The Guelph Gryphons men's soccer team played an intense 2013 season opener today against the McMaster Marauders at the Guelph Soccer Complex. The game ended in a tie with a final score of 1-1.
 
Guelph started the game out strong, playing physically and utilizing their speed. The Gryphons kept the Marauders on their heels, stretching the field and keeping players spaced out to both sidelines. The Gryphons played aggressively, staying on the ball at all times, but had a problem keeping possession of the ball which lead to McMaster outshooting the Gryphons in the first half.
 
Despite the physicality of the game and the aggressive nature shown by both teams, the score remained 0-0 for the first half.
 
The Marauders looked energized in the second half of the game, leading to a goal by Marco Gennaccaro (Hamilton, Ont.) in the 78th minute of the game. The Marauders came close to a second goal shortly after, but a nice save by Gryphons goalkeeper Chad Paproni (Burlington, Ont.) insured that McMaster would not put another point on the board.
 
Guelph players Jared Agyemang and Jamie Wilcock  battled hard to score for Guelph, but added pressure from the McMaster defensemen made it impossible.
 
The Gryphons continued to battle, but did not catch a break until a penalty shot was awarded in the last minutes of the game. Robert Murphy  capitalized on the opportunity and put Guelph on the scoreboard for a 1-1 tie.
 
The Guelph Gryphons move on to play the UOIT Ridgebacks in Oshawa on Wednesday, September 4th at 6:00 p.m.