Box Score
Guelph, Ont. (November 10, 2013) – The Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team capped off a 2-0 weekend Sunday with a 4-3 victory over the Western Mustangs at the Gryphon Centre. This puts the Gryphons atop the OUA standings with a 9-2-0 record and drops the Mustangs to 7-3-0.
 
Third year Jessica Pinkerton led the Gryphons with a pair of goals and an assist while third year goalie Stephanie Nehring made 15 saves in the victory. Pinkerton's two-goal effort lifts her to the top of the OUA scoring with nine goals on the season.
 
The Gryphons started the game strong, immediately finding ways to challenge Western goalie Kelly Campbell (St. Thomas, Ont.). In the opening minute Gryphon player Amanda Parkins would rifle one in the top corner to make it 1-0, with Christine Grant and Jessica Pinkerton on the assists. Western was trying to use their size to force Gryphon turnovers, but was unable to beat the Guelph defence during their own possessions, being consistently outskated. Western would not be able to take a shot on goal until the second half of the period, and would only manage four shots on goal at the end of the first.
 
Guelph would get on the board again after a power play goal by Jessica Pinkerton, after Western player Brianna Iazzolino (Thunder Bay, Ont.) was called for tripping at 11:11. A backhanded pass from Grant would allow Pinkerton to fire the puck in from just outside of the crease to make it 2-0 for the Gryphons, with Emily Corbett also on the assist. Western would not end the period with nothing, scoring in the last minute of the period. It would be a pass from Stacey Scott (London, Ont.) up to the crease to Michelle Saunders (Oakville, Ont.) who would tip the puck in to make it 2-1, with Cassidy Gosling (London, Ont.) also on the assist.
 
Western amped up their intensity in the second period, picking up the pace of the game. Stephanie Nehring was able to stop the onslaught of Western shots, and the Gryphon defense held strong beating the Mustangs on every single breakaway. A great slap shot from Rachael Cassidy at 12:06 after a pass from Corbett put the Gryphons up to 3-1 against the Mustangs. Western would come back after a pass from Marlowe Pecora (Sarnia, Ont.) to the front of the net had Natasha Panahi (Coquitlam, B.C.) guiding one in to make it 3-2 for the Gryphons at 16:52. Pinkerton would score her second goal of the night in the final minute of the second period from the side of the crease to make it 4-2 going into the third, with Parkins and Grant on the assists.
 
The third period started with back and forth action, each team setting up solid scoring opportunities. Western scored to get within a goal after Saunders tipped in a goal for her second of the game, with Madison Turk (Calgary, AB.) and Jessica Sorenson (Ingersoll, Ont.) on the assists. Guelph looked like they had a goal shortly after, but the scrum at the net was stopped when Campbell smothered the puck and stopped the play. It was an exciting final minute of play, with Western pulling their goalie in their last attempt to score one more and tie it up, but Guelph was able to keep the score at 4-3 to end the game.
 
The Gryphons outshot the Mustangs with a final count of 25-18 in favour of Guelph.
 
The Gryphons hit the ice again on Saturday November 16^th at 7:30 p.m. against the Brock Badgers at the Gryphon Centre.