Box Score
Guelph, ON - The Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team dominated the competition throughout a memorable first week of the OUA regular season. But that momentum, built after back-to-back shutout victories, came to a halt Saturday when the University of Toronto Varsity Blues entered the Gryphon Centre Arena and handed the hosts a tough 3-1 defeat.

 

U of G (2-1-0) came into the afternoon contest with two virtually perfect performances through its first pair of wins: seven goals for and none against, with shutouts from both Stephanie Nehring and Valerie Lamenta. The Gryphons looked on pace to extend their torrid start after second-year winger Kaitlin Lowy tallied early in the game but U of T roared back with three unanswered goals, to ensure a big road win.

 

Trailing by two late in the game, the Gryphons got a power play opportunity and pulled Nehring (22 saves) to go six-on-four but they were unable to get a goal back.

 

The pace was frenetic from the opening faceoff as the teams combined for three goals by the midway point of the first period. U of G jumped all over the visitors and took a 1-0 lead just 3:31 into the game. Christine Grant dropped a perfect feed to a trailing Lowy, who glided into the slot and lifted a shot past Toronto goaltender Valencia Yordanov. Jessica Pinkerton also picked up an assist.

 

Lowy's effort extended the Gryphons streak of scoring at least one goal in a period to seven straight frames, though that was eventually snapped after they came up empty in the second.

 

The pretty goal ended up being the lone highlight for Guelph. Trailing 1-0, the Varsity Blues answered quickly with two in a span of just 2:21. Jacqueline Scheffel got free in the left circle and wired a wrist shot that was too tough for Nehring to handle at 6:45. The Toronto goal ended Guelph's shutout streak at 126:45 from the start of the season.

 

Toronto maintained the pressure and took the lead at 9:06 when they got deep in the Guelph zone, allowing Sonja Weidenfelder to attack the net and slide a low backhander past Nehring, which proved to be the eventual winner.

 

Guelph played a strong second period but was unable to get into an offensive flow and create many scoring chances. The Varsity Blues took advantage. Julia Szulewska's goal with just 1:22 left before the intermission extended the Toronto lead to two.

 

Yordanov wasn't tested often but she was strong as the hosts pressed late, stopping 20 of 21 shots faced. The Varsity Blues outshot the Gryphons 25-21.

U of G hit the road next Saturday for a game with the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo.