NORTH BAY, Ont. - Saturday night (Sept. 23) the Guelph Gryphons men's hockey team made the trip up north to take on the Nipissing Lakers in their 2023-24 OUA regular season opener. In a game that featured special teams scores and tightly-contested 5-on-5 play, the Gryphons suffered a hard-fought 2-1 loss to the Lakers at Memorial Gardens. 

Despite both teams seeing time on the man-advantage, neither the Gryphons or Lakers were able to find their first score of the season in the first period. The opening frame also featured physical, hard-hitting play from both teams as they looked to start the season off on their front foot. The Gryphons best chance came late in the period when fourth-year centre Luke Kutkevicius had an open look at the net but was robbed of the team's first score of 2023-24 by Nipissing goaltender Zach Roy coming across for the glove save. 

The second period opened with a quality Lakers scoring chance, when a Nipissing forward broke free for a breakaway. Tanner Wickware made a nice save of the opportunity to keep the game scoreless. Wickware had a strong game in his first start of the regular season, turning aside 26 of the 28 shots he faced. Early in the second the Gryphons received their own early opportunity to break the tie with back-to-back Nipissing penalties, but Zach Roy continued to keep the score at 0-0 with several saves. The home team was finally able to take the scoreboard advantage when a deflected shot to the point was able to get by Wickware and give the Lakers a 1-0 lead. A drawn penalty by Kutkevicius would send the Gryphons back to the powerplay with a great chance to get back to even score. Nolan DeGurse was able to find a loose puck and find Nathan Allensen open in the slot where the second-year defenceman would a one-timer into the back of the net. The two teams would head into the locker room after 40 minutes tied 1-1.

With both goalies continuing to play well the Gryphons and Lakers would head into the late stages of the third still tied. A Gryphon penalty would send the Lakers to the man-advantage where they retook the lead with under six minutes to play. Despite putting the pressure on the Lakers with the extra attacker the Gryphons were unable to come up with the equalizer and fell to Nipissing 2-1. 

The Gryphons (0-1-0) will now head south of the boarder for a pair of exhibition games against the Rensselear Polytechnic Institute Engineers and Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers before returning home to resume their OUA regular season schedule. The Gryphons home opener is set for Thursday, October 12, 2023 when they will play host to the Brock Badgers.