WATERLOO, Ont. - The Laurier Golden Hawks and Guelph Gryphons met on the pitch on Friday night to open the Homecoming weekend festivities for the Golden Hawks and begin a home-and-home with their Highway 7 rivals. 

Unfortunately, the celebratory vibes were dampened by the visitors as they came away with a 2-1 win over the purple and gold.

Coming off of their first loss of the season, the Golden Hawks wanted nothing more than to secure the win, which was evident from the start with a fast attacking offence.

It didn't last long, however, as Guelph's Olivia Brown scored on her first shot attempt on Laurier keeper Mya Brodrecht just two minutes into the match.

The early tally didn't seem to hinder the Golden Hawks' performance as they continued to battle hard against the Gryphons throughout the first half. Laurier's hard work was rewarded when veteran striker Janessa Sealy found the net in the 24th minute of play for her first goal of the season, tying the game 1-1.

Tensions were high in the second half as both squads were hungry for the tie-breaking goal. 

This was especially evident when Laurier defender Tamara Lisser ran not one but two end-to-end plays and co-captain Sam Murphy drew three defensive fouls while strikers Jada Johnson and Sealy were constantly picking passes off of the Guelph defensive line. 

Despite all their efforts, it was Guelph's Isabella Trepanier who secured the game-winner for her squad in the 85th minute.

It's the first time this season that Laurier has lost consecutive games, as they sit tied for fourth in the OUA West division on 11 points with McMaster.

Top Performers 

Laurier Golden Hawks 
Sasha Marikano 
Marikano returned to the pitch after missing two consecutive games due to a foot injury. Many may have found that hard to believe considering she was such an offensive force in this match. Blocking shots, cutting off passes, and taking some hard hits, it was clear that Marikano was missed on the pitch during her absence.

Guelph Gryphons 
Kathleen Kimmens
Kimmens' voice was heard throughout the match, directing and supporting players nonstop. The veteran defender was a clear centre point for her team and was a definite leader on the pitch.  

Up Next 

The Golden Hawks (3-2-2) will try to end Guelph's (7-1) four-game winning streak when they meet for a rematch on Sunday at the Gryphon Soccer Complex. Kickoff is at 1 pm.