HAMILTON - The No. 3-ranked Gryphons men's soccer team suffered their first loss of the 2017 season on Sunday afternoon in Hamilton, falling 4-2 to the No. 9-ranked Marauders. McMaster, who opened the scoring less than a minute into play, would add a pair of goals late in the second half to secure the three points. Despite the loss, the Gryphons (4-1-1) remain atop the OUA West standings, one point ahead of the Marauders, who improve to 4-2-0.
"It was a disappointing start to the match, but I thought the guys responded really well," said Gryphons head coach
Keith Mason. "I thought in the second half we really controlled the tempo and passed the ball really well. We just had a few lapses late, and that can't happen."
Gryphon forward
Johnson Amoo, an NCAA transfer from the Louisville Cardinals, continued to impress in his first season as a Gryphon. The Mississauga native, who scored the winner on Friday night in a 1-0 win over Brock, got on the score sheet for the second time in as many games in the 36th minute when he finished off a perfectly weighted pass from
Atchu Siva to tie the match at 1-1.
After McMaster re-took the lead at 2-1, the Gryphons again answered when
Calvin Witzell spotted veteran midfielder
Josh Seguin who side-footed a perfectly place shot into the corner to tie things at 2-2.
A pair of turnovers deep in their own end would cost the Gryphons late however, as the Marauders struck for goals in the 87th and 90th minutes, respectively, to steal the three points.
The Gryphons will look to get back to their winning ways next weekend (Sept. 16 & 17) when they head to Sault Ste. Marie for a pair of games versus the 1-3-0 Algoma Thunderbirds.
