Game 3 Home to Char-Lan Rebels
Char-Lan surprised the Gryphons by being a team to compete with, starting the game with pressure in our end, and continuing it through the first, getting a couple of goals against us to start off the game. Guelph soon came around and started putting pressure up ice, but Char-Lan did a good job of shutting down the neutral zone. The few times the Gryphons did get into the Rebels end they couldn’t get into the attacking zone, to get anything going. But midway through the second, on a nice play from Evan to keep it in the neutral zone, he got it wide to Max, who popped it up to Will, Will dumped it in, and the Hughes line all fought behind the net to keep it away from Rebel sticks; Jesse scooted around the net and popped it in. 2-1 Rebels. Soon after, the Gryphons got tired of the ref not protecting Sergio from post-whistle smacks and snows, and the Gryphons added real hustle to their game. Seba and a Rebel took a penalty for post-whistle activity, but somehow David got one too. In the ensuing PK, Gareth and Jesse got a slow 2 on 1 that most Rebels inexplicably didn’t get back to support, and Gareth’s patient approach dropped the Rebels keeper so he buried it far side for a beauty shortie.
The game ended 3-2, but good efforts from all lines in the second half of the game, fighting for pucks in the Char-Lan end, and creating chances on net, will hopefully carry over into the morning’s gold medal final against the same team. (Spoiler: It did!)
-PL