Box Score
Guelph, Ont. (January 30, 2014) – The Guelph Gryphons defeated the Waterloo Warriors 7-3 at the Gryphon Centre on Thursday night, moving into a play off position. The Gryphons are now 10-10-4, with the Warriors dropping to 10-10-3.
 
The scoring was spread around as the Gryphons earned goals from six different players. The team's leading scorer Nick Huard scored twice for his team in the offensive outburst. Guelph would outshoot the Warriors 34-32. 

The victory pushes the Gryphons closer toward securing a playoff position in the OUA West. Currently the Gryphons are tied for seventh place with the Varsity Blues with 24 points. Waterloo and Laurier are close behind them with 23 and 20 points respectively and a game in hand on the Gryphons. Top eight teams qualify for the playoffs. With four more games left in the regular season each game is crucial for the Gryphs with playoff implications on the line.  

The Gryphons and the Warriors both started out the game aggressively searching for scoring opportunities early on in the first period. It was a back and forth struggle between the two teams, with the Gryphons eventually getting the first shot on goal with Kyle Neuber trying to punch the puck in from inside the crease. Neuber would also get the first penalty of the game after a roughing call at 2:45, putting the Warriors on the power play. Waterloo didn't hesitate in getting set up in the offensive zone and were able to put consistent pressure on Gryphon goalie,Keith Hamilton. The Warriors would come very close to a goal, but the Gryphon defense was able to kick the puck out of the crease and keep the game scoreless.
 
The Gryphons would get a power play shortly after a hooking call. The Gryphons took control of possession immediately taking it down to the offensive zone and setting up quickly in front of the net. A quick shot from outside of the crease from Nicklas Huard would make it 1-0 for the Gryphons at 5:06 in the first period, with James Merrett and Kenneth Peroff on the assists. The Gryphons would score again late in the first period with a quick shot from Teal Burns, with Huard and Merrett on the assists.
 
In the second period the Warriors got their first break when Neuber was called for hooking. Waterloo was hoping to capitalize on the man-advantage, but it would be the Gryphons who would score a short-handed goal at 7:30 after a breakaway by Philip Teri to make it 3-0 for Guelph. Waterloo would stay on the power play, and a crosschecking penalty would give Waterloo a short two-man advantage. They weren't able to capitalize on the power plays and the Gryphons ended up successfully killing both the penalties.
 
Penalties would plague the Warriors for the remainder of the second period, halting any momentum that they had built up throughout the game. Warrior player Brett Mackie (Whitby, Ont.) was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and holding at 9:20, putting the Gryphons on the power play once again. Neuber would score for the Gryphons at 13:21, punching the puck into the net from the crease to make it 4-0 for Guelph, with Peroff and Trecapelli on the assists. The Gryphons would score again in the second period at 15:44, after a shot by Steven Strong on the breakaway with Leonard Fabbri on the assist to make it 5-0 for Guelph.
 
Waterloo power plays would change the game in the third period, with the Warriors determined to make a comeback. Waterloo would get their first power play of the period when Gryphon player Trecapelli was called for interference at 1:55. The Warriors would finally make it onto the board with a quick shot from Mackie, with Colin Behenna (Waterloo, Ont.) and Andy Smith (Rosetown, SK.) on the assists to make it 5-1 at 2:39 on the power play.
 
The Gryphons would respond later on in the period with Huard scoring his second goal of the game. Guelph was able to gain momentum through the neutral zone to put the puck up in the top corner behind Warrior goalie Justin Leclerc (Saskatoon, SK.), with Peroff and Strong on the assists to make it 6-1 in the third period.
 
A powerplay shot from Justin Larson (Buckhorn, Ont.) who was set up at the top of the circle, made it 6-2 for the Gryphons with Mackie and Chris Chappell (Pickering, Ont.) on the assists.
 
Guelph would get one more power play before the game was done after Jarred Parent (West Montrose, Ont.) was called for interference at 11:13. A pass across the crease from Peroff had Merrett set up to tip the puck in just past the pads of Leclerc, making it 7-2 for the Gryphons at 11:54 on the power play, with Trecapelli also on the assist.
 
The Warriors would score one more before the game was done. A quick shot from inside the crease would have Justin Larson scoring his second of the night for the Warriors and making it 7-3 with Chappell and Smith on the assists.
  
The Guelph Gryphon men's hockey team hits the ice again on February 1^st against the Western Mustangs in London with the puck set to drop at 7:00 p.m.