PREVIEW: Men’s hockey set to battle rival Ravens at Colonel By Classic

Two of the top four teams in the country are set to take the ice at the Arena at TD Place for the fourth annual Colonel By Classic on Friday, November 15, as the Gee-Gees men's hockey team face the Carleton Ravens. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Fresh off wins over nationally ranked opponents McGill and Carleton last weekend, the Gee-Gees soared back into the top 10. Heading into Friday night, Ottawa is ranked fourth in the nation, with an overall record of 6-3-0.

Carleton enters the game with a 10-2-0 record and the third-ranked team in the U SPORTS top 10.

These games are always fun. It adds something to our regular season play to have this type of a game," said Gee-Gees head coach Patrick Grandmaître. "It's always fun to have a bit of buzz around campus, and the fact we're both near the top of the rankings nationally adds another element to this match-up."

Ottawa's record in the Colonel By Classic is 1-1-1 since the program was re-established in 2016. Each of the last two games have been decided by a lone goal, with the Gee-Gees edging the Ravens in 2017 by a 4-3 score. 

Carleton got their revenge last season, as they erased a two-goal deficit with under five minutes to go in the third period to force overtime. The Ravens would prevail in the shootout, handing Ottawa only their second loss of the season to that point.

Crowds of 2,268 and 2,578 have packed into TD Place during the last two years, making the Colonel By Classic one of the best-attended U SPORTS events and yielding unique atmosphere each and every season. 

The teams have been incredibly evenly matched for the last two campaigns. During 2018-19, the cross-town foes faced off four times, with each team winning twice. The combined score of those four games was 12-12.

This season appears to be no different. The teams are slated to square off three times during the regular season, with their first matchup coming last Sunday at the Minto Sports Complex. In typical fashion, the game was a one-goal affair. Rookie defenceman Nicolas Mattinen scored the game winner midway through the third to give Ottawa a 2-1 win.

"Playing against Carleton last Sunday was a measuring stick game for our team, in a sense," Grandmaître said. "We've done what we need to do to prepare, our guys will know what to expect. I'm looking forward to Friday night."

Sunday was the second loss of the season for the Ravens, who have prevailed in a number of close games this season. If one removes empty-net goals, eight of Carleton's 12 games have been one-goal affairs, with the Ravens winning six of them. 

Sophomore forward Brogan O'Brien leads the Ravens offensively with 12 points. His eight goals are second in the OUA behind Guelph's Mikkel Aagaard, who has ten.

Freshman netminder Mark Grametbauer has proved to be solid between the pipes. His 1.82 goals-against-average and .941 save percentage are both second in the conference.

Ottawa is backstopped by dependable fifth-year goaltender Domenic Graham. Having started both games last weekend, Graham conceded just one goal and his save percentage now sits at .930 on the season.

Cody Drover paces the Gee-Gees with ten points. He earned his 100^th career point against the Ravens on Sunday by setting up Mattinen for the game winner. Teammate Kevin Domingue notched his 100^th point on Saturday versus McGill.

On the blueline, rookie Dominic Cormier leads the team offensively. His eight points on the season are third-most in the league by a rookie defenceman 

Tickets can be purchased online here, at the door, or on campus at MNT 102.

Follow @GeeGeesMHKY on Twitter for in-game updates. The game will be streamed on OUA.tv.

Following the Colonel By Classic, the Gee-Gees will be back on home ice on Saturday night when they host the visiting Nipissing Lakers at 7 p.m.