GUELPH, Ont. – Although it took over 64 minutes of game action to find a goal Friday night at the Gryphon Centre, it was the Guelph Gryphons eventually finding the back of the net in overtime to defeat the visiting Windsor Lancers 1-0.
Snapping a mini two-game losing skid, the Gryphons created chances all night long, but it wasn't until first-year defenceman,
Brielle Caruso swatted home a loose puck at the side of the goal, which not only netted the first goal of the contest and of her OUA career, but also the game winner.
From the very beginning of the game, it became quite clear that goals were going to be hard to come by at the Gryphon Centre. Trying to take advantage of the fact that Windsor was coming into the contest off a lengthy bus ride to Guelph, as well as 13 days off, the Gryphons did absolutely everything they could to jump on the visitors early. However, despite numerous great chances and three power-play opportunities, the Gryphs were shut-out through the opening 20 minutes of play as Lancer's rookie goalie, Holly Borrett turned aside all 15 Guelph shots.
As the middle frame got underway, you could see that Windsor was starting to get their legs back underneath them. Having shaken off most of the inevitable rust from their lengthy break, Windsor looked like a brand new team in the second period. Turning the tables on the Gryphons, the Lancers registered the first seven shots of the middle twenty, while also drawing two power-play opportunities. Although, much like Guelph was unable to crack Borrett with their early chances, the Lancers were unable to get anything by Gryphon's 2
nd-year netminder, Ally Davidson. Using the momentum of their goalie's performance, Guelph once again began to regain control of the play through the middle stages of the frame. Even though forwards
Tori Verbeek and
Nicole MacKinnon were nearly able to get Guelph on the board on multiple occasions, the score still stayed deadlocked at zero heading to the third.
With both of the first two Gryphon's home games this season going to overtime, perhaps it was inevitable that it was going to happen again. With only twenty minutes to go before that trend continued, both teams searched for the opening marker. Despite Windsor firing 11 third period shots, and the Gryphons generating nine shots in the third, the opening goal still evaded both sides leading to 3-on-3 overtime.
With the pace franticly going back and forth, it was ultimately the Gyrphons who would capitalize and secure the extra point, when Caruso jammed home a rebound off a strong drive to the net by Verbeek.
Davidson made 30 saves in the shutout victory for Guelph, while Borrett turned aside 35 of 36 shots for the Lancers in the loss.
The two teams will return to the Gryphon Centre tomorrow afternoon when they meet for the second half of their two game back to back set.
