GUELPH, Ont. – On Saturday afternoon (Nov. 2) at the Gryphon Centre Arena, the No. 6-ranked Gryphons women's hockey team picked up a come-from-behind, 3-2 win over the No. 4-ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues in a marquee early season matchup in the 2024-25 OUA women's hockey schedule. With the win, the Gryphons improve to 5-2-0 on the season, while the Varsity Blues fall to 5-3-0.
 
After an undefeated start through their first four games of the season, the Gryphons women's hockey team found themselves riding a rare losing streak after suffering back-to-back 1-0 losses in their latest two games (Oct. 24 vs York and Oct. 31 at Laurier). After the opening 20 minutes of play on Saturday afternoon, the Gryphons were in a hole, with the Toronto Varsity Blues scoring a pair of power play goals in the 1st period to jump out to a 2-0 lead. But the Gryphons would answer in the 2nd period, with second-year forward Katie Dance coming through at the 13:22 mark to make it a 2-1 game heading to the 3rd. Early in the 3rd period, the Gryphons would tie it up at 2-2, with Maeve Sutherland-Case scoring on the power play. Just over a minute later, the Gryphons would strike again, this time with first-year forward Deija Houston (Burlington, ON) scoring her first career OUA goal, in what would prove to be the game-winner. The Gryphons would turn to their U SPORTS All-Canadian goalie, Martina Fedel, to help secure the win down the stretch, with Fedel coming up with the most important save of the game midway through the 3rd period, making a great glove save to stop Toronto's Aili McKeown's penalty shot to help the Gryphons come up with their first win on home ice this season. Prior to Saturday's game, the Gryphons honoured former head coach, Rachel Flanagan, during the ceremonial puck drop. Flanagan spent 16 memorable seasons as head coach of the University of Guelph women's hockey program, leading the Gryphons to three OUA titles, as well as the program's lone national title during the 2018-19 season. A five-time OUA Coach of the Year, Flanagan's standout tenure with the Gryphons women's hockey program officially came to an end this year, with Rachel now taking on a coaching role at the professional level as an assistant with the PWHL's Toronto Sceptres. 

The Gryphons (5-2-0) will return to action next Friday night (Nov. 8) when they host the Carleton Ravens (2-4-2) with puck drop set for 7:30pm.