NORTH BAY, Ont. – The road to the McCaw Cup will once again go through Guelph. Friday night in North Bay, the No. 7-nationally ranked Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team won 4-2 over the Nipissing Lakers to clinch top spot in the OUA standings with two games remaining on the regular season schedule. It marks the fourth time in the last six seasons that the Gryphons have finished atop the OUA women's hockey standings.
 
Gryphons' second-year defenceman Katie Mikkelsen (Oshawa, ON) broke a 2-2 tie midway through the 3rd period with her 6th goal of the season, capping a memorable three-point night for the former Ohio State Buckeye, who is now in her second season with the Gryphons since transferring from the NCAA. Third-year forward Kristen Jay would also record a three-point night (2 goals, 1 assist) and would seal the win with an empty-netter late.
 
Fifth-year All-Canadian goalie Valerie Lamenta came up with several big saves during the 2nd period and finished the night with 29 saves on 31 shots for the win. Lamenta leads all OUA goalies on the season in both goals against average (1.26) as well as save percentage (.952).
 
The Gryphons got off to a fast start, with 1st period goals from Jay and Stephanie Gava, only to see the Lakers battle back to tie things up with a pair of power play goals in the 2nd period, only to see the Gryphons pull away in the 3rd with two of their own. Friday night's game also marked the return of Gryphons' fifth-year team captain Kaitlin Lowy. The OUA all-star had missed the previous two games with an upper-body injury, but recorded an assist in her return, stretching her point streak to six straight games.
 
The Gryphons will continue their northern Ontario road trip with a Saturday matchup in Sudbury versus the Laurentian Voyageurs. Guelph will then wrap up their regular season schedule next weekend (Saturday, Feb. 16) with a home matchup versus the University of Toronto Varsity Blues with the OUA women's hockey playoffs set to get underway beginning February 20.

Gryphon Take
"We received some exceptional performances tonight from Kristen (Jay) and Katie (Mikkelsen). Overall, our 'D' group executed our game plan, which allowed us to control play during 5-on-5. Val (Lamenta) battled to see pucks through traffic all night and came up big when we needed her to. We're really happy with our players' effort level tonight from the first whistle to the last." ~ Gryphon head coach Rachel Flanagan

The Record
Guelph is 16-2-1-3 (wins-losses-OT/SO wins-OT/SO losses)
 
Next up
@ Laurentian Voyageurs – Saturday, Feb. 9 (4pm)