WATERLOO, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons men's hockey team has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Queen's Cup playoffs. On Sunday (Feb. 22), the Gryphons shutout the Laurier Golden Hawks, 4-0, in Game 3 of their best-of-three OUA opening round series. Gryphon first-year goalie, Olivier Ciarlo, had one of his finest performances in the Guelph net, stopping all 30 shots sent his way to earn the shutout to seal the 2-1 series win for his team. The Gryphons move on face the top-seed in the OUA West Division, the Windsor Lancers, in their OUA quarterfinal series.
 
The Gryphons would draw the game's first penalty, just shy of the six minute mark of the opening period on a Laurier high-sticking penalty. Guelph would take full advantage of the power play, scoring :23 seconds into the man advantage as Dylan Hudon snuck in behind the defence and crashed the net as he took the Anthony Tabak pass and scored into the open net to give his side the 1-0 lead. It was the first time in the series Guelph scored the opening goal and with how tight this series has been, the next goal would be paramount. With the Gryphs still leading 1-0 early in the 2nd period, the visitors would strike once again. Gryphon captain Nathan Allensen took the drop pass from Kaeden Johnston and walked in from the blueline and into the left faceoff circle fired a perfectly placed shot over the shoulder of Laurier goalie Andrew Ness into the top shelf of the net to double the Gryphon lead. That was all the offence Olivier Ciarlo would need as he was phenomenal in the Gryphon net, stopping all 30 shots he saw including a big right pad save on a breakaway attempt at the midway point of the 3rd period for his first career OUA postseason shutout. Justin Barker and Griffin Wilson scored into empty nets to clinch the 4-0 win. Despite not having home ice advantage, the Gryphons won both road games in Waterloo to earn the 2-1 series win.
 
First-year goalie Olivier Ciarlo was fantastic all series in the Gryphon net, stopping 76 of his 81 shots he faced over the course of the three games for a 1.68 GAA and a .938 save percentage, helping lead his side to a series win and place in the Queen's Cup quarterfinals.
 
The Gryphons will now play the top-seed in the OUA West Division, Windsor Lancers in the best-of-three OUA quarterfinal series. Series schedule is TBD with Game 1 slated to take place from the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Centre in Windsor before the series shifts back to the Gryphon Centre for Game 2. If Game 3 is necessary, it willl take place in Windsor.