Mar 26, 2022 | Bruce Schlitt | 1331 views
U15 AA Crowned Tri County Champions
The U15 AA Guelph Gryphons continued their improbable playoff run by capturing the Tri County Championship with a 4-3 victory over the Oakville Rangers Red on Saturday afternoon in Burlington.
Oakville drew first blood by banging in a loose puck off a goal mouth scramble 4:39 into the contest to take a 1-0 early lead. However Guelph came storming back. On the forecheck, Tyler Chadwick and Will Ross hammered two Oakville players on separate body checks creating a loose puck that was scooped up by linemate Calvin Cahill. Cahill threw the puck back to Chance Piotto who wired a shot into the far low corner at the 9 minute mark to even the score at 1-1. Just 30 seconds later, defenseman Nathan Schlitt relieved pressure in his own zone by hitting winger Addison Murphy-Rogers in stride coming out of the Guelph zone. Murphy-Rogers quickly chipped the puck to a streaking Nathan Briggs who scooped up the puck, raced down on a breakaway and ripped the puck top corner for a 2-1 Gryphon lead. The score stood 2-1 at the end of the first period.
Oakville battled back at 6:22 of the second period to bang home a loose puck in front to knot the game at two apiece. But with 1:15 left in the second period, Guelph pounced on an Oakville turnover in the neutral zone and raced down on a 2 on 1. Zac Conroy sauced a perfect pass over to Andrew McMillan and McMillan lazered a snap shot into the top corner to give Guelph a 3-2 lead heading into the second intermission.
Oakville came out in the third pressing for the equalizer and were rewarded by bulging the twine just 2:31 into the third to tie the game at 3-3. The play went back and forth until 4:47 remaining in the 3rd when Zac Conroy forced a turnover behind the Oakville net and drove a shot on net. The Oakville goalie made the save but Will Ross stood waiting for the rebound in front and drove it home for the game winning goal. Oakville pressed for the tieing goal as the clock wound down but Guelph calmly controlled the play and never allowed the Rangers to form an attack.
The league champion Gryphons will now spend the next two weeks preparing for the OMHA Championships as they head to Kingston April 8-10th.