GAME PREVIEW - 8th Annual Frosty Mug

GUELPH, ON - Technically, Thursday night's regular season men's hockey game between the Guelph Gryphons and Laurier Golden Hawks is worth two points in the standings. It just feels like there is much more on the line.

On Thursday, January 19 the Gryphons will host the Hawks in the 8th edition of The Frosty Mug. The event, which has been labeled the Gryphons Winter Homecoming, has become one of the marquee events on the OUA sporting calendar. Last year, a record crowd of 4,374 were in attendance at the Sleeman Centre as the Gryphs battled Western, marking the fifth-largest attendance EVER for a U SPORTS men's hockey conference game. The Gryphons enter the 2017 edition of this event on a hot streak, having won seven of their last eight games overall.

There is currently a bit of a log jam in the OUA West standings, which includes Guelph and Laurier both sitting on 24 points for the season. The Gryphons (12-8-0) have two games in-hand on Laurier (10-8-4), but it was the Hawks who came out on top of the team's first meeting of the season, a 5-1 Laurier victory back on October 14 in Waterloo.

























The Gryphons are currently ranked fifth out of 20 teams in the OUA in scoring, averaging 3.85 goals per game. Finding the back of the net against Laurier on Thursday night however may prove to be a challenge with the recent play of Golden Hawks goalie Colin Furlong. Last Friday (Jan. 13), Furlong made a career-high 52 saves in Laurier's 3-2 shootout victory over UQTR. The Cambridge native currently ranks second in the OUA with 539 saves on the season.

Although Thursday's game will be played off campus, home ice has been kind to the Gryphs this year with the team posting an impressive 8-1 record at the Gryphon Centre. A win on Thursday night would push Guelph's all-time record in the Frosty Mug to 5-3-0. This will mark Laurier's third appearance in the Frosty Mug, and first since 2012, with Guelph having won each of their previous two meetings.

For those unable to attend, Thursday night's game will be televised live on channel 368 for Rogers customers and can also be seen live online at www.oua.tv.
 

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5 Reasons to Go to the Frosty Mug
 
Have you never been to the annual Guelph Gryphons Winter Homecoming? Don't make that mistake! Here are five reasons why you should totally check out the annual Frosty Mug this Thursday at the Sleeman Centre where the Gryphon men's hockey team will play the Laurier Golden Hawks at 7pm.
 
1 - Electric Atmosphere: Even if you're not into sports you're going to have fun at the Frosty Mug. The fan experience at this event is second-to-none with great music, prizes, intermission entertainment and of course great hockey. Make sure to wear your Gryphon colours!
 
2 - Winning: The Gryphons have won the last seven of eight regular season games, are riding a two-game win streak and sit third in the OUA West standings. There are over 30 CHL players (OHL, WHL, QMJHL) on the ice between these two teams, the level of hockey is unrivalled in the area. Our record at the Annual Frosty Mug is 4-3-0.
 
3 - Score some Stellar Prizes: You will have plenty of chances to win exciting prizes and giveaways. Our top giveaways include a $500 gift card to Canadian Tire! And 2 tickets anywhere Westjet flies in Canada from Goligers Travel. 
 
4 - Great Venue: The annual Frosty Mug is played in the heart of historic downtown Guelph at the Sleeman Centre, the city's premiere venue for hockey. The modern building holds 5,000 fans and if you've never been you're missing out on a great facility, tasty food services and friendly service.
 
5 -Help us Make History: Last year, a record crowd of over 4,300 fans were in attendance to cheer on the Gryphons, in what was the 5th largest attendance EVER for a CIS men's hockey conference game. Help us make history this year, and break our previous record!
 

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