Lions and Gryphons advance to OUA final on Sunday

Photo by Placide Ilunga
Photo by Placide Ilunga
October 28, 2017

There will be a new Ontario University Athletics (OUA) field hockey champion this season, as the York University Lions and Guelph Gryphons will face off for conference supremacy on Sunday afternoon after winning their respective semifinal matches on Saturday morning at York’s Alumni Field.

The top-seeded Lions defeated the Queen’s Gaels 4-0 in the first semifinal of the day, and the second-seeded Gryphons finally got past the three-time defending OUA champion Varsity Blues by a score of 2-0 in the second.

The Gryphons will be looking for their first title since 2013 after three straight silver medals, while the Lions will be playing in their first conference final since 2000, and seeking their first championship since 1996. The winner will also earn the OUA’s spot at the U SPORTS championships next week in Vancouver.

It didn’t take long for the Lions to get on the scoreboard against the Gaels, as Sara Vollmerhausen found the back of the net in the sixth minute of play for an early 1-0 lead. The Gaels had a great chance to equal the score in the 29th minute when they were awarded a penalty stroke, but Jacinta Mallon’s shot sailed wide.

The second half began similar to the first with the Lions scoring early, this time by Madison Mitchell in the 36th minute. Rebecca Titus added to the lead in the 53rd minute with a penalty stroke goal, and Mikhaela Slavin rounded out the scoring in the 65th minute.

Mitchell earned player of the game honours for the Lions, while Nicole Gaul received the honour for the Gaels.

Like the Lions, the Gryphons also scored quickly in their game against the Blues when Olivia Finch netted the first of the game in the seventh minute. Ten minutes later Alexa Corrado gave the Gryphons the 2-0 lead, and from there goalkeeper Morgan Kelley stood tall to make five saves and preserve the shutout.

Rebecca Plouffe was named Guelph’s player of the game and Taylor Fleck earned the award for the Varsity Blues.

Saturday also featured two consolations semifinals. In the first, the fifth-seeded Western Mustangs defeated the eighth-seeded McMaster Marauders 2-0, and following that was the first upset of the tournament, with the No. 7 Waterloo Warriors defeating the No. 6 McGill Martlets 2-1.

The Mustangs scored both of their goals in the first half, the opener in the seventh minute by Nakisha Slavin and the second in the 24th minute off the stick of Sarah Gahan.

McGill scored first in their contest with Waterloo as Constanza Martinez Ramirez gave the Martlets a 1-0 lead just minutes before the end of the first half. However, the Warriors came storming back in the second thanks to Nicole Mastantuono’s tallies in the 60th and 64th minutes to steal the victory.

The four other players of the game were Western’s Nakisha Slavin, McMaster’s Taylor Young, Waterloo’s Keavah Clancy and McGill’s Breeshey Roskams Hieter.

The Mustangs and Warriors will now battle for fifth place on Sunday at 11am, while McGill and McMaster will play for seventh place in the first match of the day beginning at 9am. Prior to the 3pm final between York and Guelph, the Varsity Blues and Gaels will face off for the bronze medal at 1pm. All four games can be seen live online on OUA.tv.