GUELPH – The Guelph Gryphons men's lacrosse team is on the cusp of taking a big leap forward. But the young, aggressive team still has some work to do. The Gryphons almost pulled off a huge upset but were unable to hang on as the undefeated Brock Badgers scored a late goal to eke out an 8-7 win Sunday afternoon at the Gryphon Soccer Complex.

With the game tied 7-7 late, Guelph had a possession in the Brock end but a turnover proved costly. The Badgers went down the field and Brock's Kurtis Woodland would score the winner with just 1:05 left in the game.

"We have to keep this in the back of our minds because we have to learn how to win a big game to understand that we can take it to the next level," said Gryphons' coach Sam Kosakowski. "We haven't got there yet.

"Everyone of these guys has played a high level of lacrosse some place. They've been in this spot, they just haven't done it together as a team here. That's part of the gelling process."

Second-year midfielder Alec Simons and fifth-year attack Michael Cavanagh had two goals each for Guelph.

The Gryphons (4-3) were just coming off an 11-7 win in Toronto over the Varsity Blues Saturday night and were obviously up for the rematch with the Badgers, who had soundly beat them 16-4 in St. Catharines two weeks ago.

It was a game that featured wild swings. Woodland helped Brock get off to a good start with the opening goal but Guelph would score three unanswered, including two from fourth-year attack Liam Corbett, to snatch a 3-1 lead.

Brock responded with three straight of its own in the second period to go up 4-3, though the lead didn't last long. Corbett would add his third of the day at 11:33 of the second period, sparking a four-goal outburst that puts the hosts back in control.

The Badgers showed why they remain the only unbeaten university team in Canada by ripping off four straight goals, beginning with Saul Van Der Zalm's tally with just eight seconds left in the third period. Brock added two more early in the fourth to tie the game before Woodland's winner.

"We tell the guys this every time we play, that this game is all about momentum," Kosakowski said. "You have those two, three, four-goal swings that you have to snap. We did that in the first half and we did quite well, then turned it around and took the lead.

"There were a couple of opportunities that we didn't take advantage of that could've swung that game even further. When you're playing a team as talented and as well-coached as Brock, you have to take advantage when the opportunity is there."

The Gryphons had a chance to knock off the powerhouse Badgers. They were looking for a final attempt on the net but a lapse in the Brock end led to the turnover, a strip of the ball that was critical. Guelph defended well all afternoon, including the play that produced the decisive goal from Woodland, known for his ability to shoot.

"We shut him down the rest of the game," Kosakowski said of their work on Woodoland. "That last dodge where he scored, we couldn't have asked for better defence. It was just a well-placed shot. You have to hope for a bounce or a big save."

Kosakowski said that the Gryphons were heading in the right direction despite the loss. Guelph captain Benjamin Heidecker, a fourth-year midfielder, told the team after the tight game that they only lose if they didn't learn anything from the match.

"We're a legit team," said Kosakowski. "We're still just finding our way."

Guelph will look to get back on track when it hosts the Laurier Golden Hawks Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 4 pm.