With the series on the line, the Guelph Gryphons hosted the Brock Badgers for Game three of the first round of OUA West playoffs. With plenty of fans in attendance for both teams, the Gryphon Centre was loud, leading to a high-intensity game. The Gryphons would get on top in the first though and never let up, with an offensive barrage taking them to an 8-5 victory over the Badgers.
It was another big night for Justin Gvora (Thunder Bay, Ont.) in the 2010-2011 season, as he posted his second five-point performance of the year, which included a hat-trick and two assists. Kris Belan (Florence, Ont.) and James Merrett (Vernon, Ont.) each contributed four points in the Gryphons' offensive circus, with Belan picking up two goals and two assists, while Merrett chipped in four helpers.
For the Badgers, C.J. Dickson (Thorold, Ont.) was the leading point-getter with three assists. Jordan Gignac (Hamilton, Ont.) was also played a major role for the Badgers on offense, scoring a goal and tallying an assist, while Brad Flynn (New Glasgow, N.S.) also had a two-point night picking up two assists.
Andrew Loverock (Elmvale, Ont.) started for the Gryphons tonight and managed to hold off the Badgers to give his team the win, making 20 saves on the night.
Kurt Jory (Brandon, Man.) was given the nod for the Badgers and made 32 saves on 38 shots. Jory would play just over forty minutes before being pulled after the Gryphons' sixth goal. Jordan Bent (St. George, N.B.) was sent in to relieve Jory and made 3 saves on 4 shots.
With the win the Gryphons will move on to the second round of the OUA West playoffs, while the loss puts an end to the Badgers' 2010-2011 season.
Both teams came out strong in the first period, battling hard for their spot in the next round of the playoffs. However, the Gryphons would out-chance the Badgers, outshooting them 18-7 in the frame and taking a 2-1 lead with them into the first intermission.
It took the Gryphons 17:19 to get their first of the night due to some spectacular goaltending from Kurt Jory. The Badger netminder could only hold the Gryphons off for so long though, and a powerplay opportunity late in the frame resulted in 1-0 lead for the Guelph squad. With Kris Belan screening in front of the net, Nathan Martine slid the puck across the top of the zone to Tim Priamo. Priamo wound up and blasted a shot right through Jory to ruffle the mesh.
After waiting nearly a whole period to pocket goal number one, it took the Gryphons just one minute to beat Jory for a second time. Putting the pressure on deep in the Brock zone, Ed Gale left the puck behind the net for Justin Gvora. Gvora swept around the back of the net, picked up the puck and, curling around Jory's left post, buried the rubber inside the far post.
With under a minute remaining in the period, the Badgers found a way to beat Loverock and take away the Gryphons' insurance. Jumping on a loose puck that was turned over by the Gryphons, Jordan Gignac chopped at the puck in front of he net. The knuckle puck floated up and over the shoulder of Loverock and into the top of the net.
The Badgers definitely looked like a team whose season was in jeopardy coming into the second period. Recharged from their rest in the intermission, the Badgers dominated possession in the first chunk of the frame. However, standing on his head, Loverock was able to keep his team's one-goal advantage.
At 8:03 the Gryphons would repay Loverock for his efforts, potting their third of the night. Belan would get credit for the goal, stuffing it into the open net after coming up with the loose puck that had squeaked through a crowd in front. Belan followed up with his second of the night, under two minutes later, on a wrap-around that gave the Gryphons a 4-1 lead.
The Badgers weren't about to let up though, and tightened the gap to two goals at 12:34, when Adam Schwark banged one past Loverock. The 4-2 margin would only hold for a few minutes however, until Gvora put home his second of the evening, giving the Gryphons a 5-2 lead to end the second.
Guelph was back at it again to start the third period, setting up their sixth goal of the game at 1:47. Winding up again at the point, Priamo hammered a shot over the shoulder of Jory for his second goal of the night. This would signal the end of Jory's night between the pipes, as Jordan Bent was called in to take over.
The change in the crease seemingly ignited the trailing Badgers, answering the Gryphon goal with two of their own in a span of two minutes. Brock defender, Isaac Smeltzer, fired a heater on net that blew passed Loverock to get his team back into it, 6-3. The Badgers' fourth goal was then scored by Derek Brochu, who spun around with the puck on his tape, in front of the Gryphon goal, and jammed it in under the pad of Loverock, to make it 6-4.
Ten minutes of back and forth play existed after the fourth Brock goal, when finally one of the three Gryphons with two goals under their belt, netted a hat-trick goal. Bringing the puck into the Brock zone, Justin Gvora floated into the slot and wound up looking to wire one on net. Faking the shot, Gvora dragged the puck around a Badger defender with the toe of his stick, moved to his backhand in front of Bent and tucked the puck between the legs of the Badger goalie. The goal, as mentioned, was Gvora's third of the night, giving him the hat-trick and the Gryphons a 7-4 lead.
Once again, the Badgers battled back. On the powerplay, the puck was fed to the point and a hard shot from Joey Pell made its way through a crowd in front and slipped past a blinded Loverock.
With Brock's net empty in an attempt to catch the Gryphons, Zach Lillie jumped on a loose puck and put the final nail in the Badgers' coffin, dumping the puck in the uncovered backstop to finish off the Badgers 8-5.
The Gryphons will now move on to the next round of the OUA West playoffs. To get updates and information on the Gryphons' opponent, and the dates and times of the games for Round 2, please go to gryphons.ca.
Written By: Jacob Cassidy
GAME SUMMARY
Brock 5 at Guelph 8 - Status: Final
Sunday, February 20, 2011 - Gryphon Centre Arena
Brock 1 1 3 - 5
Guelph 2 3 3 - 8
1st Period-1, Guelph, Priamo 1 (Martine, Lillie), 17:19 (PP). 2, Guelph, Gvora 2 (Gale), 18:19. 3, Brock, Gignac 4 19:14. Penalties-Guimond Gue (elbowing), 0:16; Mullin Bro (tripping), 11:39; Smeltzer Bro (cross checking), 13:38; Christmas Bro (elbowing), 15:30; Schram Bro (roughing), 19:52; Lillie Gue (roughing), 19:52.
2nd Period-4, Guelph, Belan 2 (Gvora, Merrett), 8:03. 5, Guelph, Belan 3 (Merrett, Gvora), 9:50. 6, Brock, Schwark 1 (Flynn, Dickson), 12:34. 7, Guelph, Gvora 3 (Belan, Merrett), 15:21. Penalties-Magera Gue (high sticking), 10:02.
3rd Period-8, Guelph, Priamo 2 (Gale, Martine), 1:47. 9, Brock, Smeltzer 1 (Flynn, Dickson), 3:00. 10, Brock, Brochu 1 (Miller), 4:50. 11, Guelph, Gvora 4 (Merrett, Belan), 14:31. 12, Brock, Pell 1 (Gignac, Dickson), 16:45 (PP). 13, Guelph, Lillie 2 (Gale, Campbell), 19:11 (EN). Penalties-Pawlowski Gue (too many men), 7:02; Kiriakou Gue (inter. on goaltender), 15:18.
Shots on Goal-Brock 7-5-13-25. Guelph 18-19-6-43.
Power Play Opportunities-Brock 1 / 5; Guelph 1 / 4.
Goalies-Brock, Jory 1-2-0 (38 shots-32 saves); Bent 0-0-0 (4 shots-3 saves). Guelph, Loverock 2-1-0 (25 shots-20 saves)
