By Mario Russo
A pair of shorthanded goals added insult to injury as the Rams women’s hockey team fell 5-1 against the Guelph Gryphons on Oct. 30 in an afternoon game at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
Penalties and posts haunted the Rams offence throughout the first period. Olivia Giardetti and Marie Toporowski’s pair of stick infractions led to the Rams early misfortunes.
Not much offence was generated throughout the first half of the frame, with both sides trading breakaways and saves at both ends of the ice.
The Rams jumped to the powerplay first, following a hard collision into the boards. In their last outing at the MAC, it was the Rams who capitalized shorthanded with Erika Crouse finishing off an odd-man rush.
This time around, it was the Gryphons packing the punch on the penalty kill.
Guelph Forward Jaime Magoffin took advantage of a poor defensive pinch, streaking down the right side before slipping the puck through the legs of the Rams goaltender.
Down 1-0, the Rams still had the game heavily in their grasp. But a pair of defensive zone penalties saw the team buckle and break.
With a two-man advantage dwindling down, Guelph defenders began exchanging the puck at the blue line. A shot from the point deflected off the blade on Chihiro Suzuki and across the goal line to double the Gryphons lead.
Ryerson headed into the first intermission in dire need of a response.
Minutes into the second frame, the Rams saw that response come quick and fast, as Brooke Michaud tucked home a rebound to bring the Rams within one.
Ryerson launched themselves to another gear with the chances the team was generating. Guelph goaltender Kathryn Raymond put up a much needed wall to keep her side’s one-goal lead intact.
However, as the game reached the halfway mark, the Gryphons took control and ran away with it.
Back-to-back tallies, including their second shorthanded marker of the night, took all the wind out of the Rams sails.
The pair of goals solidified the Gryphons lead as they cruised into the second intermission up 4-1.
Saturday’s final frame didn’t greet the Rams any better out of the gate. They found themselves yet again making the familiar trip to the penalty box.
Both sides exchanged two-man advantages in the final period. Each squad failed to capitalize on their respective opportunities, with the Gryphons smashing another shorthanded chance off the right post of the Rams goal.
Maya Graham would cash in on her second breakaway of the afternoon in the dwindling minutes of the game to secure the victory for the Gryphons.
With the loss, the team rounds out their preseason posting a 1-3-0 record.
UP NEXT: The Rams head to Canlan Ice Sports to face the York Lions in their season opener on Nov. 5. Puck-drop is set for 7:15 p.m.
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