GUELPH, Ont. – Sunday afternoon (Dec. 1), a late Anthony Tabak goal powered the Gryphons men's hockey team to a 2-1 victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks from the Gryphon Centre Arena. The Gryphons improved to 9-8-0 (wins-losses-OTL/SOL) on the season with the win, while the Golden Hawks drop to 3-10-3 on the season.

Sunday's game marked the inaugural edition of the Gryphons Teddy Bear Toss game where teddy bears would be thrown onto the ice following the first Gryphon goal of the game in support of the Guelph Children's Foundation & Adopt-A-Family Gift Drive.
Following a scoreless opening period, it would the Golden Hawks who would score the game's opening goal in the second period when Sam Williamson tapped the puck into the open net past a diving Cal Schell to put Laurier ahead 1-0.

With the Gryphons trailing late in the second period, Nolan DeGurse would give the home fans the opportunity to toss their teddy bears on the ice. The third year forward took the pass from Gio Biondi and wired the game tying goal past the blocker side of Laurier goalie Tristan Malboeuf to draw the Gryphons level as the teddy bears flew onto the ice. The goal was DeGurse's fifth of the season.

Cal Schell throughout the game made big saves for the Gryphs, including his biggest save of the game with 4:45 remaining in the third period, making a pivotal glove save on a two-on-one to keep the game tied at 1-1. Schell's save proved to be a big one for the hosts as the Gryphons would strike 40 seconds following the save. Gio Biondi backhands a cross-ice pass to a wide-open Anthony Tabak who similarly to DeGurse finds the opening on the low blocker side to score his first goal of the season, giving Guelph the 2-1 as they held on for their ninth win of the season.

Gio Biondi was the catalyst for both Gryphon goals with his two helpers and Guelph got a phenomenal performance in net from Cal Schell, stopping 30 of his 31 shots he faced in the win.

The Gryphons will head into the winter break with a 9-8-0 record in a very tight OUA West division. Guelph will return to the ice in the new year when they take on the Western Mustangs on Saturday, January 11, 2025 in London before hosting the Mustangs on January 16 in the team's first home action in 2025 on Aggies Night.