GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons men's soccer team was in need of a good performance. They would receive it with the visiting Waterloo Warriors in town for a School Day match at the Gryphon Soccer Complex. No. 8 Guelph improved to 9-2-1 after defeating the Warriors 3-1 on a brisk Friday afternoon with local school kids in attendance to cheer the side on.
 
Johnson Amoo scored a goal and assisted on the other two, which came from midfielder Manveer Gill and U SPORTS goals leader Jace Kotsopoulos.
 
The Gryphons were disappointed to drop points last time out when two late goals gave the McMaster Marauders a surprise 3-1 win in Hamilton last weekend. Guelph didn't come out of the gate fast against Waterloo but when the team finally did establish a foothold in the game late in the opening 45 minutes, it was one-way traffic.
 
Amoo, a third-year forward from Mississauga, ON, has been in excellent form and he was in the right spot at the post when a rebound landed at his feet in the 40^th minute of the match for a 1-0 Guelph lead at the half. The Gryphons showed more of their potential in the second half, beginning with Gill's first career goal. The second-year man from Brampton, ON produced an excellent finish off a pass from Amoo, sending a low, hard strike just inside the left post of Waterloo keeper Matt Papadopoulos.
 
It was Kotsopoulos's turn after that. The fourth-year All-Canadian had just been named U SPORTS Male Athlete of the Month as the game got under way and he added to his U SPORTS-leading tally by netting his 15^th of the season with yet another excellent finish that gave his team a 3-0 lead in the 62^nd minute.
 
Waterloo had a late consolation goal from David Chung in the three minutes of added time, spoiling a clean sheet for Guelph keeper Ryan Collins.

 
Turning point
Gill's goal proved critical. At the time, it was the all-important second goal to build the lead but it proved to be the match winner -- and a great memory for a young player establishing himself in the Gryphon midfield.

 
Gryphon Take
"We know the talent we've got going forward. In the first half, we just needed to retain the ball better with a bit more intensity. If you don't retain the ball and let the other team get to it first, all the firepower in the world doesn't help you. But in the second half, we stepped it up a gear and they had a hard time coping with it." – head coach Keith Mason

 
The Record
Guelph is 9-2-1.
 

Next up
York, Friday, Oct. 12, 8:15 pm @ Gryphon Soccer Complex