Box Score GUELPH, Ont. – Returning to the ice for their first regular season matchup of 2013, the CIS eighth ranked Western Mustangs women’s hockey team travelled to Guelph for a Saturday afternoon showdown with the nation’s tenth ranked Guelph Gryphons. Unfortunately for the purple and white their four game regular season winning streak came to an end, as the Gryphons claimed a 3-1 victory.
 
Guelph opened the scoring in front of their hometown crowd as Tamara Bell found the back of the net for the eighth time this season, beating Western’s Kelly Campbell at 7:58 of the opening period.
 
The Mustangs responded a short time later as Stacey Scott recorded her nighth marker of the year, this one off of assists from defenders Tara Cation and Michelle Saunders. Scott’s goal would be the last of the period, leaving the game tied at one after the opening 20 minutes.
 
As the puck dropped on the second period the game took a physical turn with both teams proceeding to ramp up the intensity, leading to a number of penalty calls on both sides. The Mustangs suffered the first infraction and Guelph wouldn’t take long before taking advantage, as Jessica Pinkerton scored only 24 seconds into the power play to put the Gryphons up 2-1 less than two minutes into the period.
 
Following Pinkerton’s goal the two teams would continue to trade power play opportunities with neither squad being able to solve the opposing goalie, leaving the game at 2-1 for Guelph heading into the third period.
 
Again special teams would play a role with both Guelph and Western having a number of power play chances, however neither team was able to score. Midway through the period Pinkerton scored her second goal of the game, giving the Gryphons a two-goal lead that they would never relinquish, picking up a 3-1 win.
 
Campbell took the loss in the Mustangs net, only her fourth of the season, but still stopping 27 shots on the day. In her first game of the 2012-13 campaign Stephanie Nehring stopped 19 shots to secure the win for the Gryphons.
 
Western continues its road trip tomorrow afternoon, heading to St. Catharines to take on the Brock Badgers. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:15 p.m.