GUELPH - The Guelph Gryphons men's soccer team has already scored plenty of meaningful goals when they needed them this season. Some coming late in matches. But the No. 5-ranked Gryphons couldn't find one on a hot Wednesday afternoon against York. Guelph dropped a 1-0 decision to the Lions in front of a huge group of local kids on School Day at the Gryphon Soccer Complex.

The Gryphons (6-2-1) never found the flow that has been a trademark of their play early in the season.

"It was an off day in a match that we really needed to step up to the plate," said coach Keith Mason. "It's disappointing."

Cristian Cavallini scored the lone goal for York in the 36th minute.

"Their goal was a reflection of our performance," said Mason. "We had a giveaway in our own end and 30 seconds later it was in the back of the net. The only good thing about going in at half time was that we were only down 1-0."

Mason felt the team played better in the second half but they weren't "firing on all cylinders."

Guelph had seven shot attempts on the day. The best chance came in the 61st minute when Jace Kotsopoulos, the country's leading scorer with 10 goals, produced a shot that was goal bound but the ball was cleared off the line by a Lions defender. York (6-2-0) tested Guelph in the opening 10 minutes with a couple of long free kicks into the area from both the left and right sidelines but second-year goalkeeper Simon Norgrove was aggressive getting to the ball to snuff out any York opportunities. The Lions kept showing the initiative and had a half chance around the 20-minute mark but a long shot from midfielder Steve Kloutsouniotis swerved right of a diving Norgrove.

The Gryphons found some rhythm after that, beginning with a volley from midfielder Youssef Zaghloul in the 26th minute that went straight at York goalkeeper Mike Argyrides. Johnson Amoo had a chance in the area in the 33rd minute but the striker's shot attempt was thwarted by a Lions' defender.

York got the breakthrough in the 36th minute when Kloutsouniotis whipped a ball in from the right wing and Cavallini sent a powerful header past Norgrove. It was Cavallini's sixth goal of the season, tying him for third most in the OUA. He had to be subbed off late in the first half after picking up an injury. Kloutsouniotis also had to be subbed with a foot injury early in the second half.

It was the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Back on Aug. 30, the Gryphons scored twice in the second half, including an 89th-minute goal from Atchu Siva, to shock the Lions at home 2-1.

The Gryphons return to action Sunday, Sept. 24 when they host the Waterloo Warriors in the Baden Klein Cup. Match time 3:15 pm.