LONDON – It got dicey for a while but the Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team remained poised to keep its win streak intact. Kelly Gribbons scored her second goal of the night 30 seconds into overtime to give the Gryphons a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Western Mustangs', ending the host's comeback bid at Thompson Arena.
 
Gribbons, a fifth-year Engineering Systems student from Port Elgin, ON, scored on a point shot moments into the extra session to run Guelph's win streak to five games. Gribbons, who also opened the scoring, now has six goals, tying her for the team lead with captain Kaitlin Lowy.
 
The Gryphons went 12 consecutive periods without conceding a goal before Western scored three late in the third period to make it a game.
 
Guelph was firmly in control up 3-0 late but Western mounted an incredible comeback. It started with under six minutes left in the third period, when Mustangs' scoring leader April Clark finished a tic-tac-toe that Aurore Beaulieu had no chance on. Western then pulled the goalie with over two minutes remaining in regulation and Clarke would tally again. With 19 seconds left on the clock, Alyssa Chiarello scored an unlikely equalizer to send the game to overtime.

"We're happy to come away with a win," said head coach Rachel Flanagan. "It's a tough league this year so we have to learn to play a full 60 minutes and respond to pressure with pressure of our own."
 
Katherine Bailey and rookie Katie Mikkelsen also scored for Guelph (5-3-1-0), while Claire Merrick chipped in two assists. Beaulieu got the call in net, her second start in the last three games, and was under siege en route to stopping 32 of 35 shots. One of her best saves of the night came in the second period when she quickly got a pad down at the post to prevent a Western wraparound that seemed like a certain goal.
 
Guelph carried the momentum from its impressive recent run into the first period with the Mustangs and went right at the hosts. The Gryphons were strong on special teams, denying Western on a power-play opportunity and firing a lot at goaltender Carmen Lasis when they went on the man advantage.
 
The visitors broke through at 6:11 of the opening period when Lasis made a great initial pad save on a Guelph three-on-one but the puck went to Gribbons, who buried it for her fifth goal of the season.
 
Bailey made it 2-0 with a bullet point shot late in the first period. The Gryphons were unlucky not to be up more at the first intermission but Lasis was spectacular in between the pipes, though she was pulled for Tareya Webster to start the second.
 
Mikkelsen, a defenceman who transferred after one season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, scored her first OUA goal on a pretty move and shot from the point early in the second period for a 3-0 lead.
 
The Gryphons are back on the road Saturday, Nov. 18 when they travel to St. Catharines for an afternoon matchup with the Brock Badgers. The game gets underway at 2:15 pm.