GUELPH, ON - It's easy to rest on past accomplishments. The Guelph Gryphons men's hockey team could be seen as playing with house money after an improbable playoff run led them all the way to Queen's Cup glory in 2015. But that was last year. This edition of the team has the same objective -- play hard, advance and see where it takes you.

The players and staff understand that the journey to a championship is long. The No. 4 seed Gryphons start the trek Thursday, February 18 when they host the No. 5 Windsor Lancers in the OUA West Playoffs at the Gryphon Centre Arena. The puck drops at 7:30 pm for Game 1 of the best-of-three series.

Guelph will draw on the memories from that magical 2015 season, while pragmatically understanding they start from square one against Windsor, the 2014 Queen's Cup champions.

"We have a great mindset going in," said head coach Shawn Camp. "We know what worked for us. We will trust in each other and know that the experience from last year will be a good point of reference. But it's different every playoff season. You have to control the things that you can control. And the things that you can't, you hope for some good luck.

"We're not looking any farther ahead than this Thursday."

For second-year goalie Andrew D'Agostini, the Queen's Cup victory was one of his best moments ever on the ice.

"It was the experience of a lifetime for me," said the former Peterborough Petes player, noting how special it was to bring a championship to the University of Guelph. "We went through a lot of adversity last year. We've proved we're a good team."
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
Opponents definitely had a better idea of what to expect from the Gryphons in 2015/16. And given the target, they manufactured a solid season. Guelph (16-11-1) enter the series on a roll, with an offence that has been producing of late. The Gryphons had a shaky start to the 2016 portion of the road-heavy schedule and won just three of eight games in the month of January. But as February began, they found their stride and took full advantage of home ice against teams in the bottom half of the OUA standings. Guelph won three of its last four games, the only blip coming in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Lakehead Thunderwolves on February 6. The team out scored opponents 18-6 in those four games, capped off by a 6-1 thrashing of the Toronto Varsity Blues on Senior Night last week.

Camp wants to see that same consistent effort and for a team that spreads the wealth on the offensive end, balance in attack.

"When we move our feet and skate, things usually work out," he said. "And as usual, we will rely on a committee for goals. That's a recipe that's worked for us."

The nice run to finish the season was critical for the Gryphons, who knew a top four finish in the OUA West was a must. They had an identical record with the Waterloo Warriors but lost the No. 3 seed on a tiebreaker.

"We had our eye on third or fourth so we could have home ice in the playoffs," captain Nick Trecapelli said following the win over the Blues. "With the big ice here, we feel we have an advantage."

Can Guelph carry the offensive momentum into the first-round series with Windsor? It would be nice, though scoring chances are usually at a premium in the playoffs. An encouraging aspect of the last four games was the special teams awakening. It had been a tough season on that front for the defending Queen's Cup champs. While the penalty kill finished the year ranked eighth in the whole OUA (82.5 per cent), the Gryphons power play was near the bottom of the league at 13.5 per cent. The silver (or red, black and gold) lining? Of the 14 goals Guelph scored with the man advantage, they managed one in each of the last four games and even added a shorthanded effort in the season finale.

The Gryphons strength, however, is keeping the puck out of their own net. Guelph allowed an OUA West-low 69 goals, thanks in large part to the steady play of D'Agostini. The second-year Scarborough, ON native, playing in his final season with the Gryphons before hopefully embarking on a pro career, picked up where he left off in a phenomenal rookie campaign. D'Agostini posted a 2.34 goals against average and a .927 save percentage (tied for third in the OUA) en route to a 14-9-0 record. His cool demeanour and ability to make timely saves has lifted Guelph on many nights. And he's had lots of help.

"There is definitely more pressure," D'Agostini said of the playoff environment. "Every goalie has their moments where they rely on the team. It's always about how hard we work, our attitude and our discipline. We have to be on the same page.

"We know the goals will come. And I will be relied on to play well."

Guelph and Windsor spilt their two meetings this season, each game finishing with a lopsided score. The Gryphons lost 5-1 on the road back on October 7, imploding in the third period when the Lancers pumped in four goals. But Guelph paid them back on January 16 at home, enjoying its own offensive outburst with three goals in the second period and two more in the third in a 6-3 win.

Camp said the Lancers are a threat offensively and hard on the puck. Their D is mobile and experienced and they have good goaltending, as well. It's no easy test, especially for a first-round matchup.

"We're two teams with some pretty good playoff experience," said Camp. "The shame about this series is that one very good team won't have the chance to play in nationals.

"This is a great example of what OUA hockey is all about."