game was finally decided when Leah Scott scored in the 14th round and Perreault shut the door on Upshall’s third attempt.
“I didn’t expect to shoot, but it felt really good. I always pull the same move and it finally worked,” Scott said. “We’re all pretty hyped up now. Knowing that we can do that, it will set the tone for next year.”
Nicole Miners lead the way offensively for the Ravens. She tallied three points in the game and finished as the Ravens’ leading scorers with 10 points in 20 games.
“I think as a program we are really heading in the right direction and I couldn’t thank my team more for that,” Miners said. “We’re finally coming together and knowing what to do and playing the systems properly that our coaches have been setting.”
“I think next year, who knows—we’ll probably make playoffs,” she said.
The win was Perreault’s first win as a Raven and came in her final game. She is one of two graduating seniors, along with defenceman Hedda Gjerde.
“I’ve been waiting a while for that one—I knew this was the last shot at it and it felt really good to get,” she said after the win. “I was more nervous for us shooting than I was when they were coming our way. I just wanted us to score—I knew that hopefully I could stop the next one.”
