HAMILTON – It was 336 days ago that the Gryphons women's rugby team left Hamilton with a memorable win and an OUA championship. On Friday night, the Gryphs made their first trip back to McMaster since claiming the 2016 OUA banner. Although a conference title was not at stake this time around, there were nevertheless huge playoff implications on the line as two undefeated, nationally ranked rivals went head-to-head. And just like they did 11 months ago, the Gryphons once again left McMaster with the result they were looking for.
 
In cool, windy conditions Friday evening at Ron Joyce Stadium, the No. 3-ranked Guelph Gryphons women's rugby team picked up a decisive 35-19 victory over the No. 7-ranked Marauders in what was a re-match of last year's OUA championship final. With the win, the Gryphons complete an undefeated regular season (4-0) and secure a bye through to the OUA semi-finals.
 
"There were no easy tries out there tonight," said Gryphons head coach Colette McAuley. "We have a lot of respect for the Mac program and they put up a tremendous fight tonight. In the end, we played the game a little bit lower than they did. I thought we had great leg drive, played some quick balls and really hammered into them while protecting the ball. It definitely took all phases tonight, but every single one of the girls on our team were able to not only carry the ball, but carry it well. And that's hard to stop."
 
The Gryphons, who led 14-7 at halftime, pulled away in the second half, expanding the lead to 28-7 on Brodie Schmidt's try in the 61st minute. McMaster would make a push late, but the outcome after the 61st minute was never really in doubt as the Gryphons left Hamilton with a 35-19 win.
 
Julia Schell, who last year was named the Shiels Division MVP, was good on all five of her convert attempts and also scored the final try of the evening to seal the match for the visitors. Zana Everett was the lone Gryphon to record two tries on the day, while Madison Brattan also picked up a try on the night.
 
Up next for the Gryphons is an OUA semi-final on their home turf on Saturday, October 14 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. The Gryphons (4-0) now also sit one win away from qualifying for the U SPORTS Championships, which will feature the top two teams from the OUA, and is set to take place November 2nd to 5th in Lethbridge, Alberta.