GUELPH, Ont. - Showcasing their heart and compete level all game long, the Guelph Gryphons ultimately came up just short Friday afternoon at the Gryphon Centre. Playing in their first OUA game in over a month, the Gryphons dropped a 7-6 (SO) decision to the visiting Lakehead Thunderwolves. Despite finding themselves in a trailing position for most the game, the Gryphons were able to fight back all throughout the contest but were unable to outlast Lakehead in the shoot-out.
With each team having a goal waved off during the game, most things lined-up as equal. Unfortunately for Guelph, their disallowed goal would have been the overtime game winner, as well as Ryan Valentini's hat-trick goal. Breaking in on a 2-on-1, Valentini took a pass and buried the puck, however just prior to the puck crossing the line, the Thunderwolves net had become dislodged.
Leading up to those final minutes was a very entertaining contest to kick-off the 2020 portion of the schedule.
As the game began, the goals came fast and furious as both teams combined to score six times in the opening frame. Getting on the board first were the visitors. Scoring twice in the first 8:15 of the match, the Thunderwolves quickly established a 2-0 advantage. However, the Gryphons would come right back. Not even two minutes after the second Lakehead goal, Valentini went coast to coast before finishing off a pretty play in tight to pull the Gryphs within one. Trailing 2-1, the home side then found themselves down by two again as the Thunderwolves restored the two goal lead.
Again though, it was the Gryphons responding quickly after. 1:02 after the Lakehead goal, newcomer
Bobby Dow scored his first career Guelph goal in his first game as a Gryphon.
Then only 59 seconds later,
Connor Bramwell tied the game 3-3 heading into the intermission.
In the middle frame it was Lakehead taking the lead again with a goal just under six minutes into the period. But like they had done all game, the Gryphons again responded almost immediately. A mere 27 seconds later, Valentini tallied his second goal of the contest and tied the game 4-4, which is how things remained going into the third.
In the final frame of regulation, Lakehead was able to convert on a power-play to again take the lead, and again, Guelph did not waste much time striking back. Less than three minutes later this time it was the captain Mikkel Aagaard putting the Gryphons back on even terms. With the score tied 5-5, the Gryphons were then able to flip the script. With 6:18 to play, Guelph took their first lead of the contest on a Giordano Finoro power-play goal as the Gryphs went up 6-5. However, the Thunderwolves netted the equalizer with 2:15 to play forcing overtime and the shoot-out.
"We had a lot of offence tonight, and we showed again that we know how to score," said Gryphon's head coach Shawn Camp. "Because our guys compete, when we fall behind there isn't any panic, and there is a real belief that we will come back and win the game. Tomorrow though, we will have to make sure to play much tighter defensively and not get into a run and gun game like today."
The Gryphons and Thunderwolves will both get the evening to rest before dueling once more Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30pm at the Gryphon Centre as the two teams wrap-up their two-games in two-days series.
