Gryphons sweep Gaels: Off to OUA finals

Five different Guelph Gryphons found the back of the net as the team swept their best-of-three series against the Queen's Gaels on Saturday afternoon with a 5-2 victory over the visitors. The Gryphons will once again play for the provincial title, with their opponent to be the Laurier Golden Hawks, in what will be a rematch of last year's championships series when the 'Hawks went on to defeat the Gryphs for their 5th consecutive championship.



Jessica Zerafa opened the scoring for the Gryphons, seven and a half minutes into the first period, with her league-leading seventh point of the playoffs.

Early in the second period, Megan McNutt answered for the Gaels, tying the game at one; however, the tie was short-lived as Erin Small answered late in the period, scoring off a brilliant rush. Small's top-shelf snipe against, bewildered Gaels' goaltender Mel Dodd-Moher, was her fourth goal of the series.

Leading 2-1 going to the third period, the Gryphons came out in the final frame with a major bounce in their step, scoring two quick goals against Dodd-Moher. Jackie Sollis and Jody Hodgins tallied for the Gryphons, beating Dodd-Moher with a pair of well-placed shots off the rush.

After Liz Kench, the OUA's leading scorer in the regular season, answered for Queen's at 12:26 of the third, Patricia Harris put the exclamation point on the Gryphons win just two minutes minutes to play, as she beat Dodd-Moher high on the glove side.

The Gaels fought hard in the final two minutes to try and salvage another goal, but were unable to beat Danielle Skoufranis who picked up her third playoff win for the Gryphons in as many starts.

With a date with Laurier on the horizon, it seems that the Gryphons are peaking at just the right time and should give the defending champs all they can handle in the league final.