Halifax, NS – They're not supposed to be here. They're a year or two "ahead of schedule."  They're too young and naïve to realize the significance of what they're doing.  These days, those are the types of expressions you will find being thrown around in reference to the University of Guelph men's hockey team. And perhaps rightly so. The Gryphons well-documented playoff run has been nothing short of remarkable. At the Christmas break, the Gryphons were sitting in dead last in the OUA's West Division after winning just three of their first 16 games. They suffered 10 losses-in-regulation during that stretch, eight of which were decided by just one goal. But then, it all changed. The calendar flipped to 2015, the Gryphons re-grouped over the Christmas break, and since, have gone on the most improbable run in program history. This postseason, the Gryphons have won a pair of Game 3's on the road against Waterloo and Toronto; they swept the defending OUA champs in Windsor; and they dominated perennial power UQTR 4-0 to win the Queen's Cup. So, at second thought, perhaps they are supposed to be here. They are right on schedule. And they're not young and naïve; they're young and talented. They're also three wins away from a national championship.
 
NOTE: Guelph will face the Calgary Dinos (20-8-0, CWUAA Finalists) on Thursday, March 12^th at 1pm Atlantic Time (12pm Eastern) in a win-or-go-home CIS Quarter-final. That game will be webcast live at www.CIS-SIC.tv
 
A "Meet the Teams" media conference was held on Wednesday (March 11) at the Scotiabank Centre in downtown Halifax to officially kick off the 2015 University Cup. All eight head coaches from the participating teams were in attendance to represent, and talk about, their respective teams. Despite the fact that the list of teams in attendance included the likes of the defending CIS champion Alberta Golden Bears; or a trio of East Coast teams in UNB, Acadia and host St. FX, there was a tangible sense in the room that there was really only one team that had captured the attention of everybody from coast-to-coast; that OUA team that came out of nowhere to capture their first Queen's Cup since 1997. That group of players from all over the continent (the Gryphons have three American-born players on their roster in Daniel Broussard, Seth Swenson and Trevor Morbeck) who seem more relaxed than everybody else, even though the stage is getting bigger and the lights brighter. How are they doing it? When it was time for Gryphons head coach Shawn Camp to take the podium, people from coast-to-coast found out. Shawn Camp at the 2015 University Cup "Meet the Teams" Media Conference 
 
Instead of talking about Guelph's impressive Game 3 wins over the Warriors and Varsity Blues, or the series sweep versus Windsor, or the memorable victory in the Queen's Cup, Coach Camp instead addressed some of the things that have happened off the ice this season that have made this group so special. Coach Camp referenced the devastating loss the Gryphons family suffered early in the season when incoming rookie Cole Hamblin suddenly fell ill and passed away less than two months after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Shortly after losing Cole, the Gryphons would lose another member of the Gryphon family as Richard Kohler, the father of second year defenceman Thomas Kohler, would pass away after losing his battle with cancer (Richard was a member of Guelph's Vanier Cup champion football team in 1984). Early on in the season, the Gryphons were not just losing on the ice, they were losing off of it. And yet, they stuck together. They never stopped supporting each other. And they never stopped putting in the work and believing that things could be turned around. It is why Coach Camp has summarized their season in two words: trust and adversity. There has been plenty of both for the Gryphons in 2014-2015, and as a result, the individuals on this team have developed a tight-knit bond that has allowed them to reach postseason heights the program has not seen since the late 90's. The Gryphons come into Halifax playing as good as anybody in the country, and with the format of this year's tournament changing to a one game, win-or-go-home scenario, who knows where this run will end. But we will soon find out. One thing is for sure, a sense of Gryphon Pride has never been stronger. The Gryphons men's hockey team is back on the national stage…right on schedule.