No. 4 Ranked Gryphons in search of first McCrae Cup
Toronto (October 28, 2014) – The University of Guelph Gryphons enter the CIS Field Hockey Championships this week for their eighth consecutive season in the hopes of winning their first-ever national title. The four-team tournament, hosted by the University of Toronto for the second time in three years, kicks off on Thursday and concludes Sunday with the gold-medal final at 3 p.m.
Competing for this season's McCrae Cup will be the top-seeded Thunderbirds (Canada West champions), as well as the No. 2 Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA champs), No. 3 Victoria Vikes (Canada West runners-up) and
No. 4 Guelph Gryphons (OUA silver medallists). The UBC Thunderbirds are the reigning three-time titlists.
All contenders will play each other once in the preliminary round, with the top two finishers advancing to the final and the bottom two teams battling for bronze. Thursday's opening day will see Victoria take on Guelph at 4:30 p.m. and UBC face Toronto at 6:30 p.m.? ?
The Gryphons are 11-3 overall, with all three losses coming at the hands of the Toronto Varsity Blues. Guelph's best result at the national tourney remains a silver medal in 2007.
Michelle Turley, in her 11th season leading the Gryphons, hopes her troop can finally get over the CIS hump this week.
"We will be looking to improve our standing at the CIS championship this year. We have a great core of returning athletes mixed with an impressive group of rookie talent. Our strength lies in our depth and team chemistry.
Allison Chute was our top scorer with 11 goals in 12 games, and captain
Erin Houle is one of the best midfielders in the province with her outstanding stick skills and ability to distribute the ball."
The Gryphons will kick off the tournament on Thursday (Oct. 30) against the Victoria Vikes at 4:30 pm. If you can't make the game, all eight games from the tourney will be webcast live on CIS-SIC.tv.
Championship Website
TEAM PROFILES
Official championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/fh/index
TEAM PROFILES
No. 1 UBC Thunderbirds (Canada West champions)
Head Coach: Robin D'Abreo (1
st season)
Regular season record: 5-1-2
Regular season standing: Canada West champions
Playoff record:
No playoffs in CW
Playoff finish:
No playoffs in CW
Record vs. teams at CIS championship: 1-1-2 vs. Victoria
Conference award winners: Lauren Logush (rookie)
Conference all-stars: Lauren Logush (G), Rachel Donohoe (M/D), Poonam Sandhu (M), Hannah Haughn (M/F)
CIS championship appearances (including 2014): 35
CIS championship best result: 15-time champions (2013, '12, '11, '09, '06, '04, '03, '01, '99, '98, '90, '83, '82, '80, '78)
CIS championship last appearance: 2013 (champions)
CIS championship sequence: 17
th straight appearance (27
th in last 28 years)
No. 2 Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA champions)
Head Coach: John DeSouza (9
th season)
Regular season record: 12-0
Regular season standing: 1
st OUA
Playoff record: 2-0
Playoff finish: OUA champions
Record vs. teams at CIS championship: 3-0 (3-0 vs. Guelph)
Conference award winners: Amanda Woodcroft (MVP), John DeSouza (coach)
Conference all-stars: Alison Lee (D), Amanda Woodcroft (M), Alex Thicke (F/M)
CIS championship appearances (including 2014): 37
CIS championship best result: 11-time champions (2010, '07, '96, '93, '88, '86, '85, '81, '79, '77, '75)
CIS championship last appearance: 2012 (silver medal)
CIS championship sequence: Return after 1-year absence (10
th appearance in 11 years)
No. 3 Victoria Vikes (Canada West runners-up)
Head Coach: Lynne Beecroft (31
st season)
Regular season record: 5-1-2
Regular season standing: Canada West runners-up
Playoff record:
No playoffs in CW
Playoff finish:
No playoffs in CW
Record vs. teams at CIS championship: 1-1-2 vs. UBC
Conference award winners: Lynne Beecroft (coach)
Conference all-stars: Rosie Beale (D), Kristina Walters-Shumka (D), Kathleen Leahy (M), Amanda Kurianowicz (F)
CIS championship appearances (including 2014): 33
CIS championship best result: 11-time champions (2008, '02, '00, '97, '95, '94, '92, '91, '89, '87, '84)
CIS championship last appearance: 2013 (silver medal)
CIS championship sequence: 3
rd straight appearance (30
th in 32 years)
No. 4 Guelph Gryphons (OUA silver medallists)
Head Coach:
Michelle Turley (11
th season)
Regular season record: 10-2
Regular season standing: 2
nd OUA
Playoff record: 1-1
Playoff finish: OUA silver medallists
Record vs. teams at CIS championship: 0-3 vs. Toronto
Conference award winners:
Olivia Lane (rookie)
Conference all-stars:
Erin Houle (M), Ally Chute (F)
CIS championship appearances (including 2014): 9
CIS championship best result: Finalists (2007)
CIS championship last appearance: 2013 (bronze medal)
CIS championship sequence: 8
th straight appearance
McCRAE CUP CHAMPIONS
2013 UBC
2012 UBC
2011 UBC
2010 Toronto
2009 UBC
2008 Victoria
2007 Toronto
2006 UBC
2005 Alberta
2004 UBC
2003 UBC
2002 Victoria
2001 UBC
2000 Victoria
1999 UBC
1998 UBC
1997 Victoria
1996 Toronto
1995 Victoria
1994 Victoria
1993 Toronto
1992 Victoria
1991 Victoria
1990 UBC
1989 Victoria
1988 Toronto
1987 Victoria
1986 Toronto
1985 Toronto
1984 Victoria
1983 UBC
1982 UBC
1981 Toronto
1980 UBC
1979 Toronto
1978 UBC
1977 Toronto
1976 Dalhousie
1975 Toronto
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Oct. 29
18:00 All-Canadian Awards Banquet (Marriott Bloor Yorkville Hotel)
Thursday, Oct. 30
16:30 Game 1: Victoria vs. Guelph
(CIS-SIC.tv)
18:30 Game 2: UBC vs. Toronto
(CIS-SIC.tv)
Friday, Oct. 31
16:30 Game 3: Toronto vs. Guelph
(CIS-SIC.tv)
18:30 Game 4: UBC vs. Victoria
(CIS-SIC.tv)
Saturday, Nov. 1
13:00 Game 5: Toronto vs Victoria
(CIS-SIC.tv)
15:00 Game 6: UBC vs. Guelph
(CIS-SIC.tv)
Sunday, Nov. 2
13:00 Bronze medal
(CIS-SIC.tv)
15:00 Championship final
(CIS-SIC.tv)
