2/25/2010 10:11:04 PM
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 25, 2010) – 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 Queen’s Gaels 7-4, in the opening game of the OUA women’s 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. Queen’s Rebecca Conroy of Penbroke, Ont., answered for Queen’s 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. Guelph’s Small scored her first of the game with just 34 seconds remaining in the opening frame to tie Queen’s 1-1 heading into the first intermission.

Small registered her second goal beating Queen’s 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.

Queen’s 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.

Hewer’s goal came shorthanded and chased Dodd-Moher from the net in favour of Queen’s second-year goalie Karissa Savage of Calgary.

Guelph’s 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: Bell’s 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 Queen’s and Guelph’s benches erupted into cheers when the final score of the Olympic gold medal women’s hockey game was announced at the Kingston Memorial Centre.