By: Mason Bugaresti
The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team saw their perfect start to the season ended on Friday night as they suffered their first loss of the season in the shootout 3-2 to the RMC Paladins.
The Ravens got out to a quick start in this one just as they did in their opening weekend wins. Kieran Craig (Alexandria, Ont.) opened the scoring against the Paladins on the powerplay with his second goal of the year. Just minutes later, Brogan O’Brien (Prince George, B.C.) put home his first of the season to give Carleton a 2-0 lead.
Carleton continued creating chances during the period until Alex Johnston took a double-minor to give RMC a four-minute powerplay. Raven goaltender Mark Grametbauer (Halifax, N.S.), who came into this game with an impressive .951 save-percentage, made some superb shorthanded stops. Most notably, one where the puck was lost in his equipment for a minute by the officials and the Raven himself.
RMC fought back in the second period with a pair of quick goals of their own to knot the game at 2-2. Paladins’ defenceman Bruce Coltart (Kanata, Ont.) ripped a point shop that Grametbauer made the first save on, but Mitch Larabie (Kingston, Ont.) was right there to put RMC on the board. Moments later, Chris Paquette (Kingston, Ont.) converted off a Ravens’ giveaway to tie the game.
A Stamatios Barberis (Vancouver, B.C.) point shot late in the period almost put Carleton back in front, but it clanked off the post after ricocheting off bodies in the crease. With seconds remaining in the period, Blake Allan took another double-minor on a high-sticking call. For the first time this season, the Ravens did not carry the lead heading into the final period.
The Ravens killed off the penalty to start off what was a tight-checking third period. The best chances of the period came in the final minute. Mark Grametbauer (Halifax, N.S.) made his best save of the game with 30 seconds left on the RMC goal-scorer Larabie. A late high-sticking call put Carleton on the powerplay, and Aaron Boyd (Winnipeg, Man.) was robbed on a one-timer with just one second left on the clock.
Seven minutes of overtime hockey solved nothing between these two teams, bringing this one to a shootout. A Brogan O’Brien (Prince George, B.C.) backhander was not enough as RMC took this one in the shootout.
The Ravens are back in action tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. on OUA.TV as they take on the Queen’s Gaels to close out their Kingston road-trip. Carleton’s next home game is Nov. 4 as the McGill Redbirds come to town.
