March 5, 2006
GUELPH EARNS BRONZE AT FINAL FOUR
ST. CATHARINES - The Guelph Gryphons captured the OUA women's hockey bronze medal Sunday afternoon by defeating the Queen's Golden Gaels 3-2 in a thriller of a game. The Gryphons made an astounding comeback after being down 2-0 early in the first period, with Brittany Roberts scoring the game-winning goal with less than three minutes to play in regulation.
The first period opened with a most hesitant start as neither Guelph or Queen's could register a shot in the first six minutes of the game but when the teams started rolling, they made an impact immediately. Queen's opened the scoring at the 7:59 mark of the first period, with OUA Rookie of the Year Victoria Kaufmann banging home a rebound from the slot. Kaufmann's shot was just the second of the game up to that point. Queen's took a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal just minutes later. On the scoring play, Molly Groenewegen feathered a pass to teammate Alison Bagg, who hammered home the goal with a shot from the point.
Despite the early deficit, Guelph climbed right back into the game with two quick goals. Ten minutes into the period, the Gryphons' Elaine Dumas sidestepped a Queen's defender and snuck a wrist shot under the glove of Queen's netminder Melissa John, cutting the Gaels lead to one. The deficit was entirely erased just under three minutes later when a Cassandra Wilson point shot was redirected off Elysia Desmier's skate and into the back of the net. The wild period continued as the chippy play began between the teams. The Gryphons' leading scorer, Arden Sullivan, was right in the middle of things toward the end of the first, and would later be at the centre of attention in the second.
The middle period closed with a stalemate but only in large part to the goaltending of Queen's netminder Melissa John. Whether with a pokecheck on Desmier just a few minutes in, stopping Nicole Latreille on a clear-cut breakway midway through the period, or robbing both Laura Mills and Sullivan from in close, John was simply at the top of her game. The tight battle between the two teams continued well into the period and tempers flared toward the end of the frame with Carrie Tokarczyk and Keri Baker mixing things up in front of the Guelph net.
John again came up huge for her team with what must be considered one of the most outstanding saves of the season, just a few minutes into the third. With Tokarczyk on a break from the blueline in, John kicked out the right pad to make the first save and then while falling out of position swept her glove hand behind her to rob what appeared to be a sure empty-net goal. As some players stood in wonderment over whether the puck went it, a pair of Guelph forwards crashed the net looking to pop a loose puck home only to be stopped once again by the Queen's netminder.
Despite her stellar play, John could not stop them all the Guelph scoring opportunities, as the Gryphons finally broke the stalemate at 17:47 of the third. Coming out from behind the Gaels' redline, Desmier was stopped on an initial shot from in close but Roberts came crashing in and lifted a shot over a fallen John. Queen's made a valiant last attempt to come back but was not able to, dropping the game 3-2.
Scoring Summary
Period 1
06:09 - QUE - Victoria Kaufmann (Yolanda Gooderham)
07:59 - QUE - Alison Bagg (Molly Groenewegen, Mary McNeill) PP
10:12 - GUE - Elaine Dumas (Elysia Desmier) PP
12:55 - GUE - Elysia Desmier (Cassandra Wilson)
Period 2
No Scoring
Period 3
17:47 - GUE - Brittany Roberts (Elysia Desmier, Elaine Dumas)
Shots
QUE - 20
GUE - 27
Goaltending
QUE - Melissa John - 59:03 - 24 saves (3 GA)
GUE - Aleisha Lusk - 60:00 - 18 saves (2 GA)
(Source: Brock Sports Information.)
(Photo: Guelph's Bianca Kitts, left, and Brittany Roberts celebrate a Gryphons goal in their 3-2 victory over Queen's for the bronze medal. Photo by Shawn Whiteley.)
The first period opened with a most hesitant start as neither Guelph or Queen's could register a shot in the first six minutes of the game but when the teams started rolling, they made an impact immediately. Queen's opened the scoring at the 7:59 mark of the first period, with OUA Rookie of the Year Victoria Kaufmann banging home a rebound from the slot. Kaufmann's shot was just the second of the game up to that point. Queen's took a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal just minutes later. On the scoring play, Molly Groenewegen feathered a pass to teammate Alison Bagg, who hammered home the goal with a shot from the point.
Despite the early deficit, Guelph climbed right back into the game with two quick goals. Ten minutes into the period, the Gryphons' Elaine Dumas sidestepped a Queen's defender and snuck a wrist shot under the glove of Queen's netminder Melissa John, cutting the Gaels lead to one. The deficit was entirely erased just under three minutes later when a Cassandra Wilson point shot was redirected off Elysia Desmier's skate and into the back of the net. The wild period continued as the chippy play began between the teams. The Gryphons' leading scorer, Arden Sullivan, was right in the middle of things toward the end of the first, and would later be at the centre of attention in the second.
The middle period closed with a stalemate but only in large part to the goaltending of Queen's netminder Melissa John. Whether with a pokecheck on Desmier just a few minutes in, stopping Nicole Latreille on a clear-cut breakway midway through the period, or robbing both Laura Mills and Sullivan from in close, John was simply at the top of her game. The tight battle between the two teams continued well into the period and tempers flared toward the end of the frame with Carrie Tokarczyk and Keri Baker mixing things up in front of the Guelph net.
John again came up huge for her team with what must be considered one of the most outstanding saves of the season, just a few minutes into the third. With Tokarczyk on a break from the blueline in, John kicked out the right pad to make the first save and then while falling out of position swept her glove hand behind her to rob what appeared to be a sure empty-net goal. As some players stood in wonderment over whether the puck went it, a pair of Guelph forwards crashed the net looking to pop a loose puck home only to be stopped once again by the Queen's netminder.
Despite her stellar play, John could not stop them all the Guelph scoring opportunities, as the Gryphons finally broke the stalemate at 17:47 of the third. Coming out from behind the Gaels' redline, Desmier was stopped on an initial shot from in close but Roberts came crashing in and lifted a shot over a fallen John. Queen's made a valiant last attempt to come back but was not able to, dropping the game 3-2.
Scoring Summary
Period 1
06:09 - QUE - Victoria Kaufmann (Yolanda Gooderham)
07:59 - QUE - Alison Bagg (Molly Groenewegen, Mary McNeill) PP
10:12 - GUE - Elaine Dumas (Elysia Desmier) PP
12:55 - GUE - Elysia Desmier (Cassandra Wilson)
Period 2
No Scoring
Period 3
17:47 - GUE - Brittany Roberts (Elysia Desmier, Elaine Dumas)
Shots
QUE - 20
GUE - 27
Goaltending
QUE - Melissa John - 59:03 - 24 saves (3 GA)
GUE - Aleisha Lusk - 60:00 - 18 saves (2 GA)
(Source: Brock Sports Information.)
(Photo: Guelph's Bianca Kitts, left, and Brittany Roberts celebrate a Gryphons goal in their 3-2 victory over Queen's for the bronze medal. Photo by Shawn Whiteley.)
