The Varsity Blues women’s hockey team dropped a 5-1 decision to the No. 9 Guelph Gryphons on Saturday, January 8 at Varsity Arena.

With the loss, the Blues drop to 9-8-0 and remain in fourth place, while the Gryphons improve to 11-4-2 and remain in third in the OUA.

In what turned out to be a physical affair, Guelph outshot the home squad 38-20 over three periods of play. The Gryphons were 3-for-6 on the powerplay, with the Blues unable to convert on their six opportunities.

The Gryphons opened the scoring with just over five minutes remaining in the first period with a marker off the stick of fourth-year forward Erin Small of Pickering, Ont.

Guelph opened the flood gates in the second with three unanswered goals, two of which came on the powerplay.

Tamara Bell tallied the Gryphons second goal, captializing on a low rebound, while Dayna Kanis of Georgetown, Ont., struck next sending a shot that trickled over the glove of Blues goaltender Nicole Kesteris.

Fourth-year defenceman Jody Hodgins (Stayner, Ont.) made good on a Kimberley Wong rebound towards the end of the second period to give the Gryphons a 4-0 lead heading into the final frame.

Kaitlyn Mora of Guelph, Ont., would capitalize on the Blues turnover for an unassisted marker midway through the third to cap off the Gryphons scoring.

Fourth-year forward Brenley Jorgensen of Kingston, Ont., broke the shut out a few minutes later when she received a pass from Varsity Blues player of the game Lindsay Hill (Ajax, Ont.) and shot the puck over Gryphons goalie Danielle Skoufranis’ blocker.

The Varsity Blues return to action tomorrow afternoon when they host the No. 6 Brock Badgers at Varsity Arena. The puck drops at 4 p.m.

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