Gryphons clinch home field throughout playoffs

Sarah Dunstan

Those who braved the torrential downpour on Saturday Oct. 23 to trek up to Varsity Field witnessed a fine display of dedication, skill and lacrosse in a 9-7 win for the men’s lacrosse team. The defeat of the Western Mustangs marked the Gryphons’ tenth straight victory this season, leaving the team undefeated as they head into the playoffs.

The Gryphons appeared to conquer the first period, marked by an early goal scored by Sean Thomson, assisted by Braden Gallant. But a multitude of penalties later, the Mustangs took control of the game, tying the second quarter 4-4, and beginning the third with a 7-4 lead. The situation appeared dismal, but the boys managed to regroup and save the game. The Gryphons pulled together during the latter part of the third quarter and the entire fourth, hammering in enough shots at the opposing net to take the game. Andrew Stoner, who scored during the first quarter, effortlessly weaved through Western’s defense to score Guelph’s ninth and final goal of the game.

“We’ve got a talented team both offensively and defensively,” said head coach, Sam Kosakowski. “Our boys play well on both sides of the ball.”

With nine new players, this year’s roster consists of Canadian lacrosse’s finest players from Guelph’s 2008 national championship win, players that have competed for Junior A, Junior B, and Senior A championships, and even a few from the National Lacrosse League. Throughout the lacrosse program’s 25 years at Guelph, the Gryphons have become known far and wide for their excellence – case in point: the team has missed competing in the finals only four times in the past 20 years. Though the Gryphons’ playoff run ended in the quarterfinals last year, the team appears to have found a healthy balance between cautiousness and confidence heading into playoff time.

“We were up by six [goals] and ended up losing by two [goals] last year,” said Kosakowski. “The playoffs are a new season. It’s all about staying focused, taking one game at a time.”

The Gryphons may have won all their games during the regular season, but not without a few close calls, along with the challenges of prominent stick control penalties.

“We’ve got to focus on [the other team] and our own strengths and weaknesses,” said Kosakowski. “It’s the nature of sport; you’ve got to practice and focus, or else situations spiral out of control way too quickly.”

The men will lock horns with the McMaster Marauders on the afternoon of Halloween in a quarterfinal matchup. The Gryphons will be looking for some revenge, McMaster ended Guelph’s season one year ago by defeating the Gryphons 10-8, a loss that the men surely have not forgotten. The Marauders, to whom they nearly succumbed twice this past season, no doubt pose a viable threat to the Gryphons. The Marauders played the Gryphons the toughest of any team this season and the men will be looking to knock out their biggest rival in the first round. But Kosakowski maintains faith in his men, and their commitment to and passion for lacrosse.

“We’re not going [into the finals] tempting fate,” said Kosakowski. “We’re just going to go out and play the game we know how to play.”

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