With the offence clicking for both teams, the Guelph Gryphon women's hockey team put in a dominating 60 minutes Saturday (Nov. 12) night to defeat the York Lions 6-3 in a scoring frenzy at the Gryphon Centre.
 
The Gryphons move to 9-2-1 and remain atop the OUA standings while the Lions drop to 5-6-0.
 
Four Gryphon players put in multi-point performances, led by rookie Jessica Pickerton (Oshawa, Ont.) with a hat trick and one assist performance. Erin Small (Pickering, Ont.) chipped in with a goal and three helpers.
  In the first period the Gryphons took advantage of their power play chances by converting three times with the man advantage. The opening goal came early in the first from the stick of defender Jacky Sollis (West Vancouver, BC).  That goal went in 5:49 into the game after Sollis, set up by Michelle Sabourin (Pickering, Ont.), was left with a free shot from the left circle.  Making no mistake on the shot, Sollis shelved one over the stick of York goalie Sydney McMurter scoring her third of the season.
 
The Gryphons struck again quickly behind Jessica Pinkerton with assists being credited to Sollis and Sabourin.  The rookie made a highlight worthy diving shot in front of the crease to give the Gryphons a two-goal advantage at 7:10.  Before the period was out the Gryphons would make the score 3-0 with another goal from Pinkerton, taking the puck end-to-end, with Erin Small and Emily Corbett assisting at 19:33.
 
At the end of the first period the Gryphons outshot the Lions 16-3. 
 
After a disastrous first period, the Lions replaced goalie Sydney McMurter with Jessalyn Bogacki. Up to that point, McMurter made 13 stops on 16 shots.
 
The start of the second period saw more of the same kind of scoring from the Gryphons as veteran forward Tamara Bell (Guelph, Ont.) scored only 11 seconds into the game, depositing her first goal of the season.  A goal from Erin Small only two minutes later would pad the scoresheet further to give the Gryphons a 5-0 lead and Small her 10^th goal of the season. 
 
York's offence didn't get their game going until mid-way thru the second period when they were able to score two goals.  Katrina Tollis (Hamilton, Ont.) was the Lions firestarter scoring their first marker of the game on a power play goal at 9:38 set up by Kristie Wilson and Kristen Barbara.  Victoria Benacquist would score the Lions second of the period at 11:25.  In the second period the Lions outshot Guelph 12-6.
 
Jessica Pinkerton who tallied her third of the game, and seventh of the season at 2:09 on another power play started the third period scoring.  Victoria Head (Guelph, Ont.) and Erin Small assisted on the goal which was punched in by Pinkerton out of a scrum in front of the net.
 
The third period saw Gryphon goalie Brooke Siddall (Windsor, Ont.) come up with several big saves to keep the Lions at bay. Unfortunately the Lions put another past the netminder as Benacquist scored her second of the game at 12:04.    Siddall finished with 26 saves in the win.
 
At the end of the game the Gryphons had outshot their opponents 31-29 and their powerplay had produced four goals on six chances while York's four advantages converted one goal.
 
Up next the Gryphons are on the road this Wednesday, November 16^th in St.Catharines against Brock. Puck drops at 7:15 p.m.
 
  Women's Hockey vs. York 2011 Gallery