The Gees are defeated by the Ravens for the third time this season in a heated overtime finish
The Gee-Gees geared up on Thursday night to face off against crosstown rivals Carleton Ravens for their first game of 2025. The Gees were looking to start the new year on a win and even the score after a slim 5-4 loss in their previous matchup making them 0-2 on the season against the Ravens.
Unfortunately, in an intense game that went into overtime, the Ravens would take yet another win on the Gee-Gees, improving to 3-0 in the season series with yet another tight game 5-4.
1st Period
The Ravens would start the game out strong with a snipe from forward Will Collins, ringing off the right post and in past Gee-Gees goaltender Zach Dietz, putting them first on the board, up 1-0. Two minutes later, Gees forward Mitch Martin would have a two-on-one chance, but would be stopped by the pad of Steven Bacovsky.
With three minutes left in the first period, the Gees (Peter Stratis) would commit the first penalty, giving the Ravens a power play. The Gees would fend off their penalty kill and close the period down one goal.
2nd Period
Early in the second period, Ravens forward Peter Amanatidis would take a brutal blocked shot to the arm. Gees forward Zach Giroux followed the play with a cheeky shot from the side, slipping it past Ravens goalie Bacovsky to even the score 1-1 and pick up his eighth goal of the season.
During several plays in the second period, it seemed like the weakest link on the ice was the net, disconnecting four times. The Ravens would gain a power play for the second time of the game with a penalty on Gees defender Cam Gauvreau.
With seven minutes remaining in the second period, the Gees turned up with a great passing play from Vincent Labelle, Andrew Belchamber, and Brendon Clavelle, with Clavelle slotting it past Bacovsky on the wing putting the Gees up 2-1.
Meanwhile, Dietz’s glove was on fire, making back-to-back saves keeping the Gees lead intact. With two minutes remaining in the second the Gees would get a power play opportunity from a penalty from Peter Petruniak.
The Ravens would get another penalty with less than 30 seconds, and the Gees’ Brendon Clavelle wasted no time capitalizing on a pass from Giroux, slapping it past Bacovsky with just 1.2 seconds left in the period, earning his second of the game. The Gees had a two goal lead going into the final period.
3rd Period
Dietz would start the period with yet another spectacular glove save. As usually the case in the beginning half of the final period, it was very rough and sloppy hockey, with lots of fanned passes and shots, and bodies being thrown.
Eight minutes into the period, Gees Mathieu Desgagnés would get a slashing penalty, putting the Ravens on another power play. The Ravens’ Felix Bedard would get a goal from a bouncing puck in front of the net, making the score 3-2. Only 20 seconds later the Gees would strike back with a goal from Belchamber, outskating the Ravens defense putting the lead back to two. Once again, only a minute later Bedard would take a wrist shot past Dietz, making the score 4-3 for his second goal of the game.
The Gees would get a power play late in the third period with 3:21 remaining. They would play four on three from a previous scrap in the crease of Dietz. Bedard would get his hat trick in the clutch with less than a minute remaining, tying the game 4-4 forcing an overtime.
Overtime
The teams would get one final battle in a 3-on-3 overtime. Dietz made a stretch save early on. However, the Ravens’ Reese Belton would get a breakaway opportunity, with Nick McCarry icing the game with a shot past Dietz, making that the Ravens third win against the Gees on the season.
It’s always going to be an intense game when these rivals play. Although the Gees lost this game their record remains positive at 11-6-2. It was a close game overall with penalty minutes equal at 10, and the Ravens outshooting the Gees 32-30.
The team will gear up to take on the Nipissing Lakers and the Windsor Lancers at the Minto Sports Complex next weekend. heated overtime finish
