Gryphons move within 1 point of first place with big win over York
GUELPH, ON – The Guelph Gryphons men's hockey team picked up right where they left off to start the second half of the season, beating the No. 10-ranked York Lions 5-2 on Thursday night at the Gryphon Centre. Centre Carlos Amestoy's two goals led the Gryphons (11-6-0) to their 10th win in the last 12 regular season games, bringing them within one point of the Lions (10-5-3) who now hold a slim one point lead for top spot in the OUA's West Division.
GUELPH, ON – The Guelph Gryphons men's hockey team picked up right where they left off to start the second half of the season, beating the No. 10-ranked York Lions 5-2 on Thursday night at the Gryphon Centre. Centre Carlos Amestoy's two goals led the Gryphons (11-6-0) to their 10th win in the last 12 regular season games, bringing them within one point of the Lions (10-5-3) who now hold a slim one point lead for top spot in the OUA's West Division.
Guelph came out firing in the first, outshooting York 20-9 through 20 minutes of play and building up a commanding 3-0 lead. From a Guelph standpoint, the first period score line was a thing of beauty. The same could not be said about the goals. But the Gryphons certainly won't mind. At the 5:11 mark of the first, Robert Lepine, who was playing left wing on the first line, walked in from the boards just inside the blueline, and took a wrister that was blocked and wound up on the blade of Amestoy, who scored his first of the night. Just over three minutes later Trevor Morbeck of Jackson, Wisc. scored his first goal, and point, of the season, by being relentless in tight and eventually jamming the puck by York's goalie, Chris Perugini. With 2:02 left in the first, rookie left winger Cody Thompson scored the eventual game winner (his sixth goal on the season) by burying the rebound from a point shot past Perugini, capping a dominant opening period by the Gryphons.
After York got on the board with a goal in the second period, the Gryphons would restore their three goal lead with a third period goal from Rob De Fulviis. 4:53 into the final frame, off a great feed from Dylan Gilbert, De Fulviis would record his team-leading 16th point of the campaign by scoring on a short-handed breakaway to give Guelph a 4-1 lead. For De Fulviis, it marked the second consecutive game in which he recorded a short-handed tally and was his sixth goal of the season, tying him with Thompson for the team lead in that category.
The Gryphons would push their lead to 5-1 around the midway point of the final period thanks to Amestoy's second of the night. Amestoy came from his off wing and sent a snap shot high glove side. The undersized centre has been playing a huge role for the Gryphons lately and now has five goals to go along with two assists over his last three contests.
Andrew D'Agostini meanwhile quietly had another solid effort in net for the Gryphons. The second-year goalie from Scarborough, ON turned aside 21 of 23 shots sent his way to earn his ninth win of the season. He was only beat on a breakaway shot by the big York rookie, Nicholas Geiser, who scored his second goal on the season, and by a late power-play goal from the point off the stick of Tyler Mort.
The victory over the No. 10-ranked York Lions marks the second time this season the Gryphons have taken down a nationally ranked opponent, after having won 2-0 back on November 27 over the then-No. 9 Carleton Ravens.
More importantly, with the Gryphons just one point behind York for top spot in their division, it is the Gryphons who would hold the advantage in any tiebreaker scenario as Guelph swept the regular season series between the two teams. Back on November 13, the Gryphons won 4-3 in a shootout at York University.
Things certainly do not get any easier for the Gryphons from here. Up next, a trip to Waterloo to face the rival Warriors (8-8-0) on Saturday night at the Columbia Icefield Arena. Following Saturday night's clash with Waterloo, the Gryphons will turn their attention to the marquee game on the entire calendar: the 7th edition of "The Frosty Mug" is just a week away as the Gryphons will host Western on Thursday, January 14 at the Sleeman Centre.
Source: Guelph Gryphons
