GUELPH – Three field hockey games in two days can take a toll on a team. Especially in unexpected heat. Those factors didn't rattle the Guelph Gryphons, who earned seven of nine points on the weekend with wins over the McGill Martlets and Queen's Gaels, and a draw with the Toronto Varsity Blues to open the OUA schedule.
Guelph started the season with a dominating 8-0 win over McGill on Saturday. On Sunday, they drew 1-1 with Toronto in the morning before stealing a dramatic win in the afternoon with a late goal in a 1-0 game with the Gaels.
Fifth-year defender Melissa Vogl (North Vancouver, BC) registered the winner against Queen's with just over a minute in the match, deflecting a shot from fellow defender Rebecca Plouffe (Oakville, ON) on a penalty corner.
Alice Stubbings versus the Varsity Blues
"It doesn't get any closer than that," said Gryphons' coach Michelle Turley. "The good thing was we didn't get too frustrated. We kept our cool despite not putting away some really good chances. We realized that the goal would come and that it was just a matter of time."
Queen's came out running at the Gryphons, who were still recovering from their first game with U of T not long before. The heat added to the difficulty of the match but Guelph found a way to pull out a win over a strong Gaels team.
"Our first touch on the ball let us down," said Turley. "We had some opportunities early but were unable to put them away."
Guelph was also without its leading returning scorer Katherine MacMillan (Kitchener, ON), a third-year forward. MacMillan finished third in the country in scoring last year with 12 goals on the season, so her presence was missed. However, the Gryphons relied on balance in the lineup, like they did in the 8-0 win over McGill when six different players found the net. Kayla Magarelli (Vaughn, ON) and Plouffe scored two goals each, while rookie Maria Murray (Maple Bay, BC), Alexa Corrado (Waterloo, ON), Danielle Crumpton (Burlington, ON) and Olivia Finch (Kilmacolm, Scotland) added singles. It was Murray's first marker as a Gryphon.
The Gryphons went up 1-0 in the Toronto match just before half time on a goal from third-year midfielder Rudi Ballard (North Vancouver, BC), who deflected a Plouffe shot on a penalty corner. The Varsity Blues managed to tie it up with eight minutes left in the game.
"We recognize areas where we fell short and what we need to work on to continue to improve on our high standard of play," said Turley.
