GUELPH, Ont. – For the past five seasons, the Guelph Gryphons field hockey team has been forced to settle for silver at the OUA Championships. On Sunday afternoon on their home field, after reaching the OUA title game yet again, the Gryphons made sure to go home with a different colour of medal this time around.
Fifth-year senior
Katherine MacMillan scored the lone goal for Guelph in a 1-0 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues in the gold medal game of the 2019 OUA Field Hockey Championships, hosted by the University of Guelph. For the Gryphons, it marked the fifth OUA title in program history and U of G's first since 2013.
With the game scoreless at the 40-minute mark, Katherine MacMillan would showcase the type of play that earned her OUA MVP honours earlier in the week.
The Kitchener native, at full extension, batted a ball high, out of the air on a U of T clearing attempt to set up a Gryphon counterattack. Moments later, a crossing attempt found its way in MacMillan's direction, and the accounting major would make no mistake, sweeping a backhanded shot over the Varsity Blues goalie for what would prove to be the game-winner.
"It happened really quickly," says MacMillan, who was named a U SPORTS All-Canadian a season ago for Guelph. "There was a lot of movement in front of the net. The ball squeaked over to me and I was able to hit it on the reverse. To see it go in was an amazing feeling."
The elation the Gryphons experienced at the end of the game was a stark contrast from the tension of a tight opening half, where the Varsity Blues controlled the majority of the play. But Gryphons head coach
Michelle Turley, the opening 30 minutes only helped to further reveal the character of the team. "The girls were not discouraged despite a tough opening half," says Turley, who is now in her 16th season in charge of the Gryphon field hockey program.
"They showed a maturity and did not let their emotions come into play. We kept saying the second half was a whole new game and the girls went out and played their hearts out. They played some phenomenal hockey."
Gryphons third-year goalie
Amanda Hodgert impressed, turning away 5 shots on goal for the shutout. With the win, the Gryphons earn a trip to Victoria, British Columbia next week for the 2019 U SPORTS National Championship. Guelph will face the Canada West champion University of Victoria Vikes in a best two-out-of-three series to determine the national title. But for now, the Gryphons will take a moment to enjoy some well-earned OUA hardware.
"The girls left it all out on the field today," says Turley, who has now led the Gryphons to a total of five OUA titles (2007, 2009, 2010, 2013 & 2019). "This gold medal was a long time coming, but to get it done on our home field makes it that much more special."
The Gryphons will now look to claim the first national title in school history. Game 1 of the best-of-three series with Victoria goes Friday (Nov. 1) at 7pm ET.
