Oct. 29: Guelph 6 - UOIT 4

GUELPH - Coming off back-to-back losses against Lakehead last weekend, the Guelph Gryphons were looking to reignite their offence against the UOIT Ridgebacks tonight in the Gryphon Centre.  Mustering up a six-goal performance, the Gryphons claimed their second win against the Ridgebacks this season, with the 6-4 victory.

Key contributors for Guelph included rookie, James Merrett (Vernon, Ont.), who netted a pair of goals for the Gryphons, while Thomas Kiriakou (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Matt Lyall (Richmond Hill, Ont.) each chipped in two assists.  Other goal-scorers for the Gryphons were Mike Kusy (St. Catharines, Ont.), Kris Belan (Florence, Ont.), Tim Priamo (Guelph, Ont.), and J.T MacDonald (Niagara Falls, Ont.).

Cody St. Jacques (Iroquois Falls, Ont.) started between the pipes for the Gryphons, picking up the win, with 28 saves on 32 shots and looking solid throughout all 60 minutes.

Chris Purves (Scarborough, Ont.) picked up a goal and an assist for the Ridgebacks, while team captain, Nathan Spaling (Drayton, Ont.), helped on offense, dishing up three helpers on the night.

Jason Guy (Whitby, Ont.) started for UOIT and looked solid in the first period stopping 16 of 17 shots, but after taking a beating in the second would sit out the rest of the game.  Jeff Dawson (Bracebridge, Ont.), who came in to mind the crease for the remainder of the game, put on a stellar performance, holding the Gryphon offense to just one more score, recording 18 saves on 19 shots.

The first period was clearly a battle of the goaltenders.  For UOIT, Jason Guy held his team in the game making 17 saves in the frame, including a breakaway attempt by Geoff Guimond (Mississauga, Ont.) that was denied by the kicked-out, left pad of Guy.  Cody St. Jacques was also on his game, defending a 5-on-3, penalty kill with his right toe.  With three, open chances from the side of the net, Ridgeback forwards were unable to lift the puck over the dominant right leg of the Gryphon netminder, who shot after shot, pinned his toe to the post, keeping the puck out of the net.

Mike Kusy would be credited with the only goal of the period, coming on a wrap around attempt just under five minutes into the game.  After an awkward shot by Barrett Brook (Leduc, Alta.) on the left side of the net, Kusy picked up the puck behind the net and turned sharply around the opposite post.  Throwing the rubber through the crease, Kusy would get a lucky bounce off the leg of a laid-out Ridgeback, resulting in the first score of the game.

A scuffle would end the first period, sending both teams to the dressing room trying to find the answers to the goaltenders.

Guelph seemed to find the answer for beating Guy in the second period, racking up a whopping, five-goal performance in the frame.  J.T. MacDonald started the push just a minute in, on a beautiful pass from Justin Gvora (Thunder Bay, Ont.).  Pat Campbell (Sauble Beach, Ont.) kept the puck onside in the UOIT zone and sent it around the boards where Gvora had outskated the Ridgeback defender.  Facing the boards, Gvora slid a no-look pass to the front of the net where MacDonald snapped it through the five-hole of Guy.

Guelph would put the puck home twice more before UOIT got on the score sheet.  Tim Priamo picked up the third Gryphon goal on the powerplay, firing a point-shot that ruffled the netting, while James Merrett knocked home his first of the season on a 2-on-2 feed from Matt Lyall.

Looking to the narrow the 4-0 Gryphon-lead, the Ridgebacks answered Merrett's goal just 16 seconds later on a mid-range, hard shot from Chris Purves.  St. Jacques, who was screened by a number of skaters was helpless, as the puck blew passed him.

Following the UOIT score, the Gryphons went back to work netting another two goals before the Ridgebacks could respond.  Kris Belan and James Merrett would be the Gryphons to find the back of the net. 

Belan's goal came off a quick feed from Kiriakou, who had just skated the length of the ice, banging the puck passed Guy.  The Gryphons 5-1 lead caused the Ridgebacks to make a goalie change, sending in Jeff Dawson in to face the ignited, Gryphon offense.  Guelph tested Dawson early and despite the tremendous play by the netminder, managed to beat the UOIT netminder on a quick shot off a faceoff to the left of Dawson.  Lyall won the draw and Merrett blistered home his second of the game, putting the Gryphons up 6-1.

The Ridgebacks wouldn't back down though, scoring a pair of their own before the end of the second. The first came just 19 seconds after Merrett buried his second, as Brendan Wise (Stouffville, Ont.), skated in from the sideboards and dumped the puck into the corner of the net.  Matt Pasztor (Langton, Ont.) tallied the third UOIT goal sneaking in from the blue line on the powerplay and one-timing the pass from Nathan Spaling behind St. Jacques.

Ridgebacks forward, Scott Baker (Mactier, Ont.) scored the only goal of the third period just a couple minutes in on a redirected shot from Purves at the point.

The late surge by UOIT wouldn't be enough to overcome the wide margin Guelph had established in the second period and the Gryphons walked away with their second victory over the Ridgebacks this season.

The Gryphons host the Windsor Lancers next week, on Friday (Nov. 5) and Saturday (Nov. 6), in back-to-back games at the Gryphon Centre.  Both games get underway at 7:30pm.

By: Jacob Cassidy

 

GAME SUMMARY

UOIT 4 at Guelph 6 - Status: Final

Friday, October 29, 2010 - Gryphon Centre Arena

UOIT 0 3 1 - 4

Guelph 1 5 0 - 6

1st Period-1, Guelph, Kusy 2 (Brook, Guimond), 4:04. Penalties-Pawlowski Gue (roughing), 12:54; Campbell Gue (tripping), 14:03; Wise Uoit (hooking), 15:33; Spade Uoit (roughing), 19:01; Kusy Gue (roughing), 19:01.

2nd Period-2, Guelph, Macdonald 2 (Gvora, Campbell), 1:01. 3, Guelph, Priamo 2 (Martine, Kiriakou), 5:41 (PP). 4, Guelph, Merrett 2 (Lyall, McFarlane), 7:12. 5, UOIT, Purves 1 (George, Spaling), 7:48. 6, Guelph, Belan 5 (Kiriakou, Gale), 14:22 (PP). 7, Guelph, Merrett 3 (Lyall), 15:53. 8, UOIT, Wise 6 (George, Spaling), 16:34. 9, UOIT, Pasztor 1 (Spaling, Noyes), 19:00 (PP). Penalties-Wise Uoit (bench minor), 3:16; Pasztor Uoit (hooking), 5:20; Spade Uoit (10-minute misconduct), 7:48; Brook Gue (10-minute misconduct), 7:48; Priamo Gue (interference), 9:13; Barletta Uoit (holding), 12:08; Campbell Gue (roughing), 12:08; Oliver Uoit (tripping), 13:56; McFarlane Gue (hooking), 18:37; Campbell Gue (cross checking, roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 19:44.

3rd Period-10, UOIT, Baker 2 (Purves), 1:57 (PP). Penalties-Peroff Gue (tripping), 1:57; Spaling Uoit (holding), 12:52; Spade Uoit (holding), 13:51; McCullough Uoit (slashing), 17:41; Belan Gue (roughing), 19:52.

Shots on Goal-UOIT 8-11-13-32. Guelph 17-12-14-43.

Power Play Opportunities-UOIT 2 / 9; Guelph 2 / 7.

Goalies-UOIT, Guy 2-4-0 (24 shots-19 saves); Dawson 0-1-0 (19 shots-18 saves). Guelph, St. Jacques 3-4-0 (32 shots-28 saves)