The Guelph Gryphons held out against Ottawa’s late push to claim the McCaw Cup
The Gee-Gee women’s hockey team fell 2 to 1 to the Guelph Gryphons in the McCaw Cup final this past weekend. In a tight defensive game, the Gryphons were able to hold out through a strong push late in the third period, securing the win and an OUA championship on their home ice.
Ottawa entered the game following their grueling three-game series against Laurier, besting them in a thrilling overtime win to clinch the series.
Early on, the Gryphons capitalized on errors made by the Gee-Gees, including several turnovers in their own zone. In spite of the strong third-period push by Ottawa, the Gees were unable to find the equalizer.
In spite of the loss, this marked the Gee-Gees’ women’s hockey team’s first McCaw Cup appearance in program history!
“It means a lot to be part of such a big moment for the program,” shared goaltender Clara Génier. “The team has worked really hard all season, so to reach the McCaw Cup for the first time is really special. I’m just really proud of our group and everything we’ve accomplished together.”
First Period
The opening period was defensively focused on both sides, with the Gee-Gees and Gryphons alike centering their game plan on limiting opportunities. Unfortunately, Ottawa was too physical on the defensive end, losing Maëlle Laplante to a body-checking call less than a minute into the contest. The penalty kill stepped up, negating any chances the Gryphons had and maintaining an even 0-0 score.
The game eventually returned to 5-on-5 and a back-and-forth contest ensued, with both sides having good scoring chances throughout. Gee-Gees’ goaltender Clara Génier made several strong saves, and with continued defensive effort from both teams, the game remained tied.
On the other end, forward Gillian Warren found space and nearly capitalized on a great chance but was unfortunately denied by goaltender Martina Fedel of the Gryphons. Another opportunity arose for the Gee-Gees when forward Alex Ferguson got a chance all alone with Fedel off of a breakaway, though she couldn’t capitalize.
Later on in the frame, the Gee-Gees were called for hooking, and the game returned to 5-on-4. The penalty kill came up big once again, with timely shot blocking and strong goaltending. As the period closed, the Gryphons continued to pile on the pressure, but the Gee-Gees held on until the buzzer to maintain the scoreless game.
Second Period
As soon as the puck was dropped, the Gryphons took control of the game once again. Although the Gee-Gees maintained strong defensive play, the Gryphons killed any attempt to get the puck into their own zone. Their neutral zone play stifled any offensive momentum for the Gee-Gees and continued to lead to opportunities for Guelph.
Eventually, Brielle Caruso of the Gryphons committed a tripping penalty, and Ottawa got the chance to test out their powerplay unit, one of the most prolific in the league this season. Several great chances came for the Gee-Gees, with several shots from the point and slot failing to find the back of the net.
As the power play ended, the Gryphons controlled play in Ottawa’s end. After nearly clearing the puck, the Gee-Gees turned the puck over at their own blue line, leading to a chance all alone for Katelyn Dance, who was stopped by Génier. Unfortunately, the referees felt she was impeded, and a penalty shot was called where Dance once again came up empty.
Shortly after the fact, another neutral zone turnover led to a 2-on-1 opportunity for the Gryphons, where Jessica Teskey scored off of a pass from Myriam Parnell to give the Gryphons the lead midway through the second period.
After more pressure from the Gryphons, the Gee-Gees finally got a chance on a 2-on-1 after a miscommunication in the neutral zone from the Gryphons. The Gryphons defender stepped up and essentially crosschecked the puck carrier in the head, breaking up the play. The official watching the play appeared uninterested, and the play continued until the period came to a close.
Third Period
The Gee-Gees came out strong to start the third, controlling the flow of the game. As the Gryphons regained their footing, forward Maddie Min found herself with a strong opportunity in front, only to be denied by Génier. Ottawa got their share of chances as well, and the game turned into a fast-paced back and forth.
As the period continued, Alex Ferguson put the Gee-Gees on the board with a thrilling goal where she dangled through both Gryphon defenders to beat Fedel and even out the score. The pressure didn’t stop there, with a couple more good chances, though none of them found the back of the net.
Shortly after the fact, OUA West MVP Katherine Heard walked in from the point and scored off of a bad bounce in front that dribbled through Génier’s five hole, giving the Gryphons back the lead.
The Gee-Gees weren’t finished yet, getting a few more strong scoring chances as the game continued. In a controversial series of events, a shot got through the Gryphon defense, hit goaltender Fedel, and dribbled into the net. Unfortunately, the same referee who had missed the crosscheck early in the game blew the whistle the second the puck touched the goaltender and called back what should have been a legal goal for the Gee-Gees.
Still refusing to quit, the Gee-Gee’s pulled Génier in favour of an extra attacker and berated the Gryphon defense. Sadly, without enough time remaining, the Gee-Gees couldn’t even the score, and the game ended 2-1 for the Gryphons.
Wrapping Up
Though the game didn’t go Ottawa’s way, it marked the end of what was an incredible season. Had a couple of calls gone their way, the Gee-Gees could easily have walked out with the title.
On a positive note, given that the Gee-Gee’s qualified for the McCaw Cup game, they still headed off to U SPORTS nationals to take on University of New Brunswick and University of British Columbia. An outstanding regular season for the Gee-Gees as they finished with an impressive record of 15 wins to 8 losses, claiming the second seed in the OUA East. This women’s hockey playoff season was one to remember, and Gee-Gees fans can’t wait to see what the team accomplishes next season.
