Photo by Marc Lafleur
TORONTO – The Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team had two final tune-ups ahead of the 2021-22 regular season this week with visits to Oshawa and Toronto. The Ravens took advantage of their time on the road building confidence with two close wins, improving their preseason record to 3-3.
On Thursday night, the Ravens played the ever-challenging Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. The Ravens would fall behind only three minutes in, before Parker AuCoin (Sturgeon County, Alta.) and Aiden Wagner (Langley, B.C.) would score less than seven minutes apart to give the Ravens the first-period lead. The Ravens would extend their lead early in the third with a goal from Sam Meisenheimer (Ottawa, Ont.) before the Ridgebacks would get one back only 3 minutes later. Cole McLaren (Lequille, N.S.) would shut the door the rest of the way for the Ravens, with 33 saves, as the Ravens took game one of their road trip 3-2.
On Friday night, the Ravens would challenge former Ravens’ assistant coach Ryan Medel and University of Toronto Varsity Blues. After a scoreless first half, Parker AuCoin would score his second of the trip, giving the Ravens a 1-0 lead that would hold up until the final minute when Oliver Castleman (Ottawa, Ont.) would score an empty netter to seal the 2-0 victory. Mark Grametbauer (Halifax, N.S.) continued the strong play in goal backstopping the Ravens to the shutout with 31 saves.
The Ravens now prepare for their season opener on November 4 at the University of Ottawa before opening the home half of the schedule on Friday, November 12 against the McGill Redbirds.
