Justin Dunk

It is playoff time for many Gryphon varsity teams who have fought and battled through the rigors of their OUA regular season to secure a spot in the postseason. This is the time of year where emotions run high and the only stakes are do or die. Do and your team moves on to the next playoff round, die and your team will be sent home to clean out their lockers.

Quick Reads

Soccer

The men’s soccer team snatched a playoff spot that seemed out of reach with an impressive 2-2 draw against the OUA – leading York Lions on Saturday Oct. 23, then with an 11 goal beat down of the UOIT Ridgebacks on Sunday Oct. 24.

Football

The Gryphons limp into the OUA playoffs after a 54-11 blowout by Ottawa in the nation’s capital. The team must put that loss out of sight and mind in order to focus on a Laurier team that they played to a 2-2 draw in the second half of their regular season matchup, after a 34-0 first half explosion by the Golden Hawks.

The Gryphons were without starting quarterback Chris Rossetti in the regular season game between these teams, which could be an advantage for Guelph. But the Gryphons must come out with some energy – the team has looked lethargic and dazed in the first half of most games this season.

Men’s Rugby

Clinched a playoff spot by defeating the University of Toronto, 24-10, this past Saturday, Oct. 23. The Gryphons will travel to Kingston to take on the Queen’s Gaels in the OUA quarterfinal this Saturday Oct. 30 can the men avenge their 28 – nothing regular season loss to the Gaels?

Guelph needs to get on the scoreboard early to give the team some confidence and show that they can hang with the Gaels.

Field Hockey

Our dominant Gryphon women travel to York for the OUA championships this weekend. Suffice to say the women will not be satisfied with anything less then OUA gold.

The OUA gold medal game will surely come down to the Gryphons and U of T Varsity Blues, in what has become a bitter rivalry. Guelph has one win and one loss against the Blues in the regular season, with both games nip and tuck the whole way.

With an OUA gold medal on the line the intensity will only increase, but the women must play strong defensively to capture the OUA field hockey title.

Cross Country

With a strong regular season behind them the Gryphon cross country team’s full attention is on the OUA championships being held this weekend in Guelph.

A new course was put in at the Arboretum, where the men’s and women’s OUA championship races will be held, which should give the Gryphons an advantage, having run and practiced on this course many times.

Rowing

The OUA rowing championships also take place this weekend in St. Catherines. The Gryphon men will be led by Mark Henry (light weight singles) and Adam Rabalski (singles), who will be looking for podium finishes in their respective classes.

The Gryphon women will be led by Kertih Gordon in lightweight singles and Tani Weber and Erin Stephenson in lightweight doubles, who are striving for podium finishes.

Playoff time is when heroes shine and cement their Gryphon legacy. Which Guelph athletes will provide us with moments never to be forgotten?

Your anonymous comment may be printed in The Ontarion's print publication.