WATERLOO, ON – Rookie striker Victoria Hinchliffe's late equalizer helped the Gryphons women's soccer team earn a well-deserved point on the road Saturday afternoon in Waterloo against Laurier in what was the OUA regular season opener for both squads.

With the Gryphons coming ever so close to tying the game with multiple scoring chances in the second half, it was Guelph native and first year forward Victoria Hinchliffe who was finally able to find the equalizer in the 82nd minute. Facing a very tight angle on net after beating her defender, Hinchliffe was able to slot the tying goal inside the left post tying the match at two goals apiece.

While Hinchliffe came through late for the Gryphons, it was another U of G rookie striker who was able to open the scoring early in the match. In the 14th minute, Guelph jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to the first goal of rookie Jacquie Preza Paule's career. Preza Paule was able to get behind the Laurier defence and chip one past the Golden Hawks keeper to get the Gryphons off to a great start against last year's OUA silver medalists. 

Laurier was able to strike twice with goals in both the 31st and 34th minutes to take the lead into the locker room at the half, before Hinchliffe's late goal would send both teams home with a point. 

For U of G head coach Randy Ragan, the result was a confidence booster for what is an overall extremely young Gryphon squad, "We have a significant number of first year players on our team and for them to come away with a hard fought point in their first experience at the OUA level is a good result. The intensity and pace at this level is a little higher, but I think today our younger players were able to show that they belong here."

The Gryphons will look to build on their performance on Friday, September 2 in their home opener as they host McMaster at the Gryphon Soccer Complex at 6 p.m.