WATERLOO, Ont. – The Gryphons women's hockey team will enter the OUA women's hockey playoffs as the No. 2-seed in the OUA West following their 3-1 defeat to the Laurier Golden Hawks in the final game of the regular season on Saturday night (Feb. 14).
 
Heading into Saturday night's matchup, both the Gryphons and Golden Hawks were sitting on 57 points with the winner earning the OUA's No. 1 overall seed and home ice through to the McCaw Cup (OUA championship game). The start of game did not go the way the Gryphs envisioned as Sophie Helfenstein in her attempt to clear the puck, saw it land onto the stick of Olivia MacMillan who scored into the open net to give the hosts the 1-0 lead. Guelph would apply plenty of pressure onto the Laurier net throughout the game and would finally get rewarded late in the 2nd period. Fifth-year defender Teghan MacRae pinched in from the blueline and wired home her second goal of the season from a tight angle to beat Laurier goalie Kayla Renaud to tie the game up at 1-1. But Laurier would respond, with the go-ahead goal midway through the 3rd period with Elle Spencer giving the Golden Hawks a 2-1 lead. Guelph would continue to apply the pressure on the Laurier net but were unable to find the equalizer as the Golden Hawks would score the empty netter to seal the 3-1 win and clinch the OUA's top seed in the process.
 
The Gryphons finish up their 26-game OUA regular season schedule with a 19-4-3 record with a total of 57 points as they will be the No. 2-seed in the OUA West division. Guelph's opponent in the OUA quarterfinal will be the No. 3-seed Waterloo Warriors (17-8-1) as both teams split the season series with the home team coming out on top. The Golden Hawks finish their season with a 21-4-1 record and will await the winner of the division's 'play-in game' – with the OUA West No. 5-seeded Brock Badgers set to take on the OUA West No. 4-seeded Windsor Lancers in a one-game, winner-moves-on game.