WINDSOR, Ont. – On Saturday afternoon (Feb. 19), the Guelph Gryphons men's hockey team returned to the ice less than 24 hours after their Friday matchup with the OUA Far West Division-leading Windsor Lancers. The shorthanded Gryphons, who were down to only 9 forwards and 6 defenceman, put up a good fight but failed to defeat the first-place Lancers, with the hosts coming out on top of a 4-3 game.
The Lancers were the first ones on the board again in this one, as John Wesley capitalized on a shot from the slot just :45 seconds into the game putting the Gryphons behind early. The Gryphons did not seem to be deflated, showing good energy, and getting a lot of pucks on Lancers' netminder Nathan Torchia who was solid in net during the previous matchup. While the Gryphons were shorthanded, due to a
Jacob Winterton hooking penalty, Windsor forward Mason Kohn ran into Guelph goaltender,
Colton Incze, which proved worthy of a goalie interference call making it 4 on 4 hockey. The teams traded chances in the extra open ice, but the next goal didn't come until after the penalties expired. The Gryphons' leadership group connected with 4 minutes left in the period as assistant captain
Connor Bramwell found fellow assistant captain
Cole Cameron creeping into the slot from the point. Firing a laser into the top left corner, Cameron sent the Gryphons into the first intermission even with the Lancers at one goal apiece.
The second period turned out to be nearly identical to the first. The Gryphons went down early as Windsor converted on a power play opportunity just 3 and a half minutes into the frame, but once again, the Gryphons refused to let up as they maintained pressure and goaltender
Colton Incze turned away some Grade-A Windsor scoring chances. Like the first period, the Gryphons were able to battle back, with another goal from our blueline as defenceman
Matt Timms buried a rebound off a
Jaxon Camp point shot mid way through the period. The Gryphons and Lancers each had a power play opportunity in the last 10 minutes of the period, but both failed to convert, sending the teams back to the dressing rooms still deadlocked.
With the score tied at 2-2 heading into the third period, the game was going to be decided by the final 20 minutes, and it was a battle right to the very end. The Gryphons were the first ones to be tested as
Connor Bramwell's errant stick cut open a Windsor forward, sending him to the penalty box for 4 minutes. The Gryphons penalty kill, led by some incredible, timely saves from
Colton Incze, were able to kill off the double minor. Unfortunately, shortly after the kill, the Lancers' Ryan Barbosa connected on a cross crease pass to put the Gryphons down 1 with 8 minutes left to play. The two teams continued to battle in a physical affair, leading to a flurry of penalties that saw about 4 minutes of special teams, including some 3 on 3 time, as each team had 2 players in the box. With 1:54 left in the game, a Windsor point shot through traffic squeaked by the Gryphons netminder, putting the Lancers up 2. The Gryphons kept their foot on the gas until the very end, and
Matt Timms put home his second of the game to bring the Gryphons within one goal, but it was not enough as the Lancers stole another 2 points from the Gryphons to finish off the weekend in Windsor.
The Gryphons next game is the annual Frosty Mug, taking place this Thursday, February 24 at the Sleeman Centre against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. The Gryphons will look to use the energy of the crowd to bounce back from this weekend's losses and get back in the win column. For more information on the Frosty Mug, and to purchase tickets, you can
visit gryphons.ca/frostymug.
