It seemed like an eternity since the final roster was set at tryouts in the spring, but the 2018-19 Novice AA Guelph Gryphons are finally ready to embark on their journey to defend the OMHA Novice championship title won by the 2009 kids last year.
After a long, hot summer, the calendar has changed to September and these boys and girls were primed to get back on the ice. They worked hard at practice every day during a very busy back to school, with their inaugural team trip to the Early Bird AA Tournament in the Niagara region finishing off the first week.
The kids took to the ice Friday morning and faced off against the Flamborough Sabres in their first test against a Tri County opponent. It was a hard-fought matchup and the Gryphons dictated the tempo for much of the game. Connor G. got the Gryphons on the board early with a strong play to the net, and it turned out to be the game winner as goaltender Jake C. earned himself a shut out in a 2-0 win.
With the first team win under their belt, the AA’s would face the Burlington Cougars next. The kids were still flying high from their morning victory and were determined to finish day one strong. Firing on all cylinders, the Gryphs filled the net with 5 goals in the first few minutes of the game, chasing Burlington’s starting goalie in favour of the backup. After that, they kept the pressure on as they cruised to an 11-4 win to finish the day tied for the lead in their division. Brenna C. got her first win of the year between the pipes, and all three lines had points in the match.
Then it was off to the hotel to check in and start the most important part of this young season, the team building. With an evening filled with swimming, waterslides, and a team dinner at the famous Hard Rock Café, the kids were able to begin bonding together for what will be a grueling year around the rink.
Well rested and ready to play; the kids faced off against their final round robin opponent, the Windsor Jr. Spitfires, early Saturday morning. The two tournament heavyweights collided head on to determine who would top the division going into the knockout games. The two clubs traded chances, and the game lived up to the hype with the score tied after two periods. Going into the most important period of this young season, the kids turned in a dominant performance together as they finished the game with a 6-1 win capped off with a highlight reel glove save by Jake C.
After sweeping the round robin, the morning concluded with a team breakfast to refuel before heading out to play their first knock out game of the year. With their bellies full and confidence high, the Gryphons were off to the host rink to face the Burlington Cougars once again. The Cougars were on the other side of the coin in the round robin, going winless in all three games and as soon as the puck was dropped; It was apparent that these cats were not going to go down without a fight. They got a goal early and had the Gryphons on their heels until defenseman Aiden Z. scored a short-handed beauty going coast-to-coast with just 0.5 seconds left in the opening frame to tie the score at 1. Goals went back and forth throughout the rest of the game and the spectators had a barnburner on their hands with both teams tied 4-4 after regular time. It was the squads first taste of sudden victory hockey as they got set for and entertaining 3 on 3 overtime period. Burlington won the faceoff and barreled down the ice only to be stoned by Brenna K. on two quality chances. The Jr. Gryphons showed their appreciation for their keeper by turning the loose puck up the ice and burying the biscuit in the back of the net for the win. The Gryphs poured over the boards and mobbed Easton B. for scoring the goal that put them into the tournament final.
The table was now set for what hopes to be the first of many championship Sundays for these Guelph Jr. Gryphons. Just before noon, the puck dropped on what will be considered the teams most complete game so far against their Tri-County rival the Flamborough Sabres, who upset Windsor in the other semi-final a day prior. Flamborough got on the board in the first, but it was the Gryphons who dominated the offensive zone after going down 1-0. Despite multiple chances, the Gryphs could not solve the opposing netminder until Shaun S. hammered a sharp angled shot past the keeper mid way through the third to even the score at 1. The rest of the final frame solved nothing, and these Gryphons were forced to play in their second sudden victory period of the tourney. With both goalies standing on their heads and bragging rights on the line, it became apparent that a little luck was going to be needed to be victorious. Unfortunately, that luck shone on Flamborough as they sniped a goal past the glove side on an open ice break away. It was a gut-wrenching ending to a hard played and very exciting final game for the Novice AA hockey team, but alas it was not meant to be. Never the less, the kids held their heads high and graciously accepted defeat to the formidable Flamborough Sabres.
Even though the kids didn’t get the desired result, there were many great takeaways from the tournament to build off. All in all, the lessons learned this weekend will only increase the tenacity of this group going forward. Great start to the season Gryphons, be proud of your accomplishments. In a weekend of many firsts, the best is yet to come!
Good luck this year. Go Gryphs Go!
Written by: Dan and Lindsay (#97 Aiden's parents)
