Nov 20, 2019 | Tim Davison | 159 views
Gryphons End Cold Streak, Win Pair over the Weekend
The Minor PeeWees started last week off with a tough 7-3 loss to one of the best teams in the league, Milton White. Milton came out and asserted itself on the first shift, scoring a goal only 30 seconds in. From there they poured it on, piling up a 6-0 lead as the second period drew to a close.
Near the end of the second, the Gryphons began to find their game, putting more and more pressure on Milton, trying desperately to turn the game around. Conner Laskowski got the Gryphons on the board first, hammering in a loose puck in front of the net, after Peyton Smith danced through the defence and nearly scored.
The third period was more typical Gryphon hockey, and the boys out skated and out scored Milton 2-1. Again it was Laskowski and Smith teaming up on an almost identical goal to their first, with Laskowski crashing the net hard and jamming home the puck off a Smith shot. Smith rounded out the scoring by streaking down the left wall, cutting across the ice behind Milton’s defence and sliding the puck beside the outstretched leg of their goalie.
While it was their 6th straight loss, the third period allowed the boys to regain some confidence and began a run of 7 straight impressive periods of play.
On Friday night, they travelled to Milton to take on the second place Milton Blue squad. After a scoreless first, Milton opened the scoring early in the second. However just 2 minutes later the Gryphons stormed back to tie it up. As Milton attempted to split the defence, Vid Peteranac broke up the play, slid the puck to his D partner, Kingston Beynon, who quickly fed the puck up ice to Peyton Smith. Smith spun around and went on the attack, deaking out the opposing centre, crossing the Milton blue line and, using their defence as a screen, ripped a shot over the blocker of the surprised goalie.
The teams skated evenly over the next 15 minutes of play in back and forth action with outstanding chances at both ends, but with each goalie shutting the door. Then with 6 minutes left in the game, it was the Smith Laskowski combo teaming up again. This time after extended pressure in the Milton end, Smith circled the net, firing a quick shot, which was blocked, but Laskowski, barreling past two defensemen was able to get his stick on the rebound and deposit it behind the goalie.
In the closing minutes Milton aggressively tried to tie the score, pulling their goalie, and pinning the Gryphons in the threat end. It almost worked, with seconds remaining on the clock, milton looked to have a wide open net to jam the puck into on a goal mouth scramble, but Lucas Jones slid across and extended his right pad to shut the door again. As the Milton player looked to the rafters in disbelief, the Gryphons defence shot the puck outside their end to run out the clock and seal the victory.
With one of their most complete games of the year under their belts, the Gryphons returned to the ice on Sunday against the Centre Wellington Fusion. The aggressive, team first, game play continued and the scoreboard showed the results in an 11-1 win.
The Gryphons scored three goals on the first, five in the second, and three in the third to win. All lines and the defence all chipped in with goals, in a balanced attack. Max Heroux was outstanding in the net for the Gryphons, pitching a shutout until 8 seconds remained on the clock, when the Fusion finally netted their first, on a power play, off a deflection in front.
The score sheet for the game read:
1. Davison (Fletcher)
2. Taylor (Byard)
3. Byard (McNamee, Smith)
4. McNamee (unassisted)
5. McNamee (Fletcher)
6. Laskowski (Smith, Davison)
7. Fletcher (unassisted)
8. Taylor (McNamee)
9. Byard (unassisted)
10. Markwood (Smith)
11. Smith (unassisted)
The Gryphons look to build on the momentum of the last couple of games when they return to the ice on Tuesday against Glancaster and then skate into the Guelph Power Play tournament next weekend.