GUELPH, ON - The end of an historic OUA regular season is in sight for the Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team. With just three games remaining on the schedule, the objectives were clear for the No. 1 team in Canada  -- maintain momentum heading into the playoffs and keep fine tuning a successful two-way approach. Guelph took the first step in that direction Saturday afternoon, extending its win streak to nine games with a definitive 4-1 victory over the Laurentian Voyageurs at Gryphon Centre Arena.

Head coach Rachel Flanagan said she isn't actually concerned about wins or losses at the moment. Or even keeping that No.1 CIS ranking. What matters most is how the Gryphons are playing as the season winds down. And Saturday's effort was a good sign.

"We got better as the game went on" said Flanagan. "I'm happy with the finish. We found a way.

"Executing is what we're asking the players to do. It's about hitting on the little things."

"We played a pretty good 60," said captain Jessica Pinkerton, who scored her ninth of the year into an empty net late to put the Gryphons up 4-0. "They pushed us a little bit but we were able to play our game."

Assistant captain Leigh Shilton had the game-winning goal, her eighth tally of the season, which leads all defenders in the country. Sophie Contant and  Averi Nooren also scored for Guelph (16-3-2-1), while Valerie Lamenta made 25 saves (15 in the third period), improving her record to an impressive 15-2 on the season.

Guelph entered the final 20 minutes up 1-0 but erupted for three in the third.

Shilton, who had hit both a post and a crossbar in the first period, was finally rewarded when she unloaded a point shot that beat Laura Deller at the 1:13 mark for a 2-0 lead. The Belleville native leads all Gryphon blueliners with 15 points.

Later in the period, Nooren scored her team-high 14th at 15:48 when she stole the puck in the Laurentian zone, broke in alone and roofed one past Deller. Just 1:13 later Pinkerton scored to make it 4-0.

Ellery Veerman added a late power-play goal to spoil Lamenta's shutout bid.

Contant put the Gryphons up at 2:35 of the second period with a fantastic effort. The second-year Psychology student from Cornwall flipped the puck past the last Laurentian defender, gathered it for a breakaway and then skillfully chipped a backhander past Deller. It was Contant's fifth of the season.

"It was nice for Sophie to get that first goal," said Flanagan. "She's been playing some valuable minutes for us and it was an important goal to get us going."

The Gryphons were a little slow out of the gate but they began to exert more pressure on the visitors as the first period went on. Despite tallying just six shots in the opening 20 minutes, they could have easily been up a couple goals by the intermission. In addition to Shilton's near misses, Mackenzie Wong was denied on a breakaway and Guelph had several chances to whack away at loose pucks in Deller's crease, particularly on a late power play.

Guelph entered the day with a commanding nine-point lead in the OUA standings but each of the last three games are important and offer the Gryphons an opportunity to gain a mental edge on teams they may be seeing soon. Heading into the game, the Voyageurs sat in eight place and could be a potential first-round playoff opponent so the win had value beyond padding the point total. Nipissing, in town tomorrow, is second in the league standings and the two teams could very well cross paths later in the postseason. The Gryphons wrap up the regular season schedule next week on the road in St. Catharines against Brock, a team battling for the final playoff spot that Laurentian held entering Saturday.

Flanagan said there is a need to send a message to these final opponents in case they do meet again.

"It was a strong message," the coach said of her team's performance.

"The playoffs are completely different," said Pinkerton, noting the importance of executing well and paying attention to details in these final few games. "The rookies will learn that it's a different atmosphere. Any team can win any game."

NOTES:

- Ashlee Lawrence, Karli Shell, Meagan Lee, Brittany St. James and Christine Grant each had an assist
- Guelph sits well atop the OUA with 55 points
- The Gryphons lead the league in goals scored (70) and fewest goals allowed (25)
- Nooren also leads the team in points with 22
- Pinkerton's goal was her 20th point, with Grant and St. James right behind her at 19 each