NORTH BAY, Ont. – On Friday night (Jan. 26) at Memorial Gardens in North Bay the U SPORTS No. 3-ranked Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team faced off against the No. 6-ranked Nipissing Lakers in battle between the OUA's division leaders. It was Katherine Heard who came up with the game-winner in overtime to capture the 2-1 victory and extend the Gryphon win streak to 12 games. With the win the Gryphons also take the season series with the Lakers 2-0 and improve to 20-1-2 while the Lakers fall to 18-3-1.

Friday night's game featured seven of the OUA's top 10 point-scorers, but it was rookie Katelyn Dance who opened the game's scoring 7:33 into the first period. After gaining entrance to the offensive zone, Dance made a beautiful move around a Nipissing defender, sending the Lakers spinning, before regaining control and sniping a wrist shot top shelf for her first career goal. The second period opened with the Gryphons taking back-to-back penalties, which gave some life to a Lakers team who had spent the majority of the game in their defensive zone. That momentum would lead to the game-tying goal 6:09 into the second frame. 

Despite an action-packed ending to the second period, Gryphon goaltender Martina Fedel and Lakers goalie Chantelle Sandquist would send the two teams to the third tied. The third period saw similar play at both ends of the ice, with the two goalies making a combined 14 saves to force overtime. The Gryphons dominated time of possession in the extra frame, and were rewarded with back-to-back powerplays. The Lakers killed off the first but were unable to fend off the second with Katherine Heard walking in and beating Sandquist five-hole for the win. For Fedel it was another sensational performance which saw the Trento, Italy native stop 26 of 27 shots sent her way to earn the 15th win of her season and 35th of her career. 

The win also marked the Gryphons 20th of the campaign, the first time since the 2016-17 and 5th since 2000 that season the program has reached that mark. With 5 games remaining on their regular season schedule, the 2023-24 Gryphons will have the chance to set the best record for the program since at least the 1979-1980 season if they can reach 22 wins. 

The Gryphons (20-1-2) now receive a week off, with their next game coming next Friday (Feb. 2) with the Queen's Gaels in town for Gryphons women's hockey's annual 'She's Got Game' game. Tickets are available online at gryphons.ca/tickets.