GUELPH, Ont. - There may not have been anything on the line in terms of the standings Friday night at the Gryphon Centre, but you would not have been able to tell after watching the Guelph Gryphons and Toronto Varsity Blues go back and forth for a thrilling three periods of hockey.
With both teams looking to establish momentum heading into their respective playoff pushes, it was the Gryphons ultimately coming out on top 4-3 over the visiting Varsity Blues.
Having dropped their first two meetings of the season to the No. 5-nationally ranked Varsity Blues, the No. 8-nationally ranked Gryphons were able to wrap up their 2019-20 regular season with a hard fought victory.
As the game got underway, it was the visitors establishing an early lead. Using their league leading offence, the Varsity Blues struck first when a rebound off of Gryphon's goalie Brendan Cregan wound up on the stick of Kyle Potts who found the back of the net just under three minutes in to the contest. However, right after the goal, the Gryphons were able to completely flip the momentum. Creating chance after chance in the Toronto zone, the home side was able to break through five minutes later. Working down towards the crease, Giordano Finoro was able to get a back-hand shot off that just barely trickled through Toronto goalie Alex Bishop. With the score then even 1-1, the Gryphons took their first lead of the game a few minutes later. Coming off the wall in the offensive zone, Ryan Valentini carried the puck in to the low circle before snapping a shot five-hole on Bishop to put Guelph up 2-1 after the opening twenty minutes.
Throughout the second period of play, both teams exchanged opportunities, but it wasn't until just after the midway point when one of them would count. Holding the puck near the Toronto goal line, Todd Winder dropped a pass to a trailing Mikkel Aagaard, who in the blink of an eye, snapped a one-timer just under the cross bar to give Guelph a two goal advantage. However, on the ensuing celebration, the Gryphons received a penalty, which the visitors would quickly capitalize on. Firing a point shot, Brendan Bornstein appeared to have scored, but the goal was not called resulting in a Guelph breakaway going the other direction. Once the attempt was stopped by Bishop and covered up, the refs met together and ruled the Bornstein shot a goal making it a 3-2 hockey game.
With that score holding heading into the final frame of regulation, the Varsity Blues quickly got back on even ground. Tying the game less than two minutes in to the period, we were set up for an exciting finish at the Gryphon Centre. Just shy of the midway mark of the third, the Gryphons would retake the lead. After being denied on a breakaway, the puck quickly found its way back on the stick of Luke Kutkevicius and he wired home a wrist shot. Despite pushes from both sides, neither team was able to find the back of the net the rest of the night as the Gryphons won their regular season finale.
"We were able to roll through all four of our lines throughout the night and play all of our defence so everyone felt a part of it and everyone was able to contribute in a positive way," said Gryphon's head coach Shawn Camp. "When we have everyone rolling like that it shows our depth and we think we have a pretty deep group that can make a good run in the playoffs."
In goal for the Gryphons, Cregan made 23 saves on 26 shots, while Bishop turned aside 26 of the Gryphon's 30 shots for Toronto. On the power-play Guelph went 0/2 with the Varsity Blues finishing 1/4.
With the regular season now in the books, the Gryphons will await their first round playoff opponent. Finishing as the three-seed in the OUA's West division, the Gryphons will most likely have to wait until Sunday wraps up to have their next match-up determined.
