Guelph eyes nationals as proven underdog
Grabbing a mere three victories out of the opening 16 games of the 2014-15 campaign, the Guelph Gryphons men’s hockey team looked to be quickly en route to a long off season.
However, redefining themselves as proven underdogs, the Gryphons have rightfully earned a spot in the OUA West finals against the defending OUA Champion in the Windsor Lancers – a series that began on Feb. 25 in Windsor for Game One.
Finishing sixth in the Western Conference on the season, the Gryphons overcame the lack of home ice advantage in both the opening series against the Ryerson Rams and the semi-finals versus the Toronto Varsity Blues. Guelph fell in both Game One’s, yet, went on to record a 4-0 record when facing elimination in the best-of-three series format, coming out victorious in the pair of win-or-go-home Game Two and Three’s so far these playoffs.
To add to the underdog story, it’s been almost 20 years since the Gryphons made it this far into the postseason, with the 1998-99 squad the last roster to reach the feat as they lost in the East Division final to the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres (UQTR).
To credit for the surprising to some, yet earned to most, success of Guelph thus far, former goaltender of the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and freshman for the Gryphons Andrew D’Agostini leads the way carrying a significant portion of the load. In Game Three of the opening round, the Scarborough, Ontario native turned aside a remarkable 38 saves to help get his team to the semi-finals against the Varsity Blues. Rarely faltering between the pipes, D’Agostini continued his strong play in a dominant 5-2 victory over the Blues on Feb. 22 – the win that would ultimately advance the Gryphons to the West finals.
Leading the offensive prowess, veteran forward Nick Huard has been a pillar for Guelph, while Carlos Amestoy and Robert De Fulviis hold the ability to be game changers, and only continue to prove so.
A large contrast to that of their West final opponents in the Windsor Lancers, the Gryphons have a notable number of freshmen on the roster, each making a statement for the red, gold, and black. Former Guelph Storm defenceman Mac Nichol leads all Gryphon blue liners in points, while Scott Simmonds was named Gryphons Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending Feb. 22 for compiling four points (two goals, two assists) in the last two contests against the Varsity Blues in the semi-finals.
Holding the biggest conference in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), the OUA is awarded three spots in the national championships. The two teams (West Division Champion and East Division Champion) go head-to-head to battle for the OUA title; however, both squads receive a birth to compete in the CIS Championships held in Halifax. For the third remaining spot, the West Division finalist and East Division finalist are given a one-off match-up, with the winner getting the bid.
Nevertheless, Halifax and the potential it holds isn’t the focus for the Gryphons right now. Instead, it’s in the defending OUA Champions, the Windsor Lancers, and the West Final series that stands in their way of a chance to compete for the 2015 OUA title.
Game One of the series was played on Feb. 25 in Windsor, while Game Two is scheduled for Feb. 27 at the Gryphon Centre. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. Game Three, if necessary, will have the teams return to Windsor on Feb. 28 for a second consecutive 7:30 p.m. game time.
The OUA Championships will feature the winner of the West Division final in either the Lancers or the Gryphons, and the team that advances out of the East Division in either McGill or UQTR.