Written by Justin Dunk

The Guelph Gryphons women’s hockey team is playing their best hockey at the right time of year.
After taking down the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in the OUA quarter-finals, the Gryphons knocked off the second-seeded Queen’s Gaels 5-2 on Saturday afternoon and ran their playoff winning streak to three games.
After defeating the Gaels 7-4 in a surprise road upset on Thursday, the Gryphons started strong again on Saturday, racing out to a 1-0 lead, early in the first period. Jessica Zerafa provided the first Gryphons goal just seven and a half minutes into the period. Zerafa’s goal was her second of the playoffs and added to her league-leading playoff scoring tally with seven points.
Goaltender Danielle Skoufranis had two huge saves early on to keep her team in the game. Skoufranis turned away a breakaway, and a Gaels two-on-one rush to keep the score 1-0 after the first period of play.
The second period was filled with back and forth offensive action – eventually, the Gaels were able to solve Skoufranis and tie the game at one apiece. Shortly after Queen’s tied the score, third-year Gryphons forward Erin Small grabbed the lead right back with a brilliant wrist shot off the rush that beat Gaels goaltender Mel Dodd-Moher high on her glove side. Small also added two assists in the game after scoring a hat-trick in Game 1.
“When I was coming down [the wing], I just cut in and used the defenceman as a screen,” said Small. “[Dodd-Moher] had no idea where the puck was.”
Small’s team-leading fourth goal of the playoffs sent the fans at the Gryphon Centre into a frenzy and ignited the rest of the Gryphons attack.

The Gryphons took their 2-1 lead into the third period, with a series sweep and a berth in the OUA championship just 20 minutes away. The team carried the momentum from Small’s second period goal into the final frame.
The Gryphons were all over the Gaels in the third period, bringing relentless pressure against the Gaels defence and sensing how close they were to advancing to the next round.
The Gryphons scored three goals in the final period to slam the door on any hopes of a Gaels comeback. Third-year defenceman Jacalyn Sollis scored the third goal of the game for the Gryphons on a slap shot from just inside the Queen’s blueline. It was Sollis’ second game-winner of the playoffs.
The final two Gryphon markers were scored by third-year defenceman Jody Hodgins, and fourth-year forward Patricia Harris, who finished off some hard work from line-mate Samantha Ryder in the corner.
With the win over Queen’s, the Gryphons are back in the OUA championship series, and will face the Laurier Golden Hawks for the second consecutive year in the league finals.
All of the Gryphons are looking forward to another shot at the five-time defending OUA champions. The team knows what they have to do in order beat the Golden Hawks this time around.
“We just have to play really smart and not be selfish,” said Ryder. “[If we] play as a team, I think we can be really successful.”
The best-of-three series starts on Thursday, Mar. 4 at the Sun Life Financial Arena in Waterloo, then returns to Guelph on Saturday and then back to Waterloo on Sunday, if necessary. Harris and the Gryphons can’t wait to get back out on the ice.
“Were pumped to be coming together at the right time to really give Laurier a taste of their own medicine.”

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