OTTAWA, Ont - The Laurier Golden Hawks extended their winning streak to four games with a thrilling 2-1 shootout victory over the Carleton Ravens on Saturday night. 

Coming off the momentum of a big win the previous evening, the Golden Hawks were prepared for their first meeting against the Ravens since the team debuted in the OUA at the start of the season - having made the conference changeover from the RSEQ. 

However, an unexpected Zamboni malfunction led to a last-minute venue change. The teams relocated to a secondary rink with noticeable differences in ice dimensions, forcing both squads to adjust quickly.

Laurier wasted no time asserting themselves as Emily Olson set the tone just 1:27 into the game. Olson's shot deflected off the Carleton netminder from behind the net and found its way over the goal line, giving Laurier an early lead.

W??: GOAL ?? Emily Olson scores on a deflection from behind the net to open the scoring early ??
1-0 WLU.#SoarAbove | #WLUvsCAR pic.twitter.com/FaFk2srblo

— Laurier Golden Hawks (@WLUAthletics) January 12, 2025

The Ravens responded midway through the first period on a power-play blue line snipe from Avery Krawchuk to even the score at one apiece. 

"We talked after the first period and established that we played great hockey. We just had to stick with it and trust that it would work for us," said assistant coach Nik Knezic, stepping in for head coach Kelly Paton as she represents Canada at the FISU World University Games.

The rest of the game showcased an intense battle of contrasting strengths. Laurier dominated in 5-on-5 play, while Carleton excelled on special teams. 

The goaltenders were the stars of the show, with Laurier's Kayla Renaud and Carleton rookie Kaitlyn Langille making key stops, including a highlight-reel sprawling save by Langille to deny Clara Chisholm on a backdoor opportunity.

After a tightly contested overtime period failed to produce a winner, the game went to a shootout. Carleton struck first in the opening round, but Renaud shut the door in the following attempts, allowing Laurier's Brianna Bowman to take charge.

Bowman found the net in both the third and fourth rounds, securing the hard-fought win for the Golden Hawks.

W??: SHOOTOUT W ??????

Final:
WLU| 2
CAR| 1#SoarAbove | #WLUvsCAR pic.twitter.com/5s8453XZqB

— Laurier Golden Hawks (@WLUAthletics) January 12, 2025

"We just stuck with the process and kept going. We've played a lot of hockey in the past 24 hours, so we kept hammering home the message to take it one period at a time. I think we really earned this win," Knezic added. 

The Golden Hawks will now turn their attention to a key matchup against cross-town rivals, the Waterloo Warriors. 

Laurier will aim for their season-high fifth consecutive win when they host the Warriors for a Battle of Waterloo on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. at Sun Life Financial Arena.

Tickets are available now and the action will also be live on OUA.tv.