Concordia sting Gryphons for spot in bronze medal game
Nov. 23: Concordia Stingers 19, Guelph Gryphons 5 (Victoria, B.C.)
By Braedan Willis, Vikes Communications

VICTORIA, BC – The Concordia Stingers earned a hard-fought victory over the OUA runners-up Guelph Gryphons in Game 5 of the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship presented by title sponsors, Victoria Mitsubishi and Carson Automotive Group, and corporate sponsors Pemberton Holmes Ltd. and the Canadian Rugby Foundation on Nov. 23. Concordia prevailed 19-5 to improve their record to 1-1 and secure a spot in the bronze-medal game. The Gryphons fall to 0-2 and will now play for fifth place.
 
A try in the 54^th minute from Concordia fly half Moritz Wittman sealed the victory and advanced the Stingers to Sunday's bronze medal match.
 
"The thing I saw from our guys today was belief, belief that we belong here with the top teams in the country," said Concordia head coach Craig Beemer. "Guelph is a great side and they play in a tough league so we expected a battle from them today and that is what we got."
 

The Gryphons were threatening early with a series of offloads up the field between a few Guelph backs got the Gryphons knocked the ball on just outside the Stinger 22-metre line, taking away a chance for the Gryphons to score the game's first try.
 
Half way through the opening half, Concordia rumbled their way down to the Guelph goal line, after having a try held up moments earlier, the Stingers struck first in the match when captain Lucas Hotton plunged over the line in the 15^th minute.
 
The game remained tight between the two sides until the 28^th minute when Gryphon flanker Marcello Wainwright broke the Stingers' defensive line and made a dash down the sidelines into the end zone for the first Guelph score. The Gryphons missed the conversion, giving Concordia the slight edge at half time up 7-5.
 

Fly half Moritz Wittman and flanker Malcolm Baird scored the only two tries for the Stingers in the second half to secure their spot in Sundays bronze medal match. Wittman spotted space on the short side of a ruck inside the Gryphons' 5-metre line and jogged in for an easy score while Malcolm Baird powered his over the line after Guelph made a great defensive stand for several phases.
 
The Gryphons will face either the Victoria Vikes or the UNB Ironmen in the fifth-place game on Nov. 24 at Wallace Field in Victoria.
 
All games are streamed live on the Rugby Canada facebook page, while scores, recaps and more are available at govikesgo.com/rugby. To purchase tickets for the championship, visit govikesgo.com/tickets.

 
GAME MVPs
CON: #8 Lucas Hotton
GUE: #4 Matt Van Camp

 
SCORING SUMMARY
                  1       2       F
GUE:         5        0       5
CON:         7      12       19

 
FIRST HALF
15': CON Try- #8 Lucas Hotton (Convert Jonathan Banks) 7-0 CON
27': CON Yellow Card- #2 Michael Laplaine-Pereira
28': GUE Try- #7 Marcello Wainwright (Convert Missed) 7-5 CON
 
SECOND HALF
37': CON Try- #6 Malcolm Baird (Convert Missed) 12-5 CON
54': CON Try- #10 Moritz Wittman (Convert Jonathan Banks) 19-5 CON
 
2018 CANADIAN UNIVERSITY MEN'S RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
VICTORIA, B.C.
 
Wednesday November 21
Pool A: UBC Thunderbirds (41) vs. Concordia Stingers (8)
Pool B: Queen's Gaels (76) vs. New Brunswick Ironmen (5)
 
Thursday, November 22
Pool A: UBC Thunderbirds (34) vs. Guelph Gryphons (7)
Pool B: Queen's Gaels (15) vs. Victoria Vikes (8)
 
Friday, November 23
Pool A: Guelph Gryphons (5) vs. Concordia Stingers (19)
Pool B: Victoria Vikes vs. New Brunswick Ironmen (6:00 p.m. – Centennial Stadium)
 
Saturday, November 24
5^th Place Game: Guelph Gryphons vs TBD (2:00 p.m. – Wallace Field)
 
Sunday, November 25
Bronze Medal Game: Concordia Stingers vs. TBD (11:00 a.m. – Centennial Stadium)
Gold Medal Game: UBC Thunderbirds vs Queen's Gaels (1:00 p.m. – Centennial Stadium)