KINGSTON, ON – When it comes to weekend road trips, they don't come much tougher than this.
On Friday night, the Gryphons men's hockey team traveled to Kingston to take on the 7-2-1 Queen's Gaels, who currently sit in 2nd place in the standings in the OUA's East Division. Up next for the Gryphons, a Saturday night matchup in Oshawa against the No. 5-ranked team in the country in the UOIT Ridgebacks (9-2-0).
With game one of the weekend road trip now in the books, the Gryphons proved they can go toe-to-toe with the best teams the East Division has to offer. In the end, the Gryphs fell just short.
Friday night at the Kingston Memorial Centre, the Gryphons men's hockey team suffered a 3-2 loss to the Queen's Gaels. With the result, the Gryphons fall to 5-6-0 on the season while Queen's improves to 8-2-1. With the game tied 2-2, Queen's forward Ted Hunt was able to take advantage of a turnover and score the game-winner with :49 seconds left in regulation.
The Gryphons arrived in Kingston riding a two-game win streak and were able to jump out to a 1-0 lead on the Gaels thanks to defenceman
Mark Raycroft's second goal of the season. It was part of an eventful 2nd period that saw the Gryphons and Gaels combine to score four goals after having played a scoreless opening 20 minutes. Gryphons third year forward
Trevor Morbeck (Jackson, Wisconsin) was Guelph's other goal scorer on the night, potting his fourth of the season to give the Gryphs a 2-1 lead with under five minutes to go in the 2nd. Morbeck, who scored one goal in 15 games a season ago, now ranks second on the team in goals scored and has found the back of the net three times in his last five games. After 40 minutes of play in Kingston, the Gryphons and Gaels were off to the 3rd knotted at 2-2.
With overtime looming, the Gryphons would be punished for a turnover deep in their own end. A failed breakout pass led to the game-winning goal from Queen's forward Ted Hunt to lift the Gaels to a 3-2 win.
The Gryphons will now look to accomplish something no other OUA team has this season: pick up a road win at UOIT. The No. 5-ranked Ridgebacks, who sit in first in the East with a 9-2-0 record, are a perfect 6-0 on home ice this season. The Ridgebacks' most recent win on home ice came on Friday night in a 6-0 drubbing of the Western Mustangs. Puck drop in Oshawa is set for 7:30pm on Saturday night and can be seen live online at www.oua.tv.
