The Guelph Jr. Gryphons hosted the 17th Annual GGHA Winter Classic this past weekend.
The girls started bright and early Friday morning where they faced off against the Kitchener Lady Rangers. Kitchener, with solid goaltending, held Guelph to a 0-0 tie. The Jr. Gryphons then went on to win the next 3 games advancing to the semi finals on Sunday morning.
Guelph dominated play against the Aurora Panthers in the semis and went on to win with a final score of 2-0. In the gold medal game, the Gryphons once again faced off against the Kitchener Lady Rangers for one final match up. The Gryphon's took the lead early in the second period when a power play opportunity allowed Charlotte Crane to capitalize on a lose puck around the net. Then, in the third period, the Gryphon’s sealed the deal with a late goal scored by Ali Childs making the final score 2-0. The Gryphon's would win gold for the first time this season infront of their home crowd.
Faith Mitchell and Rhiana Byrd combined for 4 shutouts over the course of 6 games, and Guelph outscored their opponents 13-3. The Gryphons resume the regular season this week where they currently hold first place in the Central West division. Congratulations girls, on an excellent weekend of teamwork and hockey!