GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons field hockey team will officially get the 2024 OUA season underway at home on Saturday, September 21 as they host last year's OUA champions, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. The Gryphons will look to get back into contention for an OUA title, after bowing out in the conference semifinals a season ago. The 2024 OUA field hockey season will consist of eight teams split into two divisions, with the Gryphons in the OUA West, playing a 10-game regular season schedule. The 2024 OUA field hockey season will culminate on October 26 with the OUA gold medal game.
"Each of our players will contribute uniquely to our team's success this season," says Gryphons head coach,
Michelle Turley, who enters her 21st season as head coach of the University of Guelph field hockey program. "The coaching staff is looking to empower our players to excel in every match. The team culture makes our team special. The coaching staff creates an environment where we push each individual to work hard, pursue excellence while still having fun."
Forwards
The Gryphon front line will be ignited by striker,
Delaney Jacklin.
Jacklin, the family studies and human development major going into her fourth-year, is fast and adept at dribbling, which allows her to exploit her defenders to set up scoring opportunities for herself and for her fellow forwards. Second-year forward,
Sophie Pomeroy, has worked hard in the offseason and is poised to make a significant impact for the Gryphons in 2024. The left-handed player from Halifax has elevated her play with great intensity and field awareness. Madi Martin is back after a great rookie season possesses good speed and agility and should help the Gryphons to maintain offensive pressure on their opponents.
Midfielders
Two-time OUA All-Star,
Elly Peters, is the leader of the Gryphon midfield from her centre-mid position. The third-year player and team captain reads the game exceptionally well and has great vision to see the gaps to make the right pass. Peters also plays a crucial role defensively for the team.
Two-time U SPORTS All-Canadian, Abby Warriner, is the strength and power of the Gryphons in her sweeper position. The fourth-year co-captain and two-time team MVP, has good stamina which allows her to cover a lot of ground with her great speed and ball-handling skills. The biomedical engineering major plays a crucial role in defending and transitioning the play from defence to attack.
Harper Griffin, the 2022 OUA Rookie of the Year, is a key figure in the U of G midfield position. The Waterloo native is a quality ball distributor and has exceptional stick skills which allows her to work out of crowded areas on the pitch.
Isla MacPherson will bring exceptional explosiveness from her position while Aliva Venning contributes to ball circulation and possession in the midfield. Incoming first-year player
Emma Pinkerton brings a combination of size and speed which should make an immediate impact on the team.
Defenders
Ella Rideout plays a pivotal role as the leader of the Gryphon defensive line. The sophomore from North Vancouver is a defensive force who is great at intercepting the attacks of the opposition and initiating the counterattack.
Kaitlyn Hyatt, a biological science major from Breslau, is an outstanding tackler with great ability to read the game.
Amy Dueck, a second-year player from Elmira, has a knack of intercepting the ball and preventing the attack from the opposition.
Chloe Armstrong (Ajax, ON) brings a physical element to the back four with her tremendous long-rang passing.
Goalkeepers
The Gryphon field hockey team will see two incoming rookies,
Macy Peters (Kitchener, ON) and Kate Flye (Victoria, BC) joining the team at the goalkeeper position. Peters is a national floor ball goalkeeper who has experience playing against some of the top men in Europe. Both goalkeepers have good reflexes as they have a commanding presence in the penalty area and are good decision-makers under pressure.
The Gryphons field hockey team will host the defending OUA Champions, Toronto Varsity Blues, on Saturday (Sept. 21) before they head to the road to take on the York Lions on Sunday (Sept. 22).
