GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons men's hockey team played their first of two straight home games against the Windsor Lancers on Friday night. The Lancers came to town riding a 5-game win streak as the Gryphons were looking to get back into the win column following two straight losses last week. The Gryphons would take the lead early but ultimately couldn't hold off a relentless Lancers team, falling 4-2 in the first game of the weekend.
The Gryphons got on the board early in this one as
Zach Roberts scored his first goal of the season 3 minutes into the game. Just before the middle point of the second period, the Lancers went to the powerplay where they were able to find the equalizer thanks to Robbie Burt, Burt would end up with 3 points on the night. With only 5 seconds left in the first period, and the Gryphons on the powerplay, the home team won possession off the faceoff and
Nolan DeGurse got a shot off from the point which
Luke Bignell would tip past the Lancers goalie to score his team-leading 5
th goal of the season and put the Gryphons up 2-1 heading into the second period.
The Lancers outshot the Gryphons 15-13 in the first period and Gryphons' goaltender
Nate McDonald stood tall for the Gryphons.
The Lancers opened up the second period continuing to test McDonald, and they would eventually tie up the game early in the second period. Later, after an unsuccessful odd man rush, Robbie Burt buried his second goal of the game in a scramble in front of the Gryphons net. The Lancers would carry their 3-2 lead into the final period of the game.
The third period of the game saw the Lancers do everything they could to build on their lead, and the Gryphons would do everything they could to get back to even with the Lancers. This included Gryphons netminder,
Nate McDonald, having to stop Windsor's Matt Dorsey on a penalty shot after he was hooked on a breakaway. The Gryphons kept attacking the Lancers in the hopes of a late game tying goal, and they even found themselves on a powerplay in the last minute of the game but were unable to find a way past Windsor goalie Nathan Torchia. Windsor captain, Mason Kohn would bury an empty net goal to close off a 4-2 win for the Lancers.
The two teams are right back at it tomorrow evening as the Gryphons look to tie up the weekend series and snap Windsor's 6-game winning streak.
