Ringette Ravens climb the ranks in Ottawa league and university standings
By Paige Parsons and Fangliang Xu
The penalty box got a little crowded during the dying moments of a 1-1 tie game between the Carleton University Ravens ringette team and the Carlsbad ladies ‘A’ team on Monday night.
The Ravens dominated in the first period, spending most of the half in the Carlsbad end. Nevertheless, the 1-1 score stuck and both teams had shutouts in the second half.
“We definitely could have played a little better,” said Leah Morrell, veteran Ravens goalie and third-year mechanical engineering student.
The tie game is almost a metaphor for the Ravens’ results so far this season: they’re not quite at the top of the Gloucester and Area Adult Ringette Association standings, but their ranking is definitely rising, even though it is only their second season playing in the ‘A’ division.
The Ravens are also preparing for their second year competing in the Tier 1 division at the University Challenge Cup, a winner-takes-all tournament that is usually scheduled for the weekend before winter semesters start across Canada. The upcoming Cup will be take place in North Bay, Ont. in the first week of January. Last year the team lost in the tournament’s semi-finals. This year, the Ravens played two early-season tournaments to help prepare for the university championship.
Morrell says one of the reasons for the team’s ability to compete at a higher level is the increased support from Carleton University. This year the university decided to grant the team a free ice-slot on Wednesday mornings for practices, plus a $500 donation that the team put towards their general costs, such as tournament and league fees. Morrell says the ice time and the money make a big difference to the team’s development.
In return, the university has asked that the Ravens maintain a roster of only Carleton students. In past seasons, the Ravens took on a few athletes from Algonquin College. Padding rosters with players from other schools is a measure university ringette teams sometimes use, both to ensure they have a full-bench and to give athletes whose schools don’t have a team an opportunity to play at the university level.
Lack of funding and varsity status, as well as a limited number of participating schools, means that ringette teams across Canada only compete against each other at the annual University Challenge Cup.
Ravens’ coaching staff intentionally picked a younger roster this year. They are hoping to grow into a stronger, smarter team over the next few seasons. The team is made up of Carleton students, most of who are from Ontario, with two skaters coming from Alberta.
The team’s relative inexperience is something that may come into play this weekend during a showcase game against their rival, the University of Ottawa’s Gee-Gees. The game will not be counted as a league game. Instead, it’s a fundraiser for Shinerama, a student organization that raises money for cystic fibrosis. But make no mistake: the Ravens are out for the win.
“This is the third year I’ll be playing in this game and it’s always been a lot of fun,” said Eve Berthelot, a third-year defensive player and history major at Carleton. “Definitely a friendly game, but still high-quality… very competitive because there is that rivalry with Ottawa U.”
Berthelot says that she and the rest of the Ravens’ defence line are going to have to come out big against the Ottawa Gee-Gees’ aggressive offence style. The Ravens have met the Gee-Gees twice so far this season, losing 6-2 in league play and losing again in overtime during tournament play.
The Ravens will take on the Gee-Gees in the Shinerama showcase game this weekend.
