Trois-Rivieres, Quebec - The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team had their 2021-22 season ended last night losing to the UQTR Patriotes by a score of 6-1 on Wednesday night.
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The opening game of the 2021-22 OUA playoffs got off to a quick start as the teams traded chances early. After an early save by Carleton’s Mark Grametbauer (Halifax, N.S.), the Ravens had a chance to take an early lead, but Parker Aucoin (Sturgeon County, Alta.) was stopped in front of the net by Trois-Rivières goalie Alexis Gravel.
The Patriotes found the back of the net first in this one as Simon LaFrance opened the scoring for UQT off a snapshot from the high-slot area beat Grametbauer (Halifax, N.S.). After Louis-Filip Côté scored on a rebound to make it 2-0, Samuel L’Italien scored just moments after Côté’s goal putting UQTR up by a score of 3-0 just over 10 minutes into the first period. The Ravens played a solid second half of the opening period but went into the first intermission with a three-goal mountain to climb.
“[UQTR] is a team that once they get going, they’re really tough to slow down and that’s what we saw in that opening period,” Carleton head coach Shaun Van Allen said post-game.
Carleton found their skating legs in the second period and came out of the gate flying. After killing of a UQTR powerplay earlier on the period, the Ravens found the back of the net when Connor Jean (Oakland, MI.) one-timed an Aaron Boyd (Winnipeg, MB.) pass past the goaltender Gravel, and Carleton was back in the game at 3-1. Later in the second, Aidan Wagner (Langley, BC.) nearly cut the UQTR lead to one, but he was denied by a sprawling Alexis Gravel who just managed to keep the puck from crossing the goal line in a mad scramble in front of the net.
UQTR outmatched the Ravens in a do-or-die third period for Carleton. Zachary Lavigne scored a backbreaking goal early in the third period to put UQTR up 4-1. Minutes later, Jordan Martel converted on a UQTR 2-on-1 to put the Patriotes up 5-1 sealing Carleton’s fate. UQTR would add a sixth goal, this time from Simon Lafrance. UQTR advances to the quarterfinal with a 6-1 home win.
Shaun Van Allen was disappointed with the team’s loss but remains optimistic about the future of the men’s hockey program.
“We’re really going to be on the recruiting train here. We want to have a really deep team this year and add to the pieces we’ve already got. We want guys battling for spots next year,” Van Allen said.
