The Varsity Sports
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Women's hockey wins by a touchdown
By Jeff Brennan, Varsity Staff
November 21, 1996

URL: http://www2.varsity.utoronto.ca/groups/varsity/sports/Women.html

The last team to hand the U of T women's hockey team  [Image]
a loss, either regular season or playoffs, was their
opponent Friday night, the Guelph Gryphons. This time, the
Varsity Blues smoked them 7-0 at Varsity Arena.

Even though they beat Guelph in last year's OWIAA final, the
Blues also lost to them in the regular season by a score of
1-0. It was their only loss in 1995-96. Aside from Friday
night's big win, U of T also shut the Gryphons out 5-0 in
Guelph on Nov. 14. That makes two wins over their closest
competitor in just over a week.

"They have two really good players who are not back this
year, so it makes a big difference to their team," said Blues
head coach Karen Hughes. "Nonetheless, I thought we had a
really good second period."

After a scoreless first period that saw some great saves from
the goaltenders, U of T's Keely Brown and the Gryphons' Tracy
Cook, the Blues produced a six-goal outburst in the middle
frame, which was keyed by a hat trick from Jayna Hefford.

After U of T took a 1-0 lead, Hefford scored her first of the
period when she banged a rebound past Cook after her initial
deflection was stopped.

It was 3-0 when Hefford notched number two. Short-handed, she
took the puck in the neutral zone and turned on the jets. On
her ensuing breakaway, she faked right but deked left on Cook
and slid it by her.

Hefford's third goal, however, came in the unlikeliest of
situations.

Down 5-0, with only about 10 seconds left in the frame and a
face-off deep in the Varsity end, Gryphons head coach Todd
Cox pulled goaltender Lynae Harris, who relieved Cook after
the fifth U of T goal.

The Gryphons were trying anything to produce a spark, and
with the extra attacker and two Blues in the penalty box,
Guelph was up six players to three. But off the face-off, one
of the U of T defence was able to clear and shot the puck
out. Seeing that, Hefford sped past the pinching Guelph
defence and scored into the empty net.

Hefford wasn't sure if she'd be able to get the natural hat
trick with only a short amount of time left.

"I didn't know if I'd even get to [the puck] in time because
I didn't have a chance to take a look at the clock," she
said.

Hughes didn't think the move was the best one the Gryphons
could've made.

"We can clearly ice the puck with no problem [and] shoot it
at their empty net.... I thought it was a bad decision," said
Hughes. "Eleven seconds is a long time in a hockey game.
That's got to be a pretty big downer to have us score a sixth
goal six-on-three, after you've already given up five."

Not to be left out, Laura Schuler also netted a hat trick for
U of T. She scored her third goal in the third period. From
the right side of the boards in the Guelph end, she skated
towards the net and fired a wrist shot up high past Harris.

The officiating, which has never been a problem with U of T,
was a little one-sided in the last stanza. The play of the
game was a lot more chippy, as both squads began to hit. Four
of the six penalties called went against the home side and
Blues captain Lori Dupuis was thrown out of the game at the
end of the second period for hitting from behind.

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Copyright © 1996 Varsity Publications, Inc.