Photo credit: Marc Lafleur
In a dramatic setting, the Carleton Ravens won in dramatic fashion. The Ravens topped the archrival University of Ottawa Gee-Gees 4-3 in the third-annual Colonel By Classic at TD Place Arena.
It was an emotional game full of physicality and bad blood. The Ravens came back from two goals down to force overtime and then win in a shootout. It was a trend-stopping effort for Carleton, who had lost three straight games to Ottawa (dating back to last season) and had lost three games in the shootout already this season.
The Gee-Gees held their two-goal lead with under six minutes left to play in the third period, but were undone by late mistakes that helped the Ravens force overtime. Carleton defenseman C.J. Garcia took advantage of a loose puck at the Ottawa blue line and setup Jared Steege in the slot to bring the Ravens within one with five minutes left.
Then with just over a minute remaining in regulation, Jacob Smith sped out of the Carleton zone down ice and received the pass behind both Ottawa defensemen. As soon as the puck touched his stick, he fired a shot past goaltender Anthony Brodeur. The building erupted, as did the Ravens bench.
Following a scoreless overtime frame, Smith and Matthew Forchuk scored in the shootout to complete the comeback. The Gee-Gees came into the game first place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference and 7-0 when leading a game in the third period.
Ottawa had won the only other meeting between the teams so far this season 3-2 in a shootout at Carleton. Coincidentally, the Ravens had blown a two-goal lead in that game.
Gee-Gees forward Kevin Domingue opened the scoring in the second period by blowing past Garcia towards the Carleton net and tapping a quick forehand shot past Ravens netminder Francois Brassard. Ottawa built on that goal with a perfectly-timed breakaway marker from Quinn O’Brien.
O’Brien served a minor penalty and received a breakout pass coming out of the penalty box following a successful Gee-Gee penalty kill. He capitalized with a wrist shot that trickled through the padding of Brassard. O’Brien’s first goal of the season put Ottawa up by two.
After one of the game’s several post-whistle scuffles landed Gee-Gee captain Eric Locke in the penalty box, the Ravens finally found the net. Defenseman Josh Burnside scored with a wrist shot from the point on the power play that beat a screened Anthony Brodeur in net.
Ottawa answered minutes later with a power play goal of their own to reestablish a comfortable lead before Carleton mounted their late two-goal comeback. It came courtesy of Cody Drover, one of Ottawa’s top scorers.
Brodeur, son of NHL Hall of Famer Martin, provided two unbelievable saves in the game that looked like sure goals. First, he robbed the Ravens on a two-on-zero opportunity with a snatching glove save in the first period. Then, with mere seconds left in regulation, he stoned Smith by the tip of his left pad on what looked to be a winning tap-in goal for the Carleton forward. It was the first loss of the 2018-19 season for Brodeur.
Ravens goaltender Francois Brassard has now won his last six starts in net after beginning the season 0-2.
That Carleton women’s hockey team won their battle with the Gee-Gees as well earlier that day 5-2 in their new rivalry game: the first-annual Alerts Cup.
With the win, the Ravens take a 2-1 all-time lead in Colonel By Classics. They won the first-ever matchup two seasons ago but fell to the Gee-Gees in the 2017 iteration of the event.
