Nov 20, 2016 | Bruce Schlitt | 233 views
Novice Selects Bring Home A Victory
The Guelph Gryphons Novice Selects traveled to Cambridge on Sunday night and when the dust had settled, the Gryphs emerged victorious in the Battle of Highway 24 with a 3-1 win. It was the first time for these kids to be playing out of town and the excitement that the kids had a week earlier in their home opener carried over to their game in Cambridge.
Much like a week earlier, the opposition struck first. 4:07 into the game, Cambridge's Raj Dubey tapped a rebound into an empty net to give the Hawks an early 1-0 lead. But with 1:38 remaining in the opening period, Gryphs defenceman Brody Vanden Beukel kept the puck in at the blueline and blasted a shot on goal. Although Vanden Beukel's shot was stopped, Nathan Bowman was left all alone and he sniped the rebound to get Guelph on the board and tie up the game 1-1.
The second period was scoreless as both teams were unable to finish off several scoring chances.
With just 2:27 left in the game, hard forechecking by the line of Milan Wilson, Brayden Tomei, and George Dutrizac led to a Cambridge turnover and Dutrizac being left alone in front. Dutrizac was stoned point blank but he persisted in picking up his own rebound and he slammed home the game wining goal.
In the final minute of play, Tanner Johnson smartly cleared the puck from the Gryphon zone and Joseph Piccone chugged down the ice, beating the Hawks defenseman to break in alone. Piccone snapped a quick wrist shot that was stopped by the Hawks goalie but Piccone kept driving the net and the rebound bounced off his shin pad has he crashed in the Hawks goalie. When the dust had settled, the helpless Hawks goalie, Piccone, and the puck all ended up in the back of the Cambridge net and the Gryphs celebrated their third goal of the game.
The team's string of firsts continues this upcoming weekend as the Novice Selects compete in the first tournament of their young careers when they travel to Centre Wellingon to compete in the Fusion Fall Frenzy.