Guelph, ON - Now this is how you kickoff another season of OUA Women's Hockey.

In what will be the opening game of the OUA's 2015-16 Women's Hockey regular season schedule, the Gryphons will play host to the defending National Champion Western Mustangs in a re-match of last year's OUA Final. Puck drop is set for 2pm on Saturday, October 3rd. The game will be televised live on Rogers TV Cable 20 and can also be seen live online at OUA.tv.

Last season, the Gryphons Women's Hockey team put together an impressive 18-3-3 regular season record that was good for second in the conference standings. In the postseason, the Gryphons used some OT magic along the way as they got past Ryerson and U of T before falling 2-0 to Western in a hard fought OUA Final. In the process, the Gryphons earned their first trip to 'Nationals' in 15 years, where they would pick up victories over the host Calgary Dinos as well as Moncton to earn a 5th-place finish in the country. This season, the Gryphons return the core of their group from a year ago. The same can be said for the Western Mustangs. It may be the first game of the OUA season, but there's also a good chance these two teams could once again meet in the last game of the OUA season come March. The summer workouts are in the books. So too is the preseason schedule. Now it's time for the real thing. And what better way to start it off than with two of the top teams in the country.

GRYPHONS KEY RETURNING PLAYERS:
- Steph Nehring (Goalie)
- Jessica Pinkerton (Forward & Co-Captain)
- Leigh Shilton (Forward & Co-Captain)

GRYPHON KEY LOSSES:
- Katie Mora (Forward, Captain)
- Gina Murray (Defence)

GRYPHON KEY RECRUITS:
- Karli Shell (Sudbury MAA)
- Claire Merrick (Stoney Creek PWHL)
- Ashlee Lawrence (Mississauga PWHL)
- Laura Crowdis (Stoney Creek PWHL)
- Mallory Young (Stoney Creek PWHL)
- Kassondra Pedenko (Okanogan Hockey Academy)
- Bradey Couwenberg (Bluewater PWHL)

Gryphon goalie Stephanie Nehring (Oshawa, ON) returns for her fifth and final season at U of G after an incredible 2014 campaign. Nehring led the OUA with a dazzling 1.18 Goals Against Average and picked up 5 shutouts in the process. Fellow fifth year senior and Oshawa native Jessica Pinkerton leads the way up front for the Gryphons and will share Co-Captain duties with the talented Leigh Shilton (Belleville, ON) who can impact the game at forward or defence. Aside from this trio of fifth year players, the Gryphons also boast plenty of proven players up front in fourth year forwards Averi Nooren (Aylmer, ON) and Christine Grant (Mississauga, ON) as well as emerging third year players Kelly Gribbons (Port Elgin, ON), Marcie Landman (Drayton, ON) and Brittany St. James (Orono, ON). Head Coach Rachel Flanagan describes her squad as "a strong character group who we feel will be able to build upon last season's success."

While the Gryphons will certainly be considered favourites to contend for the OUA title in 2015-16, the future also looks bright with a strong recruting class that are primed to contribute immediately. A trio of talented players from Stoney Creek Sabres of the P.W.H.L. join the Gryphons in Claire Merrick, Laura Crowdis and Mallory Young. Karli Shell (Sudbury MAA) and Ashlee Lawrence (Mississauga PWHL) provide added depth up front while the future in between the pipes also looks bright with second year netminder Valerie Lamenta (Montreal, QC) boasting the kind of talent that would make her a starting goalie on almost every other team in the league if it weren't for Steph Nehring being on the roster.

Speaking of goaltending, it is no secret that the Western Mustangs boast one of the very best in the country. Kelly Campbell returns for her senior year after being named a CIS First Team All-Canadian last season. Goals will be tough to come by on Saturday afternoon as Nehring (1.18) and Campbell (1.23) ranked No. 1 & No. 2 in the OUA in Goals Against Average a year ago. Protecting Campbell is Western's star blueliner in Katelyn Gosling (London, ON) who was recently one of 47 players invited to attend Canada's National Women's Team Fall Festival in Calgary. When it comes to goal scoring, the Mustangs are led by Kendra Broad (Petrolia, ON) who returns for her final season at Western. Last season, Broad finished 2nd in the OUA in scoring with 15 goals.

The Gryphons will play 24 regular season games this season, with the regular season wrapping up in late February. The last time the Guelph Gryphons were crowned OUA Champions in Women's Hockey was 1997-98. Saturday's matchup against the defending OUA and CIS Champions will be a good indicator as to whether this year could be the year the Gryphons once again return to the top of the OUA.

Tickets are now on sale for Saturday's clash between the Gryphons and Mustangs.