Gryphons sweep Badgers to advance to OUA semifinals
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – Playoff victories are hard to come by in OUA women's hockey. Picking up victories away from home, even tougher. But on Saturday afternoon in St. Catharines, the Guelph Gryphons picked up a much-deserved 3-2 road win over the Brock Badgers at the Seymour-Hannah Centre. With the win, the Gryphons sweep their best-of-three OUA Quarter-final series, beating the Badgers 2-games-to-none. Game 2 of the series on Saturday saw the Gryphons twice battle back to tie the game after trailing 1-0 and 2-1. Third-year forward Karli Shell scored the game-winner five minutes into the final period with a highlight reel goal to help the Gryphons clinch a spot in the conference semi-finals. The two-time defending McCaw Cup champion Gryphons will now face the No. 3-seeded Western Mustangs in the next round.
With just over five minutes remaining in regulation and with the game tied 2-2, Karli Shell showed off some great patience, cutting across the face of goal and outwaiting Brock goalie Jensen Murphy before depositing the game-winner into the top corner. While Shell's statistics during the regular season were modest (4 G, 7 A in 24 games), her head coach was not the least bit surprised to see the third-year forward steal the spotlight on the big stage, "Karli always seems to elevate her level play in big games," said Gryphons head coach Rachel Flanagan. "She is a really skilled player who has stepped up for us in the past on some big occasions. She did so again today."
It was part of a two-point night for Karli Shell, who also assisted on Guelph's first goal of the day. After Brock opened the scoring in the 1st period, the Gryphons were quick to answer with a goal of their own just :49 seconds later as Shell picked up an assist on a power play goal from Miranda Lantz to tie the game at 1-1.
That Gryphon power play would turn out to be one of the main talking points of Saturday's game, with Guelph converting on two of their three opportunities with the man advantage. Fifth year standout Kelly Gribbons scored the other power play goal on the day for the Gryphs, with her tally coming late in the 2nd period to tie the game at 2-2. Gribbons' goal was set up by captain Kaitlin Lowy, who maintained possession of the puck in the Badger zone for an extended period of time before setting up shop behind the Brock net and finding Gribbons for the tying goal. "We had some really good movement today on the power play," said Gribbons. "We got them running around a bit and were able to open up some seams."
The Gribbons' goal culminated a dominant stretch of play by the Gryphons, who were in control for the majority of the 2nd period, outshooting Brock 15-4 in the frame. It was a stark contrast from the opening period, where the Badgers were the ones applying the pressure. "We struggled early on," said Flanagan. "You could tell Brock was really playing for their playoff lives. But we responded really well. After the 2nd period, there was a pretty good feeling in the room that we would be able to find a way to win it."
Former U SPORTS Player of the Year, Valerie Lamenta, was solid in net for the Gryphons, making 20 saves on the day, including several big saves in the opening period.
The Gryphons, the No. 2-seed in the OUA playoffs, will now drop the puck on their semi-final series versus Western on Wednesday, Feb. 28.
Source: Guelph Gryphons