GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons men's hockey team hasn't had much difficulty protecting home ice the past couple seasons. So Guelph's recent stretch at the Gryphon Centre Arena is certainly confusing. The Gryphons fell 3-1 to the visiting Lakehead Thunderwolves, who took advantage of some timely goals to hand the hosts their fifth straight home loss of the young OUA season.
Guelph has yet to win at the Gryphon Centre and have secured just a single point through those five home games, that coming in a shootout loss to Brock on Oct. 17.
Matt Kenney scored the lone goal for the Gryphons, while goaltender
Andrew Masters was called on for the start in net and made 27 saves.
Kenney's goal gave Guelph a much-needed lift when he scored at 18:09 of the second period to cut Lakehead's lead in half at 2-1. The second-year forward from London, ON was promoted to the third line alongside
Michael Stevens and
Seth Swenson and the move paid off when Kenney got to the net and deposited a rebound behind Lakehead goalie Nic Renyard.
It was a huge one for Kenney, the first of his OUA career. The goal also gave the Gryphons something to build on entering the third period. But that good feeling was short-lived. Dylan Butler scored at the 2:21 mark of the final frame to reestablish the two-goal lead and deflate the hosts, who were looking to have their hard work rewarded.
The Gryphons played well at times and got the cycle game going against Lakehead, sending 43 shots at Renyard. But the team's offensive woes continued. After leading the entire OUA with 122 goals last season, Guelph has just nine through five home games, with 13 against.
In search of their first home win, the Gryphons were desperate for a strong start but it was Lakehead that seized control immediately after the opening faceoff. The Thunderwolves came right up ice and defenceman Patrick Murphy gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with a top-shelf shot that beat Masters 24 seconds into the game.
Guelph got through the first period down 1-0 and were much better in the second, putting pressure on Lakehead with lot of the sustained play in the visitors' zone. But the Gryphons still had trouble generating quality scoring chances and that inability to put the puck in the net proved costly. Lakehead's Jordan Larson stole an errant pass in the Guelph zone, went in alone on Masters, and buried a backhander for a 2-0 lead at 7:41 of the second period.
It was the fourth consecutive game this season that Guelph had fallen behind 2-0 at Gryphon Centre Arena. And the third straight the Gryphons lost 3-1.
The Record
Guelph is 2-4-2-0.
Next up
Brock, Saturday, Nov. 3, 3:00 pm @ Gryphon Centre Arena for
Hockey Day in Gryphonville
