GUELPH – Every good hockey team gets a lift on home ice. But the Guelph Gryphons took that concept to a new level in their biggest game on the OUA regular season schedule. The Gryphons came out flying and buried the Laurier Golden Hawks early. Guelph scored three first-period goals en route to a 5-0 win in the ninth edition of the Frosty Mug with 4,715 in attendance at the Sleeman Centre.
 
It was a much-anticipated battle between the top two teams in the OUA West but the No. 8-ranked Gryphons made a statement from the opening faceoff. And with the full support of the rabid Frosty Mug-record crowd, they overwhelmed the visiting Hawks, scoring the first three goals in a span of just over 12 minutes. The offensive explosion chased goaltender Chris Festarini from the net after the opening period.
 
"The Frosty Mug's always a special event for the guys, a chance to show our brand of hockey to folks in the community and here downtown," head coach Shawn Camp said with a hoarse voice. "They were excited to go and we got off to a great start. With that kind of start, it put us in good shape for the rest of the game.
 
"There's such a camaraderie and excitement in the crowd. It's something special about the University of Guelph. Our students and our fans are so passionate and it's so fun to see them having fun together. It was just a wonderful event."
 
Captain Scott Simmonds, who got the party started with the game's opening goal, said he sensed it was going to be a good night based on the mood in the room before the game. And when the massive crowd chimed in with a stirring "O'Canada" before the faceoff, the chills only grew.
 
"The guys have been looking forward to this game since the start of the season," said Simmonds, sporting a nasty cut on his nose. "Last year, we saw what this crowd, these fans, and these Gryphons are made of. Every year, it seems to be getting better.

"Our guys expected it was gonna be fun – and we got off to the perfect start for that."
 
Marc Stevens, Manny Gialedakis, Seth Swenson, and Josh McFadden also scored for the Gryphons (16-4-1), while Cody Thompson had three assists. Guelph goalie Andrew Masters stopped all 26 shots he faced for the first shutout in Frosty Mug history.
 
"He's continued to play very well," Camp said of Masters. "It doesn't seem to matter who we put in the net right now. They're both (Masters and Jason Da Silva) playing very well. Andrew's been carrying the ball here in the second half and again tonight, he was terrific when we needed him."
 
The Gryphons got the dream start they were looking for when Simmonds made it 1-0 just 3:44 into the game, igniting an already pumped-up crowd. Guelph's captain has registered a point in four consecutive Frosty Mugs, while also topping the team in points (10-14-24).
 
The hosts continued to play with energy and added the second goal of the night at 8:27 of the opening period. Stevens set up in the right circle, took a pass from Gialedakis (three points) and unloaded a low one-timer that beat Festarini on the glove side.
 
Even at 2-0, the Gryphons stayed hungry and eventually extended the lead on a power play with 4:20 left in the first. Gialedakis, who achieved hero status with the Frosty Mug winner in 2017, teed one up from around the same spot that Stevens scored from.
 
"That first goal really put them on their heels and I think we built off that," said Swenson. "We maybe could've kept it going a little longer but if we can start like that every game, we're going to be in a good spot."
 
Guelph dominated Laurier in the opening 20 minutes, outshooting the visitors 19-7. Festarini, who entered the night with impressive numbers (8-4-0, 2.40 gaa, .925 save percentage) was replaced by Colin Furlong to start the second period and the fourth-year backup fared no better. The Hawks took an early penalty and Swenson made them pay immediately, coming in from the left circle to wrist a shot past Furlong for a 4-0 lead on an unassisted effort at the 1:22 mark.
 
McFadden added Guelph's fifth of the night with a bullet from the point 1:45 into the third period.
 
The packed house of 4,715 fans was the third highest attendance number for an OUA men's hockey conference game. The crowd, with fans of all ages, was in full voice all night long.
 
Husband and wife Janet and Andy Wellwood came to their first Frosty Mug last year – and it made a lasting impression.
 
"I fell in love with it," said Janet, a U of G employee in Admission Services, who was wearing the red Kyle Neuber jersey that Andy got her for Christmas last month. "We got caught up with the energy and excitement in the place and we had to come back."
 
"I love it," added Andy. "The energy from the kids in here is something else."
 
Some were even newcomers to the game. Fourth-year Physics student Tomer Rockman was attending his first ever Frosty Mug and despite not being a big hockey fan, he was impressed with the event and particularly the crowd.
 
"It's great to see everyone out here cheering for the Gryphons," Rockman said.
 
Guelph is now 6-3-0 in nine Frosty Mugs. And the win gave the Gryphons some breathing room over second-place Laurier.
 
"It's apparent that guys are pretty hungry to continue winning and Laurier was an excellent test tonight," said Camp. "Their special teams are outstanding, they have great balance on their lines and their D move the puck very well.
 
"It was good for our guys to get a good jump on them early and we felt that was important to establish our game early on."
 

---

Largest Crowds for an OUA Men's Hockey Conference Game:
 

Rank	Attendance	Date	Opponents	Venue	Location
1	5,346	Oct. 21, 2007	McGill vs Concordia (Corey Cup)	Bell Centre	Montreal, QC
2	5,230	Jan. 29, 2005	Lakehead @ Western	John Labatt Centre	London, ON
3	4,715	Jan. 18, 2018	Laurier @ Guelph (Frosty Mug)	Sleeman Centre	Guelph, ON
4	4,670	Jan. 19, 2017	Laurier @ Guelph (Frosty Mug)	Sleeman Centre	Guelph, ON
5	4,374	Jan. 14, 2016	Western @ Guelph (Frosty Mug)	Sleeman Centre	Guelph, ON