MONTREAL – Forward Meara Ryan scored at 10:57 of the first period and goaltender Caitlin Whitehead posted a 36-save shutout as the visiting Carleton Ravens escaped with a 1-0 victory in RSEQ women's hockey at McConnell Arena, Saturday.
 
It was the third time in four meetings this season that the cross-border rivals battled to a 1-0 result. McGill had a 36-27 advantage in shots but couldn't solve Whitehead in the Carleton net. The result dropped McGill's lifetime head-to-head record to 108-11-1 lifetime against the Ravens.
 
In a penalty-filled affair that featured 14 infractions, the Ravens went 1-for-6 on the power-play, while McGill was 0-for-7. Among the penalized was Carleton's Justine Larkin, who was tossed early in the final period with a rare game misconduct after receiving a minor for checking from behind. She will be assessed an automatic league-imposed suspension.
 
McGill netminder Sarah Carmichael, a pharmacology junior from St. Lazare, Que., made her third consecutive start and kicked out 26 of 27 shots in a losing cause.
 
It was a critical result for fifth-place Carleton, which improved to 6-13-1 in the RSEQ conference, three points behind Ottawa (6-9-4) in a hunt for the final playoff berth. A heart-breaking fifth consecutive loss for McGill, this setback puts the young squad in dire straits with a 4-16-1 record, seven points out of a playoff spot with five games remaining.
 
The Martlets will face two must-win road games next week, beginning with No.1 ranked Concordia (19-0-0) on Friday (Feb. 2) at 7 p.m., followed by a matinee at Bishop's (12-7-0) on Feb. 3.  
 
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SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca