Dec 22, 2017 | Joe Harris | 650 views
Atom AAA Update - Gryphs battle Oakville in B2B games
Last week the Atom AAA Gryphons played the Oakville Rangers in a home-and-home mini-series during SCTA league play. Game 1 was in Oakville on the 11th and the visiting Gryphs were not an easy visiting opponent. After being outplayed to start the contest, it was the Gryphs who struck first on a snipe from Sam Black. Alex Rossi grabbed the assist. The Rangers scored next to tie the match but a minute after that Alex Rossi scored for the Gryphs, on a pass from Black, to take a 2-1 lead into the 2nd. Once again the home team tied the game, only to have Rossi pot his second of the game to give the Gryphs a 3-2 lead. Brady Smith drew the apple on the second Rossi goal.
The 3rd period saw 2 more goals from the Gryphs as they took advantage of some Ranger mistakes and turnovers. Hunter Solomon scored on the PP while Sam Savery rounded out the scoring late in the 3rd period. Smith and Trenton Harris drew assists on the final 2 Gryphon goals. Final score was 5-3 in favour of the Gryphs as they skated away with a monday night road victory. Ethan Lawrence made several key saves in the victory as the Gryphs were outshot on the night.
In game 2 of the home-and-home on the 13th in Guelph, it was the Rangers that struck first, only to have the Gryphs tie up the contest shortly after on a hard-working goal by Tyler Chadwick; with helpers from Owen Power and Brady Smith. The score remained tied to the end of period 1. The second period was not the Gryphs finest of the season as they failed to capitalize on several scoring chances and seemingly killed the buzz as the Rangers potted 2 goals on Gryph turnovers to take a 3-1 lead into the 3rd. Again, despite out-shooting the visiting team from Oakville, the Gryphs found themselves down 4-1 early in the 3rd frame. Chadwick netted his second of the night late in the period, on a rebound off the stick of Smith, but it was too little too late as the visitors skated away with the road victory 4-2. Kurtis Abbey turned away 10 shots in the contest.