GUELPH, Ont. – The Gryphon Centre Arena has been a fortress for its occupants in recent seasons. But the Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team didn't get the result they wanted in its home opener. Despite a late rally, Guelph fell 3-2 to the Waterloo Warriors on home ice Saturday night.
 
After producing a fantastic 2-1 overtime victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo Friday, the Gryphons suffered a rare home loss. They did make a huge third-period surge, scoring twice after trailing 3-0. Captain Kaitlin Lowy got the first goal at 4:55 of the final period and Kristen Jay cut the lead to one when she scored her first of the season less than four minutes later.
 
The hosts pulled the goalie with two minutes remaining in regulation time and sent everything they could at Hawks' goalie Amanda Smith but the equalizer never came.
 
The hole Guelph dug in the first couple of periods proved too big to overcome, particularly when it came to special teams situations. The Gryphons had a difficult time containing Waterloo forward Brooklyn Cole, who registered the first two goals for the visitors. Cole opened the scoring at 1:18 of the first and then notched her second of the night less than three minutes later on a Warriors' power play.
 
Cynthia Cavanagh made it 3-0 for the visitors with an important shorthanded effort at the 18:12 mark of the second period, the goal that ultimately stood as the winner.
 
The Record
Guelph is 1-1-0.
 
Next up
@ Ryerson, Thursday, Oct. 25, 7:15 pm