GUELPH, Ont. - For the first twenty minutes at the Gryphon Soccer Complex on Sunday afternoon, goals seemed very easy to come by. However, for the final seventy minutes that was not the case as the Guelph Gryphons and the York Lions played to a 2-2 draw. All four goals in the game came during the first twenty minutes of play as fans were barely able to take a breath between markers.
After falling 2-1 to the Gryphons back on August 31st, the Lions were able to get off to a very quick start looking to avenge that defeat. The match was just in the 5th minute when York got themselves on the board. In tight, the Lions worked a give-and-go leading to a Vanessa Salvaggio strike that found the back of the net. The lead however was very short lived. It was only two minutes after York's goal when Guelph freshman Kate Knafelc continued her hot streak. In the 7th minute Knafelc booted home her 4th goal of the season and her 3rd in as many games to get the Gryphons back on even ground.
With two goals already on the board, the offense continued to flow. Five minutes after the Gryphons tied the game, they got themselves their first lead of the match. Moving down towards the York goal in the 12th minute, Victoria Hinchliffe found Sayan Ladhani in tight and the 3rd-year Environmental Science student made no mistake. Unfortunately for the Gryphons, the lead only lasted seven minutes. In the 19th minute Kiyani Johnson headed a corner kick past Guelph goalkeeper Brooke Davidson to knot the score at 2-2. The game then remained tied up heading in to halftime.
In the second-half, neither team was able to break through for one more goal as the game came to an end in a draw. With the single point the Gryphons continue to sit second place in the West with a 6-1-2 record, six points back of Western for top-spot. Speaking of the Mustangs, that is who Guelph will battle next. Western will make a trip to the Gryphon Soccer Complex on Friday, as Guelph will look to narrow the Mustangs lead atop the West. Kick-off is scheduled for 6:00pm.
Quotes from Gryphons Head Coach Shayne Campbell:
"York is a really good side, and you've got two really good teams holding each other. I think both teams were trying to get out and get ahead of the game on the other team, but as the game wore on both teams became more cautious in their approach to ensure they didn't give anything away."
"It's a big single point for us, as it holds our position well. Anytime you don't give those extra two points because you've gone for something and lost it, I think in the long run it will be helpful and important for us."
