GUELPH – They have been among the best field hockey teams in the OUA all season. And with the regular schedule finally in the books, the Guelph Gryphons have changed their focus to manufacturing a run in the playoffs. Guelph wrapped up an impressive season with a 1-1 draw against the Toronto Varsity Blues and a lopsided 9-0 victory over the Waterloo Warriors Sunday at York University, site of next week's OUA Championships.

Guelph finished with an 8-1-3 record, good enough for second spot in the conference, with 39 goals for and just seven against. 
 
"Collectively as a team we played very well and were unselfish," head coach Michelle Turley said of the final two games. "We created a lot of chances and the goals we scored were the result of three and four consecutive passes."
 
The Gryphons started the day with a typical tight game against the Varsity Blues, whom they also played to a 1-1 draw at home back on Sept. 17. It was scoreless at the half before Toronto took a 1-0 lead early in the second off a penalty corner. Second-year forward Alexa Corrado secured the equalizer 10 minutes later for the Gryphons.
 
Corrado got things going against the Warriors, as well, scoring 11 minutes into the game from a penalty corner, with Rebecca Plouffe and Melissa Vogl assisting. Guelph was relentless after Corrado's opener, adding six more by the half, including a four-goal explosion from second-year midfielder/forward Kayla Magarelli. Olivia Finch made it 2-0 from another penalty corner and Magarelli then went to work, scoring three straight in the 18^th, 19^th, and 28^th minutes, before setting up Corrado for another goal in the 29th.
 
Magarelli got her fourth of the day in the 32^nd minute, putting her second in the OUA goal-scoring race with 14, eight more than the next closest player. Danielle Crumpton had the final two goals for Guelph, both in the second half.
 
It was a good tune up for the peaking Gryphons, who will face the same Warriors team in the opening round of the post-season.
 
"I'm happy that we played at York today as it gave us the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the playing surface of the OUA championships next week," Turley said.
 
The Gryphons will enter the OUA Championships seeded second, with Waterloo the seventh seed. Game time is 3:00 pm.