Victoria Woods scored twice, Danielle Skoufranis earned a shutout as the Guelph Gryphons defeated the York Lions by a score of 5-0 on Sunday (Jan. 9) at Canlan Ice Sports.

 

Skoufranis (Thornhill, Ont.) stopped 22 shots for her third shutout of the season.

 

Special teams were the story in the first period. Eight penalties were handed out in the frame – four to each side – giving both teams ample opportunities to find the scoreboard.

 

The Gryphons opened the scoring early off a holding-the-stick penalty to Lions' rookie defenceman Lindsay Brook (Ste. Rose Du Lac, Man.). Woods (Orangeville, Ont.), alone in front of the Lions' goal, received a cross-crease pass from Kimberley Wong (Mississauga, Ont.) that she redirected through McMurter's legs and home to put her team ahead 1-0.

 

Brook redeemed herself by taking a good slashing penalty late in the period that prevented a speedy Kaitlyn Mora (Guelph, Ont.) from cutting off the left wing to the front of the goal for an open shot at McMurter.

 

The Gryphons increased their lead to two early in the second courtesy of a short-handed goal from Jenna Lanzarotta (Mississauga, Ont.). Lanzarotta won the race to the puck, slid behind the Lions' goal and beat McMurter on a quick wraparound.

 

The Gryphons continued their efficient play and found a third goal midway through the period. On the power play, Jacalyn Sollis (West Vancouver, B.C.) charged in from the point and got two whacks at goal before burying her own rebound. McMurter calmly pushed aside Sollis's first wrist shot, but Sollis refused to quit on the play and was rewarded for her effort.

 

With less than two minutes remaining in the period, Tamara Bell (Guelph, Ont.) increased the Gryphons' lead to a comfortable 4-0. Following a mad scramble in front of the Lions' goal, Woods found the puck behind the goal and passed it out front to be Bell, who slid the frozen disc just inside McMurter's right post.

 

The Gryphons did not let up in the third. Woods put her team up 5-0 when she powered to the front of the Lions goal and roofed a backhand over Brown.   

 

The Lions were unable to catch any breaks in the game. Courtney Unruh (Fort St. John, B.C.) was denied on a breakaway opportunity late in the period when she stormed into the Gryphons zone all alone and made a slick move to her backhand for a sure goal, but Skoufranis slid across her crease on her back to make the save and preserve her shutout. The Lions also hit two posts in the game. 

 

The Gryphons (12-4-2) remain in third with 26 points, while the Lions (7-11-0) remain seventh in the OUA with 14 points.

 

The Gryphons return home this weekend to host the Windsor Lancers (Jan. 15 – 2PM) and Western Mustangs (Jan. 16 – 2PM).

 

 

Source: York Sports Information