GUELPH, Ont. – The Laurier Golden Hawks took on the Guelph Gryphons this past Sunday at the Gryphons Soccer Complex.
Going into the match, the stakes for both teams were at a high due to the fact that the Gryphons being one spot above the Golden Hawks in the OUA West standings. The Golden Hawks knew that if they won, they would move above the Gryphons into third place, but despite their best efforts were unable to catch the Gryphons, losing the match 1-0.
Both teams came out strong from the first whistle, knowing the pressure of the match. At the beginning of the first half of the match, the Golden Hawks struggled to keep the ball out of their own end but were still able to match Guelph's possession.
Both the Golden Hawks and the Gryphons had strong scoring opportunities in the first half with Guelph's Violet Hipkin hitting the crossbar in the 12th minute of play and Laurier striker Jyanessa Sealy connecting with the post in the 15th minute of play.
The first half ended with the score 0-0.
Guelph striker Christina Gnome broke the deadlock shortly after the second half began.
Laurier continued to fight, applying a ton of offensive pressure and getting shots from fourth-year midfielder Tatiana Boutros and fourth-year striker Nicole Lovisotto, but the Gryphons held on for the 1-0 win.
With two game remaining in the regular season, the Golden Hawks currently sit fifth with 14 points. The top six teams in each division qualify for the postseason. Brock are holding down the final spot on 11 points while York is nipping at their heels with 10.
TOP PERFORMERS
Laurier Golden Hawks
Taya Johnson
The second-year goalkeeper remained cool in the back end despite being under a lot of pressure throughout the match, facing eight shots in 90 minutes of play. Johnson was able to keep her head in the game even after being scored on in the second half of the match.
Guelph Gryphons
Olivia Brown
The third-year Guelph striker was a menace in the 18-yard box with three headers and two shots on net. Brown was ready to attack anything that came her way playing both skillfully and aggressive.
UP NEXT
Next Saturday September 21 at 1 p.m. the Golden Hawks take on the Warriors in the battle of Waterloo. Watch the game live at Warrior Field or follow along @WLUAthletics on X for live updates.
