By: Mason Bugaresti (Photo: Marc Lafleur)
OTTAWA - The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team picked up their fourth-straight win Friday night against the McGill Redbirds thanks to a pair of goals from Parker Aucoin and a Nick McCarry bar-down shootout winner.
The Ravens took an early minor penalty, giving the OUA’s top powerplay an early opportunity to strike. Just when fans thought Carleton had dodged an early bullet, McGill’s leading goal-scorer Eric Uba (Kitcehner, Ont.) fired home his eighth of the season to give McGill the 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Redbirds’ forward Alexandre Gagnon (Gatineau, Que.) had a chance to double McGill’s lead with a late breakaway chance, but Mark Grametbauer (Halifax, N.S.) turned his effort aside. Carleton needed a much better second period after being outshot 10-3 in the first.
McGill continued their strong start in the second period potting a pair of early goals to put the Ravens in a 3-0 hole six minutes into middle frame. With their backs against the wall, Parker Aucoin (Sturgeon Country, Alta.) pulled another special performance out of his bag of tricks, scoring twice in less than 30 seconds to bring Carleton within one. On a late powerplay, Carleton’s Nick McCarry (Calgary, Alta.) buried home a rebound to knot the game at 3-3 setting up an epic third period.
Carleton jumped out to the lead in the third period as Simon Kerr (Kingston, Ont.) wired a one-timer home on the powerplay to put the Ravens ahead 4-3. The Ravens killed off a late McGill powerplay and looked like they would take this one in regulation before a bouncing puck found its way in the Carleton goal with just 1.6 seconds remaining in regulation. For the second time this season, regulation time was not enough to split the difference between the Ravens and Redbirds.
Carleton again fell shorthanded in the third period after an early tripping call but managed to kill off the 4-on-3 powerplay, as the Ravens would hang on to force the shootout where they would take home the extra point with a Nick McCarry (Calgary, Alta.) shootout winner.
The Ravens are right back at it tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. taking on the uOttawa Gee-Gees at the Minto Sports Complex for the first meeting of the season between the crosstown rivals. Carleton returns to the Ice House on Dec. 1 to face the RMC Paladins in the Ravens’ final home game of the 2022 calendar year.
