Banner Season: Gryphons, Golden Hawks going for gold in season opener rematch
November 11, 2022
Burlington, Ont. - The season started with a fantastic faceoff between the Guelph Gryphons and Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, with the former prevailing in thrilling fashion. And much like how the season began, the same two teams will now compete in the conference's final contest, as they go toe-to-toe on Sunday, November 13 on the University of Guelph Back Grass Fields at the 2022 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Men's Rugby Championship.
Championship Details
When: Sunday, November 13 (1:00pm)
Where: Grass Rugby Pitch (University of Guelph)
Participating Schools (2): Guelph Gryphons (host), Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Defending Champions: Guelph Gryphons | ALL PAST CHAMPIONS
Student-Athletes to Watch:
Kobe Faust, Guelph Gryphons | Las season, Faust was forced to sit out the majority of the campaign due to an injury sustained in the second week of play. Now at full health, the all-star second-year full back is making major contributions on the pitch for the Gryphons, including taking on kicking duties. This past summer, the Uxbridge, Ont. product also impressed on the international stage, representing Canada at the U20 level, and helping lead the team to victory of the Chilean team.
Dylan Di Girolamo, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | The team's co-captain and co-recipient of the OUA's community service award, Di Girolamo has proven himself time and time again on and off the pitch. And while he earned recognition for the former, it is his all-star caliber play that will be put to the test this weekend. Against a tough Guelph side, the Kettleby, Ont. native will look to add to the team-high six tries he registered during the regular season to help his team dethrone the reigning champs.
Cam Hurst, Guelph Gryphons | An anchor on the Gryphon back row, Hurst will be an integral figure for Guelph against the Golden Hawks. The consistently physical presence that the now three-time OUA all-star brings as the 8-man has been a problem for the opposition since he entered the varsity scene, and the senior from Mississauga, Ont., is hoping to produce another potent performance on his home field.
Adam McNee, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | McNee is an important part of the Laurier squad, on and off the field. The team's co-captain alongside Di Girolamo, the third-year business student was not only one of this year's recipients of the community service award, but also among the league leaders in scoring in the conference. With an OUA-best 24 conversions to go along with one try and one penalty goal, the fly half from Cobourg, Ont. will continue to be a focal point for the Hawks offence this Sunday.
Colin Smibert, Guelph Gryphons | Back for his fourth year with the program, the senior wing from Dorchester, Ont. is an all-star calibre threat for the reigning champions. With plenty of experience on the banner season stage already, with this being his third OUA championship appearance, the environmental engineering major will look to continue his productive campaign - one in which he scored six tries for 30 points - into the season finale.
Josh Tinney, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | A steady force for the championship-hopeful Golden Hawks, Tinney will look to be just that in the provincial finale. The fifth-year player from Cobourg, Ont. is a great ball-running prop with very good hands, and as he has continued to get better year in and year out for the purple and gold, the senior would like nothing more than to cap off that continued improvement with a Turner Trophy.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
After hitting the road a year ago to claim the Turner Trophy on away soil, the Gryphons will have a chance to hoist the provincial prize on their home field this time around. In doing so, they would claim their fifth OUA title overall - and second consecutive - and their first as hosts since they knocked off Queen's in 2016 in the second round of penalty kicks. The team is poised to come away as champions after successfully navigating plenty of close conference contests along the way, including a slim one-point win over Brock in the quarterfinals, before defeating Western 36-24 in the penultimate round of play.
Laurier may have finished fifth in the regular season, but after dropping their final two matches therein, they have hit their stride in the playoffs. Their quarterfinal tilt saw them handily defeat their cross-town rival Waterloo Warriors by a 71-21 margin and set up a semifinal spot against Queen's. Despite entering as underdogs against the then undefeated Gaels, the Hawks bounced back from an early deficit and came away from Kingston victorious. The 34-27 victory gives Wilfrid Laurier a chance to do something they have yet to accomplish in program history - win the coveted Turner Trophy - and even with another tough test in Guelph standing in the way of that elusive first title, the Hawks enter Sunday's finale ready to embrace the challenge once again.
Bookending the season with head-to-head matchups, rugby fans will hope that the closing chapter is just as entertaining as the opener. When the Hawks and Gryphons met on September 17 to debut their 2022 squads, supporters were treated to a tightly-contested matchup. The host Gryphons jumped out to a 21-5 lead, but the Hawks soared back on the scoreboard with 19 unanswered points to close out the first half with a three-point lead. The Gryphons began the second half with a quick score and were able to hold off the Hawks from there for the 38-31 win, but if that first encounter provided any insights into the upcoming clash, it's that the 2022 championship is anyone's game.
What They're Saying:
"We are very excited to have earned our place at the championship. It is a great achievement for the men who worked so hard this year; a real testament to the mental and physical fortitude they have shown. We have 26 players coming to the championship, but 52 players in the squad that made this a reality." - Phil Murphy, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, Head Coach
Championship Details
When: Sunday, November 13 (1:00pm)
Where: Grass Rugby Pitch (University of Guelph)
Participating Schools (2): Guelph Gryphons (host), Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Defending Champions: Guelph Gryphons | ALL PAST CHAMPIONS
Student-Athletes to Watch:
Kobe Faust, Guelph Gryphons | Las season, Faust was forced to sit out the majority of the campaign due to an injury sustained in the second week of play. Now at full health, the all-star second-year full back is making major contributions on the pitch for the Gryphons, including taking on kicking duties. This past summer, the Uxbridge, Ont. product also impressed on the international stage, representing Canada at the U20 level, and helping lead the team to victory of the Chilean team.
Dylan Di Girolamo, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | The team's co-captain and co-recipient of the OUA's community service award, Di Girolamo has proven himself time and time again on and off the pitch. And while he earned recognition for the former, it is his all-star caliber play that will be put to the test this weekend. Against a tough Guelph side, the Kettleby, Ont. native will look to add to the team-high six tries he registered during the regular season to help his team dethrone the reigning champs.
Cam Hurst, Guelph Gryphons | An anchor on the Gryphon back row, Hurst will be an integral figure for Guelph against the Golden Hawks. The consistently physical presence that the now three-time OUA all-star brings as the 8-man has been a problem for the opposition since he entered the varsity scene, and the senior from Mississauga, Ont., is hoping to produce another potent performance on his home field.
Adam McNee, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | McNee is an important part of the Laurier squad, on and off the field. The team's co-captain alongside Di Girolamo, the third-year business student was not only one of this year's recipients of the community service award, but also among the league leaders in scoring in the conference. With an OUA-best 24 conversions to go along with one try and one penalty goal, the fly half from Cobourg, Ont. will continue to be a focal point for the Hawks offence this Sunday.
Colin Smibert, Guelph Gryphons | Back for his fourth year with the program, the senior wing from Dorchester, Ont. is an all-star calibre threat for the reigning champions. With plenty of experience on the banner season stage already, with this being his third OUA championship appearance, the environmental engineering major will look to continue his productive campaign - one in which he scored six tries for 30 points - into the season finale.
Josh Tinney, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | A steady force for the championship-hopeful Golden Hawks, Tinney will look to be just that in the provincial finale. The fifth-year player from Cobourg, Ont. is a great ball-running prop with very good hands, and as he has continued to get better year in and year out for the purple and gold, the senior would like nothing more than to cap off that continued improvement with a Turner Trophy.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
After hitting the road a year ago to claim the Turner Trophy on away soil, the Gryphons will have a chance to hoist the provincial prize on their home field this time around. In doing so, they would claim their fifth OUA title overall - and second consecutive - and their first as hosts since they knocked off Queen's in 2016 in the second round of penalty kicks. The team is poised to come away as champions after successfully navigating plenty of close conference contests along the way, including a slim one-point win over Brock in the quarterfinals, before defeating Western 36-24 in the penultimate round of play.
Laurier may have finished fifth in the regular season, but after dropping their final two matches therein, they have hit their stride in the playoffs. Their quarterfinal tilt saw them handily defeat their cross-town rival Waterloo Warriors by a 71-21 margin and set up a semifinal spot against Queen's. Despite entering as underdogs against the then undefeated Gaels, the Hawks bounced back from an early deficit and came away from Kingston victorious. The 34-27 victory gives Wilfrid Laurier a chance to do something they have yet to accomplish in program history - win the coveted Turner Trophy - and even with another tough test in Guelph standing in the way of that elusive first title, the Hawks enter Sunday's finale ready to embrace the challenge once again.
Bookending the season with head-to-head matchups, rugby fans will hope that the closing chapter is just as entertaining as the opener. When the Hawks and Gryphons met on September 17 to debut their 2022 squads, supporters were treated to a tightly-contested matchup. The host Gryphons jumped out to a 21-5 lead, but the Hawks soared back on the scoreboard with 19 unanswered points to close out the first half with a three-point lead. The Gryphons began the second half with a quick score and were able to hold off the Hawks from there for the 38-31 win, but if that first encounter provided any insights into the upcoming clash, it's that the 2022 championship is anyone's game.
What They're Saying:
"We are very excited to have earned our place at the championship. It is a great achievement for the men who worked so hard this year; a real testament to the mental and physical fortitude they have shown. We have 26 players coming to the championship, but 52 players in the squad that made this a reality." - Phil Murphy, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, Head Coach