NAPANEE, ON – The Guelph Gryphons women's hockey team will be looking to make program history this weekend in Napanee as they attempt to become the first U of G women's hockey team to reach the podium at the national level.
The 2017 U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championship is set to take place over the course of four days (March 16-19) at the Strathcona Paper Centre in Napanee, Ontario, where the Queen's Gaels will serve as tournament hosts. The Gryphons will officially begin their quest for a national title on Friday, March 17 at 3pm in a U SPORTS quarter-final matchup versus the Concordia Stingers. All games from the tournament, including the gold medal game on Sunday night (7pm), will be streamed live online at
www.oua.tv.
Tournament Bracket
Championship Website
Tickets
After spending the final six weeks of the regular season as the No. 2-ranked team in the national polls, it comes as no surprise that the Gryphons enter the U SPORTS Championship as the No. 2-seed in the eight-team field. After going 15 years without qualifying for nationals, the Gryphons have now made it to the big stage three years in a row. Last year in Calgary, the Gryphons were the top-seeded team in the tournament, but were on the wrong end of an exhausting
2-1 shootout loss to UBC before ultimately falling to St. Mary's in the bronze medal game.
This season, the Gryphons have relied upon an all-star core of third year players, while also leaning on some new talent to get back to the national stage. For many, including Gryphons head coach
Rachel Flanagan, this year's success came even quicker than expected. "We started the season thinking it was a rebuild with 10 rookies and only two players on our roster who were in their fourth year of eligibility," said Flanagan, who was recently named OUA Coach of the Year and who also led Canada to a silver medal and the 2017 Winter Universiade last month. "By mid-season, we started thinking that we might be able to host a playoff series. Then after Christmas, we decided that maybe it wasn't a rebuilding year but a repeat year. "Our rookies quickly bought into our team culture and a number of them have played significant roles this season. We've depended on a strong core of second and third-year athletes to be leaders both on and off the ice and they've exceeded our expectations. We're hoping our experience at nationals in the past two seasons will provide focus and calm during games."
The first of those games will come against the finalists from the Quebec conference in the No. 7-seed Concordia Stingers. Concordia is no stranger to pulling off upsets after having booked their spot in Napanee by knocking off the defending national champion Montreal Carabins in a best-of-three RSEQ Semi-final. The Stingers, who won back-to-back national titles in 1998 & 1999, are back at nationals for the first time since 2005.
Friday's game between Guelph and Concordia can be seen live online at
www.oua.tv. Puck drop is set for 3pm.
History of Gryphons Women's Hockey at Nationals
Total Appearances: 5 (1997-98, 1999-00, 2014-15, 2015-16 & 2016-17)
Highest Finish: 4th (1997-98 & 2015-16)
SCHEDULE & RESULTS (All times ET)
Wednesday, March 15
6:30 p.m. 2017 U SPORTS Women's Hockey All-Canadian Awards
Thursday, March 16
3:00 p.m. Quarter-final 1: No.4 McGill vs. No.5 StFX
7:00 p.m. Quarter-final 2: No.1 UBC vs No.8 Queen's
Friday, March 17
11:00 a.m. Quarter-final 3: No.3 Saint Mary's vs No.6 Alberta
3:00 p.m. Quarter-final 4: No. 2 Guelph vs. No. 7 Concordia
7:00 p.m. Consolation 1: Loser QF 1 vs. Loser QF 2
Saturday, March 18
11:00 a.m. Consolation 2: Loser QF 3 vs. Loser QF 4
3:00 p.m. Semifinal 1: Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 2
7:00 p.m. Semifinal 2: Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4
Sunday, March 19
11:00 a.m. 5th-place game
3:00 p.m. Bronze
7:00 p.m. Final
PAST CHAMPIONS (CIS / U SPORTS Women's Hockey)
2015-16 Montreal (hosted by Calgary)
2014-15 Western (hosted by Calgary)
2013-14 McGill (hosted by St. Thomas)
2012-13 Montreal (hosted by Toronto)
2011-12 Calgary (hosted by Alberta)
2010-11 McGill (hosted by Laurier)
2009-10 Alberta (hosted by StFX
2008-09 McGill (hosted by StFX)
2007-08 McGill (hosted by Ottawa)
2006-07 Alberta (hosted by Ottawa)
2005-06 Alberta (hosted by StFX)
2004-05 Laurier (hosted by McGill)
2003-04 Alberta (hosted by McGill)
2002-03 Alberta (hosted by Regina)
2001-02 Alberta (hosted by Regina)
2000-01 Toronto (hosted by Calgary)
1999-00 Alberta (hosted by Concordia)
1998-99 Concordia (hosted by Toronto)
1997-98 Concordia (hosted by Concordia) |
