Guelph, Ont. (October 8, 2014) – After finishing in first place in the Shiels Division with a 3-0-2 regular season record, the Gryphon women's rugby team will now host an OUA quarterfinal matchup versus the Laurier Golden Hawks on Friday (October 10). Game time is set for 5pm at Varsity Field.
The Gryphons head into the playoffs following a 72-0 rout of the Brock Badgers. Guelph and Laurier met in week two of the regular season at Alumni Stadium, where the Gryphons rolled to a 48-0 victory on the strength of
Jennifer Dunn (West Vancouver, B.C.) who finished the day with two tries and four conversions for a total of 18 points. Last season, the Gryphons had their string of five straight OUA championships snapped before going on to finish second at the CIS Championships in Laval.
If the Gryphons are to reclaim the title of OUA champions, they will need to continue to rely on a balanced attack. While no Gryphon topped the charts in any of the OUA's main statistical categories, a number of players have stepped up and produced impressive performances in 2014.
Jennifer Dunn (West Vancouver, B.C.) led the team with 30 points on the season while
Kendra Blackbourn (Georgetown, Ont.) finished with 25 points. One of the best female wrestlers in the history of the University of Guelph has now plied her trade on the rugby pitch and has provided an immediate impact.
Kelsey Gsell (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) was named Guelph's Female Athlete of the Year and President's award winner in 2013. In 2014, she decided to make the move to the women's rugby team and as a result, has become a breakthrough performer right away. Gsell finished third on the team with 20 points but more importantly provided the Gryphons with a physically dominating presence on the field all season long with a tremendous ability to break the line and make open field tackles.
Despite graduating All-Canadian Caitlin McNally (Guelph, Ont.) from last year's team, the Gryphons still have plenty of experience to lean on heading into the 2014 playoffs with the return of fifth year Center
Shannon Spurrell (Haley Station, Ont.), as well as a pair of "Brittany's" in fourth years
Brittany Kassil (Guelph, Ont.) and
Brittany Priddle (Badjeros, Ont.). All three were named OUA all-stars in 2013. Spurrell and Priddle are both premiere players at their positions within the conference while Kassil's versatility has made her one of the most important pieces to the puzzle on this undefeated Gryphons team. 3
rd year lock
Devon Stober (Mississauga, Ont.) has also emerged as a great leader on this Gryphons team which boasts one of the deepest rosters in the OUA.
While third year scrum half
Elizabeth George (Fenelon Falls, Ont.), who underwent an appendectomy two weeks ago, will be sorely missed as the postseason approaches, the Gryphons have received a nice boost from a pair of second year players.
Riley Taylor (Owen Sound, Ont.), who was named a 'Peak Performer' this past week on gryphons.ca, has impressed the coaching staff with her hard work and solid play all season long.
Emily Samek (Hamilton, Ont.) has emerged as one of top wingers in the league and has been a consistent force in the back three all year. With the playoffs just a few days away, the Gryphons should once again prove to be a championship contender in both the OUA and CIS championship pictures. Following the completion of the OUA playoffs, the Gryphons will host the CIS Women's Rugby Championships (Oct. 30-Nov.2).
