The Tyke A
Guelph Gryphons had a busy week of competition with 3 contests in 5 days.
Last Wednesday, the Gryphons did battle with the Bramption 45s. Nicco Seminara put the Gryphons on the board early with a beauty bar-down snipe. However, Brampton came back with two of their own, and had claimed a 2 – 1 lead by the end of the first. After a scoreless second period, the Gryphons played an inspired third saving their best for the final frame. Lucas Surette tied it up, converting on a beautiful play that included some strong play along the boards by Sawyer Smith and Gage Thompson. Auguste Toscan gave the Gryphons the lead on an impressive individual effort. Despite their strong effort the Gryphons could not hold the lead, conceding the tying goal with 3:34 left in the third period. The 3 – 3 final gave the Gryphons a hard earned point. The Gryphon defense should be particularly proud of their efforts in this one, stopping several Brampton rushes before they were able to threaten with a shot on net. Specifically, Evan Pahanich and Ryan Mackinnon are to be commended on their quick puck movement and excellent teamwork.
On Saturday, the Tyke As took on the Oakville Rangers in a rematch of the season’s first game – a game that the Gryphons lost 7 – 1. Guelph fell behind 1 – 0, but came back to take a 2 – 1 lead on a pair of goals by Nicco Seminara. However, the lead was short lived as the Oakville Rangers rallied for 3 more, including an empty netter. The Gryphon defense was strong, led by Tyson Dosman and Wyatt Marks who provided great examples of strong defensive play and teamwork through their quick decision making and puck movement. Other notable contributions came from Jax Shields and Luca Rossit who constantly applied pressure onto the Oakville puck carriers. Although the result was a 4 – 2 loss, the game was an indication of the great progress that the Gryphons have made this season.
On Sunday, the Gryphons travelled to Milton to face the Winterhawks. This game was a tight-checking affair that featured some impressive play from many Gryphons. Specifically, Alex Chappel was a tenacious presence all game while Nate McGregor distinguished himself with his passing skills. On defense, Jamie Newton turned in his finest effort of the season with his aggressive play, while Greg Franklin used his speed and skill to stop many Milton attacks. The Gryphons endured the closely contested affair on their way to a 2 – 1 victory. Nicco Seminara provided the goal scoring for the Gryphons while Finn Pettapiece and Tyson Morrison-Brewster combined for another superb outing between the pipes.
The Gryphons end the week with a very respectable 3 – 6 – 4 record, good enough for 5th place in the Tri-County Minor Hockey League’s Tyke - Tier 1 loop.
The Gryphons will break from Tri-County competition this weekend as they travel to Bradford to participate in the Blue and Gold Classic tournament.