Monday night the Junior Gryphon Minor PeeWee AE finished their regular season on home ice looking to extend their league winning streak to 11, their undefeated streak to 13, and to clinch third in the league standings heading into the OMHA Play-Ins.
The game was another physical, penalty filled, close checking affair against the Orangeville Flyers. The first period, despite lots of decent scoring chances, the boys skated to a scoreless draw. However, in the second they would quickly jump out to a lead a minute and a half into the period. Off strong board play deep in the Orangeville end, Nate Taylor would win a battle against two Flyer players and slide the puck into the corner to Peyton Markwood. Markwood turned and fired a shot toward the net that hit the side of the net and bounced out front onto the stick of Jackson Byard who slammed the puck into the open net.
A minute later, Peyton Smith and his line went on a five minute tear to break the game open. The first goal started deep in the Gryphon defensive end when Cian Duffy won a battle behind the net and kicked the puck to Smith who had come down deep to support his defence. Smith rounded behind the net, turned on the jets and flew up the ice. After entering the Flyer zone and getting the defense to back off, he cut smartly to the middle and ripped a shot, using their d as a screen, to beat the goalie low blocker side. Two minutes later, the Caleb Davison would win a battle down low in the Flyer zone and feed a pass behind the net to Kenny Beynon. Beynon would quickly pass it back out in front to an awaiting Smith who would quickly fire a wrist shot to beat the goalie over the glove hand on a nearly impossible angle.
Just over two minutes later Smith would complete the natural hat-trick on a wrap around goal. This time it was Beynon who won a battle in the corner of the Flyer zone to the goalie's left. After stripping the puck from the Flyer defense, he would spin and pass to Davison who was waiting deeper in the corner. Davison would quickly pass to Smith who was waiting behind the net and was able to take one stride and tuck it in behind the goalie on his right side.
The third period would see the teams pick up 7 combined penalties. But the Gryphon defense and goal tending held firm, only allowing one Orangeville goal mid-way through the frame. Max Heroux, who was hurt in practice the day before, played an outstanding game game in net turning away all but the one shot to secure the 4-1 win.
The tenth straight win came at home on Saturday afternoon in a game against Erin Hillsburgh. Unfortunately for the Devils, the flu had been going through their team and they were playing short-handed throughout, only able to have 10 skaters for the game. The Gryphons would dominate through most of the game, winning 7-2. The scoring summary is as follows:
1, Peyton Markwood (Nate Taylor)
2. Kenny Beynon (Caleb Davison, Peyton Smith)
3. Davison (Smith)
4. Smith (Taylor)
5. Milan Wilson (Conner Laskowski, Owen McNamee)
6. Beynon (Davison, Smith)
7. Markwood (unassisted)
The Junior Gryphons return to ice in the New Year when the OMHA Play-Ins start.