GUELPH, Ont. - The Gryphons women's hockey team used the power play to their full advantage on Saturday night (Oct. 24) in their 3-2 victory over the Nipissing Lakers. Guelph was looking for a bounce back performance on home ice after dropping their last two games facing a Nipissing side coming off two straight wins. The Gryphons was able to get on the scoreboard first on the power play thanks to fourth-year forward
Katie Dance. Dance, the child studies major put her team ahead 1-0 on the power play as she got her stick on the Reece Coffey point shot and deflected it past Lakers goalie Alexandra Lehmann. Abby Lunney responded just four minutes later for the visitors, scoring the game's only even strength goal to tie up the game.
Katie Dance would strike again in the second period at the 8:30 mark, jumping on the loose puck in front of the net to restore the Gryphon lead. For Dance, the goal was her second of game and third of the season as she continued her fine start to her season. After the Lakers tied it up on the power play, the Gryphon went back to the power play early in the third period as
Reese Coffey's shot took another deflection, this time off a Nipissing stick as it floats into the net to put the Guelph back in front with a 3-2 lead. The Gryphons would hold down the fort the rest of the way with
Sophie Helfenstein making one of her 24 saves of the game on the breakaway. The Gryphs held off a late Lakers surge, killing off a late power play and holding strong against the extra attacker the final four-plus minutes of the game to secure the 3-2 victory. The Gryphons with the win improve to a 2-2-0 record on the season while the Lakers fall to 3-2-0. Next up for Guelph, a home-and-home set against the Brock Badgers as they head to Thorold for a Friday night (Oct. 30) matchup before return home for the back end of the home-and-home on Saturday night (Oct. 31).
