GUELPH, Ont. - On Sunday, September 10 the Guelph Gryphons women's lacrosse team will return to action, with a pair of matchups against the McMaster Marauders and Brock Badgers. The 2023 season will see the Gryphons go up against eight other OUA programs competing for a chance to raise the Patterson Cup. With the regular season set to get underway this weekend, teams will compete over the course of a 10-game regular season for seeding at the 2023 OU Women's Lacrosse Championships.
The tournament that will decide the 2023 OUA champion kicks off on October 27 and will run through to October 29 with Queen's University, the defending champions, set to host.
The Gryphons are coming off a season that saw them tie their best finish at the conferences championships since 2013, a 4th-place finish where the team narrowly missed out on a podium position after falling to the eventual champion Gaels. For Gryphons first-year head coach Megan Shea, who will make her coaching debut on Sunday, the 2023 season is full of opportunities with plenty of changes, both to the Gryphon roster and elsewhere. "We are looking forward to all the 'new' this season," says Shea, "the Guelph Gryphons women's lacrosse season features a new coaching staff, new student-athletes, new updates to game rules, and new systems of play so there is a lot to adjust to in 2023. Our team's collective passion for our sport and support of one another is going to allow us to grow and develop together, so we are very excited for the upcoming season." Megan Shea will be joined on the sideline by a familiar face to Gryphon fans as
Jillian Jacques also makes her coaching debut. Jacques was a member of the women's lacrosse team for the past four seasons during her undergraduate degree and now having graduated will join the coaching staff.
Gryphon Attack
The Gryphon women's lacrosse team will once again see
Payton Curtis return to the front line. Curtis made her Gryphon debut in 2022 after injuries had sidelined the Brampton native for the start of her OUA career, and will be looking to build off of an impressive showing this season. Curtis, a sixth-year marine and freshwater biology major, brings arguably the strongest set of stick skills to the field for the Gryphons while also being a reliable distributor on offence.
Curtis will be joined by third-year Whitby native
Megan Latoski on the Gryphon attack. Latoski, who will also serve as a 2023 captain alongside teammate Tayln MacLean, can work of both sides of the field when attacking while also being a dependable ball carrier.
Gryphon Midfield
The Gryphons midfield will feature a strong group of returning student-athletes in 2023 in addition to being one of the deeper positional groups on the roster. Leading the way is
Kirsten Sutter, who is back for her fifth season with the program. Sutter provides the most experience in the midfield with three season of on-field action under her belt. The hospitality a tourism management major from Chatsworth, Ontario brings composure and patience while also being skillful off the draw. Another midfielder who is strong off the draw is
Rachel McConvey who also has a knack for making herself available to teammates and finding a way to get open. A second-year criminal justice student and 2022 OUA All-Star, McConvey has a strong presence on the field and is unmatched in 1-on-1 situations. Finally,
Maya Gazzola returns after an impressive debut season that saw take home team Rookie of the Year honours.
Gazzola brings a great awareness to the midfield and seemingly always has a sense of where to be at the right time. The Mississauga native also has a great game sense, is quick to read plays and even quicker to react.
Gryphon Defence
The Gryphon defence is led by team MVP and co-captain
Talyn MacLean who returns for her third season of on-field action and fourth within the women's lacrosse program. The biomedical engineering major possesses both the speed and strength to match any opponent she finds herself defending but her most significant asset to the team is undoubtedly her leadership. MacLean brings wealth of knowledge to the roster and does not shy away from providing that to her teammates of the defensive line, something that provides an incredible value to both teammates and coaches alike. Incoming rookie
Sophia Maslev should help bolster the back line in 2023, bringing strong experience after spending the summer playing for the Toronto Beaches of the Junior Elite Women's Lacrosse League. Masley also brings with her a desire to learn, and it has already shown with her quickly adapting to the OUA level.
Gryphon Goaltending
The Gryphon net will feature a new face in 2023, with second-year Etobicoke native taking over as the starting goaltender. Silano, who enters her rookie season, has previously played with the Mimico Mountaineers U19 team and has stepped up during a time of need for the team. The family studies major is quickly adapting to the position and brings a contagious energy to the 2023 edition of the Gryphons.
The Gryphons kick off their regular season on Sunday with a pair of games taking place at the University of Guelph's Varsity Field. First, the team will take on the McMaster Marauders at 8:30am in their season opener before facing off against the Brock Badgers at 1:45pm. Guelph's two games on Sunday are just part of the action, with a total of five OUA women's lacrosse games set to take place at Varsity Field on Sunday, Sept. 10, which will also be the lone hosting-opportunity the Gryphons women's lacrosse team has this season.
Season Openening Sunday in OUA Women's Lacrosse
Date: Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023
Location: Varsity Field (University of Guelph)
Game #1: 8:30am (Guelph vs McMaster)
Game #2: 10:15am (Western vs Brock)
Game #3: 12pm (McMaster vs Laurier)
Game #4: 1:45pm (Guelph vs Brock)
Game #5: 3:30pm (Laurier vs Western)
