Carleton Sports Info (Photo: Marc Lafleur)
OTTAWA - The Carleton Ravens stumbled out of the gates for 2023 falling 5-2 to their crosstown rivals from uOttawa.
The Gee-Gees scored only seconds into Friday's contest in a sign of things to come for the Ravens. Inconsistency and an inability to convert on chances was the difference as uOttawa scored four times in the first half of the game for a commanding 4-1 lead.
After Matthew Desgagnes made it two-nothing for the visitors late in the first it appeared Carleton had their back to the wall before Paul Larabie scored his first OUA goal to cut the lead in half.
After Larabie's wrist shot from the blue line beat Gee-Gees goalie Jean-Philippe Tourigny the Ravens pushed with tempo for the final minutes of the first but trailed entering the second. Desgagnes scored his second of the night early into the middle period before Charles-Antoine Roy scored shorthanded to build a three goal lead.
The Ravens didn't relent, with key OUA positioning on the line Carleton directed 26 shots on Tourigny in the final two periods but was only able to beat him once more. Alex Johnston's late second period goal gave the Ravens hope but they couldn't find the twine.
Carleton will have little time to lament the loss. The red hot Ontario Tech Ridgebacks visit the Carleton Ice House on Saturday night. Both teams are locked in the midst of the OUA East playoff race which is wide open from second through seventh.
Catch all the action at the Carleton Ice House when the puck drops at 7:00 p.m.
