GUELPH, Ont. – On Saturday night (Jan. 18), the Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team secured a dramatic, come-from-behind shootout victory over the Queen's Gaels. Meaghan Chittick scored the game tying goal with 42 seconds left in regulation before Alexie Olivier scoring in the fourth round of the shootout to secure the 4-3 win for the Gryphons.
 
Gryphon second year goaltender Sophie Helfenstein made 23 saves during regulation and overtime before turning away three of the four Queen's shooters in the shootout in the win tonight. Michelle Gao scored in the second round and Alexie Olivier scored the winner in the fourth round of the shootout to help the Gryphs improve their record to 12-4-2 (win-loss-OTL).
 
The Gryphons found themselves down early in the game before Maeve Sutherland-Case got her team on the board when she the took the pass from Reese Coffey and scored her 10^th goal of the season to tie the game up 1-1. Guelph would trail once again following the Kelsey Dunn's power play goal late in the first period which put the visitors in front after 20 minutes. With Guelph trailing in the second and applying lots of pressure on the Queen's goal, first year forward Sarah Callaghan would find the breakthrough late in the period. Callaghan, the Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia native had several great chances in the period before getting one late the second as she jumped on the loose puck and fired it into the open net to tie the game up at 2-2.
 
The Gaels would retake the lead 38 seconds into the third when Alyson Reeves scored her eighth goal of the season to give her side the 3-2 lead. The Gryphons like they've done throughout the season, have had a flair for the dramatic and tonight was no different. With the extra attacker on the ice and the team on power play, Meaghan Chittick would come through for the Gryphs once again. Chittick, the fifth year defender just like she did on Aggies Night against Laurier (Nov. 28, 2024), scored in the clutch with 42 seconds left in regulation as her wrist shot found the top corner of the net and past Queen's goaltender Emma Tennant to tie the game at 3-3. Guelph, who outshot Queen's 43-26 on the night had several great chances to end the game in overtime but weren't able to do so sending the game to a shootout. Sophie Helfenstein held the fort in the shootout stopping three of her four shooters she saw before third year forward Alexie Olivier won it in the fourth round for Guelph.
 
The Gryphons will return to the ice next Saturday afternoon (Jan. 25) when they host the TMU Bold with a 2:30pm puck drop from the Gryphon Centre Arena.