Box Score
Guelph, ON - Wednesday night at the Gryphon Centre the University of Guelph women's hockey team won 3-2 in double overtime to win Game 1 of their OUA semifinal, best-of-three series with the Toronto Varsity Blues. Kelly Gribbons (Port Elgin, ON) scored the overtime winner, her second OT winner of the 2015 playoffs.

The OUA Semi-Final between the No. 5 nationally ranked Guelph Gryphons and the No. 10 nationally ranked Toronto Varsity Blues started off in typical playoff fashion; both teams were feeling the other out, with scoring chances few and far between. Gryphons third year forward Christine Grant (Mississauga, ON) had the best chance of the period when she got the puck in the slot and ripped a slap shot high of Toronto goalie Nicole Kesteris (Aurora, ON). Both teams would manage eight shots a piece in the frame, and went to the dressing room tied 0-0.
 
The second period is where the action would start to pick up. Early in the second, forward Alana Sims would corral a bouncing puck behind the Toronto defenders and got a mini break away. Kesteris would show poke check and Sims tried to slide the puck underneath her, but Kesteris got her pad down in time to stop the puck. Moments later at the other end, Amanda Ricker (Ottawa, ON) would open the scoring as the Varsity Blues took a 1-0 lead. The Blues would double their lead later in the second period as Taylor Day (Ilderton, ON) tipped a point shot over Stephanie Nehring (Oshawa, ON) to make it 2-0 Toronto. Needing a spark on home ice, the Gryphons would turn to newly converted forward Leigh Shilton who would put the puck past Kesteris to get the Gryphons on the board. After 40 minutes of play, Toronto held a slim 2-1 lead heading to the third period.
 
It was all Guelph to start the final period, generating one scoring chance after another. However, Kesteris stood tall in the U of T net as the Varsity Blues were able to maintain their 2-1 lead until late in the period. With 3:30 left in the game, the Gryphons would finally find the equalizer Christine Grant would tie the game up for the Gryphons when the puck laid on the ice in a scramble and she was able to snap it home into the back of the net. The teams would end the period in a tie, as for the third time in as many playoff games, the Gryphons would need overtime to find a winner.
 
In the first overtime period, the Gryphons were unable to take advantage of a power play opportuntiy, as some strong play by Toronto's penalty kill unit kept things tied at 2-2. After a full intermission, the second overtime period would get underway with Guelph continuing to apply the pressure. With eight minutes gone in the frame, Gryphons forward Kelly Gribbons would get the puck in front of the net and make no doubt about it, sniping the puck into the back of the net to complete the comeback for the Gryphons. For Gribbons, it adds to an already memorable postseason as the second year forward also scored the overtime winner in Guelph's OUA quarterfinal Game 1 win over Ryerson. Stephanie Nehring (Oshawa, ON) turned away 22 of the 24 shots sent her way for the win.  Christine Grant (1 G, 1 A) and Jessica Pinkerton (2 A) both finished with multi-point nights.

With the victory on Wednesday night, the Gryphons now sit just one win shy of qualifying for the CIS Championships in Calgary (March 12-15) and advancing to the OUA Final.  Game 2 between the Gryphons and Varsity Blues is scheduled for Friday night at 7:30pm in Toronto.