WATERLOO, Ont. – The recipe continues to produce results for the defending OUA champion Guelph Gryphons women's soccer team – play exceptional defence and snatch a goal, or two, to take all three points. The Gryphons showed their class again in Waterloo and received a late winner from star striker Victoria Hinchliffe to defeat the Laurier Golden Hawks 2-1 in a dramatic match Sunday afternoon.
 
Hinchliffe has answered the call on several occasions this season for Guelph, which which improved to 10-1-3 and vault back to the top of the OUA West. When her team needed it against Laurier, the talented Guelph native delivered. She showcased her immense skill when she cut the ball back in the area to evade a defender and curled a left-footed strike past Golden Hawks' goalkeeper Ashley Almeida and inside the left post for her team-best 11th  of the season.
 
The result was welcome in a match in which hosts started brightly and pressured Guelph's backline. After absorbing the Hawks' attack, the Gryphons had a chat at halftime and regrouped. The bench provided some inspiration and Venessa Mazur eventually opened the scoring for Guelph in the 62^nd minute. Mazur found the breakthrough with an excellent low, left-footed strike.

At that point, it looked like the Gryphons were on their way to another trademark 1-0 victory but the Golden Hawks had other ideas. Jennifer Borean responded for the hosts in the 76^th minute for an all-important equalizer, though Hinchliffe would have the final say.
 
The Gryphons had 13 shots in the match, six of which hit the target. The Golden Hawks had four of their eight attempts on target, forcing goalkeeper Brooke Davidson to make three saves.

 
Turning point
Who else but Hinchliffe? The third-year striker scores goals often and many are difference makers, as anyone watching Guelph's run to the OUA title last season can attest. She did it again Sunday and provided the moment of magic for a team that appears hungry to keep its title as conference champs. The 87th-minute goal was simply a killer for the Golden Hawks. Hinchliffe has scored at least one goal in eight of 14 matches so far this season.

 
Gryphon Take
"Going into the game, we knew Laurier needed points and we were expecting a tough match against them. We didn't have our strongest start this season but coming out with the win really shows how you can never stop until the final whistle goes. Getting down to the late minutes of the game, there is so much pressure to score but in the moment, you have to trust in your preparations to make it count. I'm really happy with the result today." – third-year striker Victoria Hinchliffe

"Laurier dominated in the first half and we held. We came into halftime and made some adjustments. We just weren't holding the ball in the first half but we did a much better job of it in the second. Sydney Johnson and Venessa provided a spark and gave us an opportunity to claw our way back in the match. Their work allowed us to come forward. Venessa slots in that goal and Laurier really pushed and got that equalizer, which was deserved."

"Hinch's goal was a very cool finish. A classy, goalscorer's goal. Late heroics for sure." – head coach Shayne Campbell

 
The Record
Guelph is 10-1-3.

 
Next up
@ Western, Friday, Oct. 19, 6 pm