Dec 14, 2019 | Tim Davison | 517 views
Goalies and Team Defense Lead Way to 3-0 Record: Only 1 Goal Allowed
The Junior Gryphons are rounding into form as their regular season winds into its final weeks. In the second to last week of the season, the boys posted a 3-0 record and outscored their opposition by a combined score of 24-1.
he week started against Flamborough-Dundas on Saturday afternoon against a squad that has given the team troubles at times through the year. The Gryphons however came out quickly and never let up. In the middle of the first period Owen McNamee and Kenny Beynon got goals just two-minutes apart. In the second, McNamee, Beynon, and Peter Schlitt scored in the first 5 minutes to make the score 5-0. Peyton Markwood would add another in the last minute of play to make it 6-0 at the end of two. Schlitt would add his second of the game mid-way through the third period to round out the scoring.
While the offense was impressive in this game once again, the team defense was suffocating. When Flamborough-Dundas managed to get the puck into the Gryphon end, aggressive back checking of the forwards and excellent positional play by the defense limited any chances. Lucas Jones stood tall in net, turning away everything that came his way, including several key leg kick saves in the third during close in chances when the opposition was pushing hard to break the shut-out. Nate Taylor earned the hardest working player of the game with an assist and constant aggressive play throughout the game.
The second game of the week was Monday night against the Caledon Hawks. This game was a revenge game for the Gryphons who had a 5-1 win earlier in the season reversed because of a team administrative error. This time the Gryphons won 12-0 with Max Heroux earning the shutout, making several tough saves look easy when called upon. Once again it was a complete team effort at both ends of the ice that kept the Hawks off the score sheet. Offensively, there was balanced scoring throughout the line-up and game, with 5 goals in the first period, 2 in the second, and 5 more in the third. Jackson Byard led the way with a goal and 4 assist night and Michael Kusiak earned his teammates vote as hardest worker.
The last game of the week was Friday night against the Orangeville Flyers, who stood only 5 points behind the Gryphons entering the game. While the game would end 5-1, it was a close game throughout most of the contest. The Gryphons got on the score-sheet on the first shift off a down-low cycling of the puck between Byard, Markwood and Taylor. After about 15 seconds of battle with all three touching the puck, Byard won control of the puck, slid it across the end to Markwood, who fed Taylor in the low-slot. His quick release would surprise the Flyers goalie and make the score 1-0. The game would stay this way until early in the second, when the Flyers would tie the game up, which was the first goal Guelph had allowed in 7 periods of hockey. But just a few minutes later, the Gryphons would go a on a half period run that would put the game out of reach.
First it was Kenny Beynon from Caleb Davison with 8 minutes left . Davison's aggressive play along the boards, stripped the puck off the Flyers defenseman, he spun around and fed a perfect pass onto the stick of Beynon who rifled a shot in the bottom left corner of the net. Less than 4 minutes later, it was Davison who would find the back of the net. To relieve pressure in their end and get a change, the Flyers tried to ice the puck, but could only get it to the Gyphon blue line. Cian Duffy quickly skated back, collected the puck and smartly fired a pass to an awaiting Davison at the Flyer blue-line. Davison took two strides and ripped a shot over the glove of the unsuspecting goalie. Only a minute later, it was Beynon adding his second of the game, and again it was a off a quick transition from the Gryphon defense. This time on a dump in behind the Gryphon net, Milan Wilson won a battle for the puck, slid it to Oliver Fletcher, who banked a pass off the wall to Beynon. Beyon would tip the puck past the Flyer defense, outrace them for the puck for a breakaway, and then with a head fake, had the goalie sliding to his right, so he could step around and slide the puck into the empty net. The final goal of the game was created off another excellent defensive play when Owen McNamee's hard backcheck, stripped the puck off a Flyer forward near the Gryphon blue line. Milan Wilson picked up the puck, skated down the ice and fired a shot on net, which was stopped. Beynon's attempt on the rebound was also blocked, and Wilson picked up the puck circled behind the net and took a shot from behind the net that bounced off the goalie and into the net.
Despite seven penalties being called in the third, with the Gryphons picking up 4 of them, the period would be scoreless thanks to excellent goaltending at both ends of the ice, and especially from the Lucas Jones in the Guelph net. The game would end at 5-1 with Jackson Byard earning the hardest working Gryphon.
The scoring summaries from the games are below. The Gryphons return to the ice on Sunday in a rematch against Flamborough-Dundas when the look to extend their unbeaten streak to 10.
Flamborough-Dundas Game Summary:
1. McNamee (Beynon)
2. Beynon (Smith)
3. McNamee (Davison)
4. Beynon (Wilson)
5. Schlitt
6. Markwood (Taylor)
7. Schlitt (Duffy)
Caledon Game Summary:
1. Davison (Smith, Laskowski)
2. Beynon (Wilson)
3. Beynon (Byard, Peteranac)
4. McNamee (Byard, Beynon)
5. Wilson (Byard, Kusiak)
6. Smith (Davison, Schlitt)
7. Byard (Wilson)
8. Roffel (Davison)
9. Wilson (Duffy, Byard)
10. McNamee (Markwood)
11. Markwood (unassisted)
12. Smith (Laskowski, Schlitt)
Orangeville Game Summary:
1. Taylor (Markwood, Byard)
2. Beynon (Davison)
3. Davison (Duffy)
4. Beynon (Fletcher, Wilson)
5. Wilson (Beynon, McNamee)