by Bill Johnson
After a couple of tough losses, 3 – 1 to Waterloo (Guelph
goalscorer – Johnson) and 7 – 1 to Kitchener (Guelph goalscorer – Marshall),
the Gryphons bounced back with their best effort of the season, grounding the
Cambridge Hawks 2-1 at Centennial Arena on Monday night.
While the first period was a tightly contested affair with the teams trading possession in the neutral zone, the Gryphons got the better chances while having the benefit of a two minute power play in the period. However, the home team wasn’t able to convert and the period ended 0-0.
The Gryphons poured on the pressure to start the second period controlling the majority of the play and forcing the Cambridge tender into several tough saves. The Hawks goalie had a hot glove hand, and was able to keep the Gryphs off the board, and ultimately the Hawks pounced on a failed clearance attempt with Mathew Klassen from Cambridge sliding a shot into the Gryphon goal to make it 1-0. The scoreboard at the end of the period certainly didn’t reflect the time of possession or the quality of the chances generated by the hard working Gryphons.
The third period was similar to the second, with the Gryphons controlling the majority of the play, but this time the home team capitalized. The first goal came off the stick of Kailen Robertson who picked up a Cambridge clearing attempt in the neutral zone, waited for his teammates to clear, snuck by a couple of defenders with a nifty toe drag, firing a hard shot on net. The Cambridge goalie was able to stop the initial attempt but Robertson stuck with it, and banged home his own rebound to the tie the score 1-1. The Gryphons thought they took the lead about half way through the third period, after a goalmouth scramble was initially called a goal by the refereeing crew, but was then called off by the second referee who was trying to blow his whistle as the Cambridge goalie covered the puck. Guelph netminder Khari Eyers made a huge save three quarters of the way through the period, first flashing his glove, and then kicking out his right pad to thwart the Hawks rebound attempt. This would be the only offence Cambridge would mount in the period and after some hard forechecking by the Johnston Hallahan, Hughes, and Johnson line, Isaac Hughes was able to drive a loose puck into the back of the net to give the Gryphons the 2-1 lead that they would not give up.
Best win of the season for the Gryphons as they were constantly moving their feet, pressuring the Hawks with active sticks and a relentless forecheck.