GUELPH, Ont. - Revenge is a Frosty Mug best served cold, as the Laurier Golden Hawks make up for a 4-3 loss in the 2020 installment with a convincing 4-0 victory against the Guelph Gryphons.
There was little room for error for the Gryphons as they were short-staffed, to say the least, with thirteen players and one goalie dressed. However, the crowd at Sleeman arena and the night's festivities provided enough boost for Guelph to battle the majority of the game.
Unfortunately for Guelph, their chances were no match for the red-hot goaltender, Christian Propp, who picked up his second shutout in a row with 23 saves in the game. The outing solidified Propp as the number one goalie in the OUA this season in GAA and SV%, with 1.63 and .942, respectively.
Both teams played a fast and conservative game to start the first period, as the Gryphons could not afford to take a penalty with an already empty bench. The lone power-play in the period was off of a Laurier penalty early into the game.
However, the Golden Hawks penalty kill remained steady, going 2-for-2 in the game, extending the special teams run to 17-for-18 (94.4%) during the four-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the power-play remained equally cold, as the unit has gone 1-for-11 (9.1%) simultaneously.
After a sustained forecheck, captain Anthony Sorrentino made a beautiful play in front of the net to open the scoring late in the first. Sorrentino tied Justyn Gurney for the team-lead in goals with five on the play, and Grayden Gottschalk earned his first OUA point with the primary assist.
Not only did he open the scoring in a significant game to give his team the lead after 20, but Sorrentino also scored his second game-winning goal of the season, which is the most on the team.
Shortly into the second, Mack Graham was caught with a goaltender interference call, but this did not phase Laurier as they did not give Guelph a chance on the power-play. Instead, James Thomson (Newmarket, Ont.) would spring a 2-on-0 for his first assist of the season.
On the odd-man rush, Patrick Brown and Michael Silveri would go back-and-forth on a defenceless Guelph goalie. Eventually, Silveri stuffed a feed from Brown to put the Golden Hawks up by two early in the frame.
After building a two-goal lead, Laurier controlled the pace of play for most of the second period until back-to-back power-plays gave the Gryphons energy. This shift in momentum continued after the Golden Hawks killed the penalties as Guelph continued to sustain pressure.
The offensive burst was the only point of control for the Gryphons and led them to outshoot Laurier in the period 9-7, despite being outshot 28-23 in the game. However, Propp and the Golden Hawks' defence was there to shut it down and keep the puck out no matter what to take a 2-0 lead into the third.
Like the middle frame, the final 20 minutes started with a quick Laurier goal. Thomson fires a shot through traffic from the point, and the rebound finds itself on Nick Giunta's stick, who rifles a shot home for his first goal as a Golden Hawk.
Down 3-0 early in the third, an exhausted Guelph team faced a mountainous climb back to have a chance at getting a point out of the game. However, Laurier kept it simple and maintained possession on the outside with safe plays to limit the Gryphons' chances of a comeback.
Rookie Caleb Rich sealed the victory with a gorgeous individual effort. With less than four minutes remaining, he picked up a loose puck at his blueline to spring an odd-man rush; and Rich streaks down the wing to snipe home his third goal of the season.
After the fourth goal, Laurier's main goal was to secure the shutout for their goaltender, Propp, who has been superb in the recent four-game win streak, including all four wins.Â
The Golden Hawks skated away with the coveted Frosty Mug to improve to 5-7-0 in the annual contest and move to third in the OUA Far West with aÂ
6-5-0 record on the season.
Players of the Game
Laurier
G Christian Propp
The rookie has been rock solid for the Golden Hawks with four straight wins and two straight shutouts, including a current 133 minute and 4 seconds streak without giving up a goal against, and crucial saves at the end of the second to keep it a two-goal game. Propp has an incredible 0.50 GAA and a .983 SV% during the run.
C Michael Silveri
The veteran tied for the game-high in points (1-1-2), including a beautiful 2-on-0 finish to put the dagger in the coffin. The performance brought his season point total to six (4-2-6).
D James Thomson
The defensemen had a breakout game with his first two points of the season (0-2-2) and a clutch block in the crease to thwart a Guelph attack in the last minutes of the second period.
Guelph
C Ted Nichol (Listowel, Ont.)
The Gryphons captain led his short-handed squad with energy and grit, as he was able to drive a sustained cycle in the second to try and bring his team back into the game.
Next Up
The Laurier Golden Hawks Men's Hockey team is off for a week after the cancelling of Saturday's game, but they'll be back against Windsor for back-to-back games on the road on March 5 and 6.Â
Laurier will look to extend a four-game winning streak while also avenging a 5-1 loss to Windsor on February 12. Catch the action live on OUA.tv
