GUELPH, Ont. - In perhaps the only way that the OUA West Final could truly get underway between two rivals in a re-match from last year, the Guelph Gryphons and Western Mustangs treated the Gryphon faithful, who packed the Gryphon Centre Thursday night, to an absolute treat of a hockey game. After numerous close calls in both ends, it was Stephen Templeton playing the role of hero for the home team with a perfect shot in overtime to give Guelph a 2-1 Game 1 victory over Western.
With the Gryphons looking to punch their ticket to a second straight Queen's Cup, they threw everything they had at the visitors, who have already managed to tip the OUA West division's top two seeds (Toronto and Ryerson), with shot number 50 ultimately being the one to decide the contest in the Gryphon's favour.
From the very first drop of the puck, there was no mistaking what was at stake for the two teams. Looking to push the other to the brink of elimination with a game one win, both sides went back and forth creating chance after chance.
With the game still scoreless just past the 15 minute mark of the opening frame, the Gryphons managed to find some offence from an unlikely source. Playing in his first career OUA playoff game, Matt Kenney netted himself his first career OUA playoff goal. 
Breaking down the right wing, Kenney sent a shot from the top of the circle on Western goalie Luke Perissini, who knocked it in to the air with his blocker before it slowly bounced behind him and across the goal line.
Holding their 1-0 lead, the Gryphons continued to apply the pressure before the first period expired, but they were unable to add to their advantage despite out-shooting the Mustangs 16-10.
As the second frame got underway it started out as more of the same for Guelph with plenty of offensive zone time. Again though, unable to get a second goal past Perissini, the score remained 1-0 in favour of the Gryphons. The Mustangs then were able to switch momentum during the middles stages of the period, but they also had no luck. Standing tall in his crease, Gryphon's netminder Brendan Cregan turned aside everything Western threw at him through 40 minutes of play.
Unfortunately for the Gryphons, once the third period began it did not take long for the Mustangs to find the equalizer. After a long shot ricocheted off the end boards, Western forward Franco Sproviero found teammate Sean Montgomery out in front of the net and he made no mistake tying the score 1-1. Scoring just 3:59 in to the period, the two teams had just over 16 minutes of regulation to try and sort out a winner. Neither side was able to find the back of the net the rest of the way though as game one wound up destined for overtime.
Shortly after the midway point of the extra session, Giordano Finoro made a move at the Western blue-line before finding the trailing Templeton to set him up for his heroics, as the packed Gryphon Centre went crazy.
"It was such a great game, so to win that in overtime like we did on the rush with Templeton stepping up like that was tremendous," said Gryphon's head coach Shawn Camp. "We have had good offensive support from our back end all season, so it is no surprise that one of those guys stepped up in that moment."
In the victory, the Gryphons outshot the Mustangs 50-27. Meanwhile on special teams, Guelph finished the game 0 for 2 on the power-play with Western going 0 for 1.
The two teams will now head to London for Game 2 of the series, as Guelph looks to win their way to the Queen's Cup. Puck drop is scheduled for 3pm at Thompson Arena.
"The hardest game to win in a series is always the last one," said Camp. "We know that they will play very well at home as they have all year. We know what we have to do so we just have to make sure we are prepared to put in the work to get this done."
