The men's lacrosse team suffered a 10-8 quarter final loss tonight at McMaster, ending their bid to repeat as national champions. This is only the second time in 20 years that the Gryphons will not make the final four. It was the tale of two teams this evening in Hamilton. While McMaster struck first two minutes into the game, Braden Gallant (Burlington, ON) got the Gryphons on the board less than 20 seconds later. And then the Gryphons took over control of the game by playing solid defence and virtually scoring at will. At the end of the first half, after goals from Sean Thomson (Burlington, ON), Scott Fitchett (Scarborough, ON) and another by Gallant, the Gryphons held a 4-1 lead going into the second quarter.

After some conservative play by both teams in the first half of the second quarter, Justin Wilson-Kirby (Oakville, ON) went one on one, leaped into the air and scored over the McMaster goalie's shoulder. Defensively, Guelph was as strong as they have demonstrated all season, limiting McMaster's opportunities and when Mac did get shots away, veteran goaltender Gary Muzzin (Brampton, ON) game up big for the Gryphons. The man down unit managed to kill three McMaster penalties. With 4 minutes remaining in the half, Gallant had his third of the night, and a defensive stance with less than a minute remaining in the quarter, meant the Gryphons held a 6-1 lead at the half.

Guelph could not have asked for a better start to the second half. Second year midfielder Joe Wasson-McQuigge won the opening faceoff cleanly, scooped up the loose ball and buried Guelph's 7^th goal of the season. Just when it looked like the game would be a rout, Guelph fell into penalty trouble. The Gryphons took 7 penalties in the 3^rd quarter and McMaster was able to capitalize on 4 of them, cutting Guelph's lead to 7-5. It looked as though the Gryphons would stop the bleeding after they successfully killed another penalty and Gary Muzzin fired the ball the length of the field to Justin Wilson-Kirby. Kirby, saving the ball from going out of bounds, picked up the loose ball, beat two defenders and found Jason Mainer (Orillia, ON) wide open for Guelph's 8^th goal.

But in the final quarter, McMaster's midfield seized on several Guelph miscues and Guelph's defence, for the first time this season, stumbled. The Gryphon offense, having been dominant in the first half, and having barely seen the ball in the 3^rd quarter, pressured on several occasions but could not find the back of the net. McMaster scored 5 unanswered goals.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Gryphons who seemed to be coming into form late in the season. The loss leaves Guelph with a 6-5 record on the season.