Step in Right Direction for Gryphons Despite Loss

The Leeds Gryphons Women faced a challenging game against the Sheffield Bears Women under the lights at Planet Ice Leeds, ending in a 1–12 defeat.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, the Gryphons showed moments of resilience and determination in the face of relentless pressure.

The Bears dominated from the start, scoring 4 goals in the opening period and adding 2 more in the second. The Gryphons struggled to handle the Bears' offence, which battered the Gryphons with 85 shots on goal throughout the game.

In the third period, the Bears surged again with 6 goals, while the Gryphons found a late spark with Ketz Robinson scoring their only goal.

Standout performances from the Bears' Phoebe Gregg and Ginny Thorn, each tallying 4 goals and 2 assists, showcasing the visiting team's experience.

Meanwhile, the Gryphons' penalty-killing unit held strong, successfully defending all 4 penalties, offering a bright spot in an otherwise difficult outing.

The Gryphons will look to regroup and take valuable lessons from this heading into their next outing versus the Nottingham Mavericks in the new year.

This was the first game for this particular Gryphons group with various new faces taking the ice.

The match highlighted areas for improvement for the Gryphons, including defensive cohesion, fitness, and offensive creativity. However, their determination and ability to find the net late in the game shows potential for future growth.

Gryphons' goalscorer Ketz Robinson said "A lot of the girls haven't played a game before, and I think they improved massively throughout the game. You could see them getting more comfortable. And so I think that's a positive. They're all enjoying it. Every single one of them have fun and that's important."

The late start time could potentially have been an issue for some but this group is used to playing at all hours.

Robinson said, "With University hockey, this is the times that you play at, but I play women's hockey as well [for other sides], outside league hockey, and that's like midday, evening times. You don't really get this time. But with University of hockey, it's just normal to finish at two o'clock [AM]."

All of these 'regular season' games are in preparation for nationals due to take place in April.

Head coach Nikita Garao said, "to see them actually be able to progress from not being able to stand on the ice to playing a full game, that's a big positive, I think, and then bringing all the experienced girls in together, like creating a community where the more experienced girls can support the new ones. We got nationals in April... using this as a build up towards that is definitely useful."

Bears MVP: Phoebe Gregg, 6 points (4 goals 2 assists)

Gryphons MVP: Ketz Robinson, 1 point (1 goal)

Watch full interview with Nikita Garao and Ketz Robinson here: