WINDSOR, Ont. - Friday Night (Feb. 23) at the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex, the Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team punched their ticket to the semifinal round of the 2024 OUA postseason with a 3-0 victory over the Windsor Lancers. In an identical score to game one in Guelph, the Gryphons were led, once again, by their goaltending and stout defensive play while receiving scores from three different forwards.

In what has quickly become a trend in the second half of the season for the Gryphons, they came out with relentless pressure to start the game Friday night. Similarly to Wednesday night's game one win, the Gryphons were unable to capitalize on that pressure due to some impressive saves made by Windsor goaltender Kristen Swiatoschik. The Lancers were also able to match the Gryphons intensity early on, generating some quality scoring chances of their own, including a breakaway opportunity that was thwarted by a fantastic individual effort from Tori Verbeek on the backcheck. By the end of the first period of action, both goalies were able to keep their scoresheets clean, sending the teams to a scoreless first intermission.

The second period saw the action pick up with the Gryphons on the receiving end of a four-minute head contact penalty that would later turn into a 5-on-3 opportunity with a delay of game call. Despite being on the penalty kill the U SPORTS No. 3-ranked Gryphons were able to generate a pair of quality scoring chances while shorthanded, helping them take precious time off the Lancer advantage. With the delay of game penalty the Gryphons tightened things up on defence, but still needed goaltender Martina Fedel to make a few difficult saves to keep the game scoreless. The most dangerous Lancer chance came when a shot trickled past Fedel and was on it's way past the goal line before blueliner Brielle Caruso desperately swatted the puck out of danger. 

With momentum now undoubtedly in the Gryphons favour following the penalty kill, Maeve Sutherland-Case took advantage. The second-year forward received an outlet pass from Jadyn Calder before using her speed to get past a Windsor defender and beat Swiatoschik with a perfectly placed glove-side wrist shot for her second of the playoffs. Exactly four minutes later Maya Graham would take advantage of some open ice in the offensive zone and rip a shot past the glove of the Lancer goalie, doubling the Gryphon lead. 

With just 20 minutes between the Gryphons and the OUA semifinals the team took over defensively, limiting the Lancers to no shots on goal as the home team tried desperately to keep their season alive. Windsor's best chance to score came on another powerplay with 5:29 left to play, and following a timeout the Lancers would pull Swiatoschik for a 6-on-4 attack. The Gryphon penalty kill remained unfazed by the Lancers, keeping the puck on the outside of the defensive zone before Gryphon captain Hannah Tait picked off a cross-ice pass and skated down the ice for an empty net goal, her 3rd of the playoffs. The three goal lead, paired with the smothering Gryphon defensive play would prove to be too much for the Lancers as the Gryphons would solidify the quarterfinal sweep.

With the semifinal round of the OUA playoffs seeing a divisional crossover, the Gryphons will have to wait to see who their next opponent is, with a winner having yet to be decided in the U of T Varsity Blues and Queen's Gaels quarterfinal series. Regardless of who the Gryphons will be facing off with, the semifinal round of the McCaw Cup playoffs will begin Wednesday night (Feb. 28), with puck drop scheduled for 7:30pm at the Gryphon Centre. Tickets are available online at gryphons.ca/tickets, with the games also available for viewing live online at oua.tv.