KINGSTON, ON – Saturday afternoon in Kingston, the Gryphons women's hockey team shutout the Queen's Gaels 3-0 to improve to 16-2-1 on the season. Averi Nooren, Karli Shell and Ashlee Lawrence were the Gryphon goal scorers while second year goalie Valerie Lamenta made 21 saves and recorded her sixth shutout of the season. With the loss, the Gaels fall to 10-5-2.
 
The Queen's Gaels are probably sick and tired of seeing #17 in a Gryphon jersey this season. After recording a hat trick in a 4-1 Gryphons win back on November 1 when these two teams met in Guelph, fourth year winger Averi Nooren was once again able to find the back of the net against the Gaels. Nooren's goal just over a minute into the second period opened the scoring and would prove to be the game-winner. It was also Nooren's team-leading 12^th goal of the season. She sits just three goals behind the CIS leader from Calgary (Iya Gavrilova) who has played four more games than Averi.
 
The Gryphons would extend their lead to 2-0 at the 7:44 mark of the second period when rookie Karli Shell (Lively, ON) scored her third goal of the campaign. Fellow rookie Ashlee Lawrence (Owen Sound, ON) would cap the scoring with the second goal of her OUA career coming midway through the third period. Lawrence, who also assisted on the Karli Shell goal, was the lone Gryphon to record a multi-point game.
 
Valerie Lamenta continued her fine form in net, turning away all 21 shots sent her way. The Montreal native improved to 13-2-0 on the season and lowered her already miniscule Goals Against Average to 1.01. Lamenta leads the country in both Goals Against as well as Save Percentage (.956).
 
The No. 1-ranked Gryphons have now won six straight games, the longest current win streak in the OUA, and sit nine points clear of second place Nipissing in the OUA standings with five games remaining in the regular season schedule.
 
The Gryphons will next hit the ice on Saturday, February 6 when they travel to York to face the Lions. That game will mark the conclusion of a five-game road trip. The Gryphons return to the Gryphon Centre Sunday, February 7 when they will play host to the Windsor Lancers.