CIS #3 ranked Gryphons women’s hockey win big over U of T; MacTavish puts up career-high 34 in women’s basketball win
Track and Field
Guelph’s men’s and women’s track and field teams were back in their usual form at McGill this past weekend. The women won the team competition outright, while the men fell to York in what ended up being a tight battle.
Ross Proudfoot won the 1500 and 3000 metre events. The Sudbury, Ontario native broke the record in both events, putting up a time of 3 minutes and 44.08 seconds and 8 minutes and 2.78 seconds respectively. Proudfoot was also named Gryphons athlete of the week.
As Canada’s premier school for track and field, the U of G had 13 athletes automatically qualify for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) tournament.
Women’s hockey
With #3 rank in the CIS, the Gryphons women’s hockey team notched their eighth straight win, beating the Toronto Varsity Blues 3-1 to move to 17-3-0 on the season. The win bumps Guelph to first in the OUA.
Cara Sayles wasted no time putting the Gryphons on the board, scoring two minutes into the first period, while Averi Nooren scored at 10:32 to put the Gryphons up two.
Jessica Pinkerton, Guelph’s leading scorer with 28 points including 15 goals (top in the OUA), was in her usual form, netting Guelph’s third and final goal of the game.
At the time of publication, Guelph will have four games left on the season, including a marquee match-up versus the Queen’s Gaels, 3rd in the OUA, on Feb. 1 at the Gryphon Centre.
Men’s volleyball
The subpar season for the Gryphons men’s volleyball team continued on Saturday Jan. 25, as they were swept by the McMaster Marauders in straight sets, 25-13, 25-23, 25-16, and drop to 5-11 on the season.
Guelph’s libero Eric Wagner was recognized as player of the game, and Patrick Strzalkowski led the Gryphons with six kills and eight points.
Women’s volleyball
It was a battle among the top teams in the OUA West division as the Marauders visited the top-ranked Gryphons on Saturday night. Unfortunately for the red, black, and gold, the Marauders proved too tough to beat, and Guelph lost 3-1 to fall to 12-5 on the season.
Continuing the theme of dominant play by Gryphons liberos, Kristen Almhjell was named player of the game for Guelph. Madison DeDecker accumulated 15 kills, and Alicia Combe-Dingwall and Rebecca Breau tallied 15 and 13 each as well.
Guelph has a bye this week, and then plays on Feb. 7 and 8 at home to Windsor and Western to close the season before playoffs.
Men & women’s basketball
The women moved to 6-10 on the season as they upset the heavily favoured 13-3 Golden Hawks by two in a nail biter 66-64 final. Katherine MacTavish, Gryphons female athlete of the week, had the game of her life as she posted an incredible career-high in points with 34, including eight rebounds, two steals, and a block. MacTavish also went 14-14 from the free throw line.
The men rallied off the grit showed by the women and managed an 84-81 win over Laurier to move to 5-11 on the season.
Taylor Boers led all Guelph scorers with 16 points on the night, while Zach Angus was particularly effective in the game’s back stretch, sinking 15 on the night, including six rebounds.