 |  |
OUA Semi Final: Guelph captures series lead with 7-4 victory over Queens
KINGSTON, Ont. - Erin Small of Pickering, Ont., netted a
hat-trick while teammate Tamara Bell of Guelph, Ont., tallied four
points as the Guelph Gryphons beat the Queens Gaels 7-4, in the
opening game of the OUA womens hockey semifinal on Thursday at the
Kingston Memorial Centre.
With the win the Gryphons hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three
series. Game Two is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Gryphon
Centre in Guelph, Ont. Puck drops at 2:00pm. If necessary, the
Gaels will host the deciding game on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 2:30pm.
Down, 3-2, Guelph exploded for five consecutive goals to push the
game out of reach at 7-3. Queens Rebecca Conroy of Penbroke, Ont.,
answered for Queens midway through the third to finish the scoring
7-4.
Alana Smith of Aurora, Ont. opened the scoring early for the Gaels
when she netted a pass from Kristen Smith of Toronto at 2:09 of the
first period. Guelphs Small scored her first of the game with just
34 seconds remaining in the opening frame to tie Queens 1-1 heading
into the first intermission.
Small registered her second goal beating Queens rookie netminder
Mel Dodd-Moher of Stittsville, Ont. through the five-hole at 8:23
of the second period. Just over a minute later, Morgan McHaffie of
Guelph, Ont., responded for the Gaels tying the score at two
apiece.
Queens would take a short-lived 3-2 lead at 12:24 of the second,
when OUA leading scorer Elizabeth Kench of Gananoque, Ont.
blistered a shot from the point on the power play, beating Guelph
goalie Danielle Skoufanis of Thornhill, Ont.
Minutes later, Small logged her hat trick at 13:43 of the second
period, beating Dodd-Moher again. Patricia Harris of Colborne,
Ont., Tayne Hewer of Barrie, and Bell would net the final three
goals for the Gryphons with one-goal scored late in the second and
the others occurring midway through the third.
Hewers goal came shorthanded and chased Dodd-Moher from the net in
favour of Queens second-year goalie Karissa Savage of Calgary.
Guelphs Skoufanis made 27 saves on 31 shots for her second win of
the 2009-10 OUA playoffs while Dodd-Moher turned aside 26 of 33
shots. Savage made three saves in relief.
In the other OUA semifinal game, Laurier dumped Windsor 6-0. The
Lancers were the only team to defeat the Golden Hawks in regular
season this year winning in overtime in the final game of the
regular season to qualify for the playoffs. Game two of that series
is scheduled for Sat. Feb 27 at 4:10pm in Windsor, Ont.
NOTES: Bells four point night came on two goals and two assists
while Gryphon teammate Zerafa had four assists The Gaels were
1-for-2 on the power play with Guelph going 0-for-2 Midway through
the second period, both Queens and Guelphs benches erupted into
cheers when the final score of the Olympic gold medal womens hockey
game was announced at the Kingston Memorial Centre.
Source:
Michael Grobe
Communications and Sports Information Officer
Queen's University
