"We're about the collective here, I think we've got great quality across the board." Head Coach Marcelo Plada
"We're about the collective here, I think we've got great quality across the board."
It will take a full group effort for the Carleton Ravens to return to the top of the OUA table. After claiming the Blackwood at home in 2023, Marcelo Plada and the Ravens are ready to wear a target throughout the 2024 campaign.
Now in his second year as head coach, Plada will enter the season with his first true recruiting class. Combined with a strong core of returning players, there is a cautious optimism surrounding the team. "We've got quite a diverse team with players from right across the country, players from the states and two from Europe, so it's been interesting," he explained. "The squad is deep and looks ready for the season."
With the Ravens kicking off the 2024 season on Saturday at Nipissing we look at three big questions for the year ahead.
While the Ravens expected to lose the likes of Raphael Garcia and Tareq Hamad, the loss of Amadou Kone and Luca Piccioli to the CPL opened a large gap for the Ravens. It would be easy to question who may replace that depth, but with veterans like Caden Tomy, Moses Kafeero and Mohamed Bouzidi guarantee the Ravens continue to have depth across the park.
The Ravens have led the OUA in goals each of the last three seasons, each year with a new catalyst. But with each passing year, the Ravens scoring leader has moved on. Now, without Piccioli, the Ravens committee will be tasked with trying to continue to fill the net at an alarming pace. Look for Mohammed Bouzidi and Darren Bouaziz to be leaders among a group of young talented strikers. The two Ravens accounted for 11 goals last season and will no doubt look to play a bigger role in 2024.
Over the summer we were introduced to a significant recruiting class with talent spanning the globe. For Carleton now, the question quickly becomes who takes the first step. The Ravens have a well established history of rookies playing key roles as seen by the likes of Amadou Kone last season and Matteo diBrienne in 2021. Now, with a large group of recruits, it's time to see who will be Marcelo Plada's first breakout star.
