Box Score
Guelph, ON - ?A rival from down the road in London nor the remnants of a dissipating hurricane could prevent the Guelph Gryphons men's soccer team from advancing in the OUA playoffs. The Guelph men, playing under the breezy mist from Patricia that blanketed the Gryphon Soccer Complex, dominated the visiting Western Mustangs in a 3-0 win Wednesday night. Captain Justin Springer strapped his teammates on his back, anchoring the backline and contributing two huge goals. Substitute Atchuthan Sivananthan also scored after looking incredibly dangerous from the moment he stepped on the pitch early in the second half.  

It was a complete performance from the Gryphons, who entered the playoffs ranked fourth in the West with a 9-5-2 record during the OUA regular season. The chances came early but it wasn't until the second half of the scoreless tie that they began their offensive breakthrough, bagging three goals in under half an hour to send the Mustangs crashing out of the post season.

 

"We felt that once we got one, we would get three or four," said head coach Keith Mason, elated with the showing by his men. "We were dominant. We played them twice in the regular season and did not win but we dominated in both those matches, as well. We just needed to finish our chances."

 

The onslaught began in the 57^th minute when Springer headed home a cross from veteran winger Ethan Danielli, who also assisted on the captain's second of the night. It was the moment Guelph had been waiting for after creating a series of scoring opportunities in the first half, many from rookie Tomasz Skublak.

 

With Western reeling from the opener, second-year right back Calvin Witzell unleashed a strike from the right wing that goalkeeper Ben Cowan valiantly parried off of the crossbar. But Sivnanthan made his way into the six-yard box and coolly deposited the rebound to up the lead to 2-0 in the 74^th minute.

 

Springer capped his memorable night by muscling into the box and getting a foot on Danieli's skillful corner, a late goal that guaranteed the result for the far superior Gryphons.

 

"He was brilliant," Mason said of his captain. "There is no other word. He was unbeatable in the back and then converted on set pieces."

 

Keeper Braden Taylor had little to do in the Guelph goal, though he was called upon to make a few key saves when Western started the second half on the front foot. Aside from that one serious spell for the Mustangs, the Gryphons dictated play most of the match. In the first half, Skublak had four clear chances, including a strike that sailed over the net, a heavy touch that prevented him from going in alone on Cowan, a long effort that went wide after the Western keeper bungled an outlet pass and then a miss on a volley from inside the six-yard box.

 

"On another day, he may have had a hat trick in the first half," Mason said of Skublak.

 

Guelph also seemed poised to be awarded a penalty late in the opening half but Ben Jackson was actually given a yellow for simulation despite looking like a Western defender made contact with him in the area.

 

Up next for the Gryphons, an OUA Quarter-final matchup with the No. 3 team in the country in the York Lions. The Lions topped the OUA West at 13-1-2, while scoring an OUA-high 47 goals and conceding a league-low eight. The Gryphons and Lions will square off on Sunday, November 1 with kickoff at York Stadium set for 4pm.