uOttawa Gee Gees win 6th straight Panda Game in close-call finish

UOttawa, Carleton faceoff in 55th Panda Game Students and fans flocked to TD Place Stadium to cheer on the Ravens and the Gee Gees for the 55th Panda Game. CTV’s Katelyn Wilson reports.

The Carleton Ravens came within a field goal of their first Panda Game victory since 2017, but ultimately came short of breaking the University of Ottawa Gee Gees winning streak on Sunday.

It's the Gee Gees sixth Panda Game victory in a row, besting the Ravens 35-32. The Ravens had a lead of 24-11 just after the start of the third quarter, but uOttawa came back strong with three touchdowns and one field goal in the second half.

With Carleton down 35-24 just over a minute before the end of the fourth quarter, the game seemed surely over for the Ravens, but an unexpected downfield touchdown and completed two-point conversion gave the team some hope of turning it around.

Carleton made their luck even stronger after successfully recovering an onside kick and was looking to be within field goal range to tie the game.

After some confusion on the field over the time left on the clock, the Gee Gees sacked the Ravens quarterback, forcing Carleton to attempt an unlikely 54-yard field goal.

The long shot kick ultimately came short, leaving Carleton without the Pedro the Panda, the trophy awarded to the winner, for another year.

uOttawa has the overall record of 38-17 wins in the long-running football tradition that has ignited the crosstown rivalry since its first game in 1955.

It was expected that about 24,000 fans would come out to the sold-out game.

Ottawa police, bylaw services and universities have been preparing to quell post-game street parties and disruptive behaviour that have led to a significant number of fines being issued and property damage in recent years.

The Ottawa Police Service says it will be patrolling the area around TD Place and nearby neighborhoods, including Sandy Hill and Old Ottawa South into the evening. Ottawa Bylaw officers will focus on enforcing noise, alcohol, and property-related regulations.

There were no significant incidents reported by Ottawa police after the 2023 Panda Game, the first year the event was held on a Sunday.

Officials and residents are hoping students celebrate responsibly again this year.

"If they want to have a good time and misbehave a little bit I’m cool with it. Just keep the cars in the right position, don’t set anything on fire and just respect the fact that people live here," said Sandy Hill resident Lyndon Goveas on Sunday.

In 2022, seven people were arrested and dozens of tickets were issued after a street party in Sandy Hill following the football game. In 2021, thousands of students gathered on the streets in Sandy Hill, with a car flipped onto its roof.

A post-Panda party will be held in Parking Lot K near the 90U residence parking lot from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event is BYOB and will feature several musical acts. A valid student ID from any post-secondary institution is required for entry.

"This whole event is really a mitigation strategy to get the students out of the streets and be respectful of our neighbours," said organizer Paul Ausman.

"We want to keep this thing getting bigger and better."

Students will not be permitted to enter the event with more than 375 mL of hard liquor, 750 mL of wine, six cans of beer or coolers.

No glass bottles or containers will be permitted.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dave Charbonneau and Katelyn Wilson