Gryphons shutout Laurentian in successful home opener
On Sat, Oct. 15 the Gryphons women’s hockey team defended their home territory against the Laurentian Voyageurs in a successful 5-0 feat.
The first period saw lots of back-and-forth play between the two teams, with the Gryphons outshooting the Voyageurs 13-5. No goals were scored.
“Centre Sydney Davison scored high on the glove side…”
However, come the second period, the Gryphons got down to business and put Laurentian on their heels right away. Centre Sydney Davison scored high on the glove side at 1:24 into the period. She was assisted by winger Brittany St. James.
Less than two minutes later, assistant captain Kaitlin Lowy scored the Gryphons’ second goal of the game, assisted by Kelly Gribbons and Mackenzie Wong. Guelph continued to dominate the second period, where penalties were taken by both teams, and each had a chance to practice their penalty kills.
“…assistant captain Kaitlin Lowy scored the Gryphons’ second goal of the game…”
With 5:56 left in the second period, Lowy was on the offensive again and scored a shorthanded goal on a penalty kill, with teammate Davison in the penalty box for interference. By the end of the second period, shots were 27-10 in favour of Guelph.
In the third period, Laurentian rallied and came out flying, showing a newfound aggression that had been lacking. This resulted in several scrambles in front of the Gryphon’s net, to no avail for the Voyageurs. This toughness fizzled within minutes as the Gryphons sought control of the play again and began to play more cohesively.
Midway through the third period, a Gryphon goal was called off due to the net being displaced, which resulted in a penalty being called against Voyageur player Brooklyn Davis for interference. The Gryphons scored their fourth goal of the game just seconds after their power play ended.
“With the final score 5-0 in favour of the Gryphons, the home crowd went wild.”
Again, Laurentian rallied in the final 10 minutes of the game, using their size and strength to muscle their way into the Gryphons’ defensive zone.
Guelph’s final goal was an empty-netter by Davison, capitalizing on an opportunity just above the faceoff circle with 13 seconds left in the game.
With the final score 5-0 in favour of the Gryphons, the home crowd went wild. The final shot count was 36-27 for Guelph.
Photo by Tasha Falconer.