GUELPH, Ont. - It was just one of those nights on Saturday for the Guelph Gryphons at the Gryphon Centre. Playing host the Brock Badgers, the Gryphons were able to create chances all night but just missed on the finishes as they dropped a 3-0 decision.
Returning to the Gryphon Centre for the first time since November 10, the Gryphons showed plenty of life throughout the 60-minutes but we unable to find a breakthrough.
Despite out-shooting the Badgers for the duration of the opening period, it was ultimately the visitors who found themselves out in front heading in to the intermission. With 5:37 to play in the 1st period, a bouncing puck on top of the Gryphon's crease wound up bouncing on to the stick of Niamh Haughey who was able to slide it past a sprawling Aurore Beaulieu.
Trailing by a goal heading in to the middle frame, the Gryphons continued to battle and compete. Generating multiple chances deep in the Brock zone during the period, the Gryphons came close to finding the back of the net, but the puck would wind up bouncing just wide, or Brock's goalie Jensen Murphy would make a big save. Then just when it looked like the game was going to remain 1-0 heading into the final period of regulation, a tough 22-second stretch for Guelph quickly changed that. With only 46 seconds to go in the 2nd, the Badgers doubled their lead with a quick shot from the wing to make it 2-0. Just 22 seconds later, another shot down the wing was called a goal and all of a sudden the visitors held a 3-0 lead after two periods of play.
With a big task in front of them for the final 20 minutes, the Gryphons again came out with a purpose in the period. Looking to generate their first goal of the game, Guelph maintained plenty of pressure in the Brock zone but had each of their chances denied. Although they out-shot the Badgers 12-7 in the period, they were not able to find the back of the net in what wound up being a scoreless 3rd.
The shots in the game finished 30-25 in favour of the Gryphons, while both teams went 0/4 on the power-play.
"We know that on any given day we can beat any team in the league but they can also beat us," said Gryphon's head coach Rachel Flanagan. "Sometimes you will get the bounces and sometimes you won't."
"You control what you can control but sometimes when you're not getting the bounces you have to find ways to get those dirty goals, and Brock was able to do that tonight and we weren't."
Looking to bounce back from the loss, the Gryphs will return to the ice on Wednesday when they host the Laurier Golden Hawks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30pm from the Gryphon Centre.
