GUELPH, Ont. – The OUA soccer season is officially at the halfway mark – and the defending champion Guelph Gryphons women's team has yet to suffer a defeat. The streaking Gryphons kept their unbeaten run intact thanks to another standout performance from their star striker. Victoria Hinchliffe registered a first-half hat-trick, lifting Guelph to a 5-0 win over the Algoma Thunderbirds in the second meeting of the weekend between the two teams at the Gryphon Soccer Complex.
 
Hinchliffe has been on an incredible scoring pace this season and was the offensive catalyst again in this one, scoring twice early in the match. The Guelph native got the hosts off the mark in just the eighth minute, when she took a Sydney Johnson pass and scored on a break. Hinchliffe would add another in the 24^th minute when she deposited a great ball from Victoria Gunnarson. Hinchliffe completed the hat-trick on another breakaway right before the half, giving her five goals on the weekend after a brace in Saturday's 7-0 win.
 
Her season total is now nine in eight matches, ranking her second in U SPORTS behind only Ottawa Gee-Gees player Emma Lefebvre (10).
 
Venessa Mazur would add a goal in the 48^th minute and then registered another about 10 minutes later to complete the scoring. Both came as a result of deft crosses from rookie H.J. Lochhead.
 
It could have been much worse for the Thunderbirds if not for the incredible play of goalkeeper Rayner Tuer. She was called on to make eight saves in the first half alone as the Gryphons peppered the net with 14 attempts on target in the opening 45 minutes. The hosts finished with 22 shots, 17 on target.
 
No. 9 Guelph has conceded one goal all season in a 1-1 draw with York back on Aug. 29. The team is well atop the OUA West, securing 20 of a possible 24 points.
 
 
Turning point
The Thunderbirds had to be tired of seeing Hinchliffe breaking in on goal this weekend. The Gryphons were in good shape after she scored her second of the day in the 24^th minute.
 
Gryphon Take
"One of the things we tried to do this year in our approach to the game was to work on different ways that we could attack. We wanted to focus on that all week and I was really proud of the players in terms of the nature of how the goals came about. We took some things off the training pitch and implemented them into the game today so that was important."
 
"We always ask our players to keep moving forward and getting better. With Victoria, there's an evolution happening there. She's really realizing how to take care of herself, how to manage a busy fixture schedule through the year. She's doing the things that are necessary so that each time she's available for selection, she's at her best." – head coach Shayne Campbell
 
The Record
Guelph is 6-0-2.
 
Next up
@ Waterloo, Sunday, Sept. 23, 1 pm