AROUND OUA: Gryphons start season with 35-28 win over defending OUA champs Queen's
Guelph, ON – Well it may have just been the first game of the season…but it sure felt like the playoffs. Wednesday night (September 9) the Gryphons Men's Rugby team opened up their 2015 season with an impressive 35-28 victory over perennial power Queen's.
SCOREBOARD
Gryphons start season with 35-28 over defending OUA champs Queen's
Guelph, ON – Well it may have just been the first game of the season…but it sure felt like the playoffs. Wednesday night (September 9) the Gryphons Men's Rugby team opened up their 2015 season with an impressive 35-28 victory over perennial power Queen's.
In front of one of the largest home crowds at Varsity Field in recent memory, the Gryphons were able to take a 25-10 lead over the Gaels into the half highlighted by a terrific 30-metre run for a try from fourth year hooker Eric Howard (Kanata, ON).
While the Queen's Gaels, who have won each of the last three OUA titles, have lost several key players from last year's squad, they also boast plenty of talent on their 2015 roster as well. Leading the way for the Gaels on Wednesday night was captain Lucas Rumball (Toronto, ON) who was a force up front all night long. Rumball, who also serves as captain of Canada's U-20 squad, scored a try for Queen's to keep the game within striking distance. However, it would be a late try from a first year player on Guelph that would ultimately seal the victory for the Gryphons. With around three minutes remaining, Riley Di Nardo (Toronto, ON) would scoop up the ball and beat three Queen's defenders on his way to a try that made the score 35-23 Gryphons. Queen's would add one more try of their own but it was too little too late as the Gryphons would hang on to win 35-28.
The victory marks Guelph's first win over Queen's since 1998, the same year the Gryphons last won an OUA title. Last season, the Gryphons lost to Queen's in the OUA Final in Kingston. Other standout performances on the night for the Gryphons include a gritty performance from two-sport athlete Scott Simmonds (Uxbridge, ON) who also plays on the Gryphons Men's Hockey team. The Gryphons Men's Rugby team will be in action again on Saturday (September 12) when they travel to Kingston to face the R.M.C. Paladins.
Source: Guelph Gryphons
Warriors use team effort in season opening win over Blues
The Waterloo men's rugby team came out guns a blazing in their 2015 opening match, topping the visiting Toronto Varsity Blues 24-11 at the lower CIF field on Wednesday afternoon. Four different Warriors put up tries while their defence stood strong, limiting the Blues to just one.
The Blues opened the scoring with Tudor Chirila splitting the uprights on a penalty goal as Toronto jumped ahead 3-0. The Warriors would respond however on some brilliant passing by Paul Chen (Calgary) and Paul Schroeder (New Dundee) with the run being capped off by Michael Appiah-Kubi (Toronto) for the try to put the black and gold up 5-3.
The Blues responded only five minutes later with another penalty by Chrila to put his side up by one. Waterloo continued the seesaw battle as Chen came blazzing down the same side as Appiah-Kubi for another try sending the Warriors up 10-6 into half.
The Warriors provided separation from Toronto early in the second half as Peter Squire (Port Perry) and Schroeder punched home some key tries. Successful converts by Schroeder would give Waterloo the 24-6 lead and they would cruise to the finish line allowing just one more try by the Varsity Blues' Nitai Ben-Shach making the final score 24-11 for the Warriors.
The Warriors will enjoy the bye week and return to action on Sunday, September 20 vs. Queen's at home.
Source: Waterloo Warriors
Ormrod has two tries as Marauders beat Badgers 28-14
It took a few explosive offensive moments, and a concerted effort on defence, but the Marauders came away with a convincing result on Wednesday as they opened their OUA season with a 28-14 win over Brock.
Richard Ormrod had a pair of tries for the home side, while Matt Nicol added one of his own and Jamie Leveridge ended the afternoon with 13 points on three penalty goals and two successful converts. Brock had tries from Dylan Mundy and Ryan Hickey in a losing effort.
Early momentum went the way of the Marauders, as Leveridge tallied his first points of the afternoon just a few short minutes from the opening whistle, knocking one of his three penalties through the uprights to give Mac a 3-0 lead.
But Brock hit back almost instantly, moving quickly from the ruck deep in McMaster's end to punch across the end line and convert for a 7-3 advantage. The try seemed to invigorate the Badgers, who spent an extended spell inside the Marauders half of the pitch.
McMaster's defence held strong, however, and it was the hosts who would score next when Leveridge notched his second penalty to cut the deficit to a single point in the 24th minute of play. With play drawing to an end in the opening half, the Marauders struck for their first try, as Ormrod latched onto a run on the left wing and received the final phase, gaining the corner on his defender and touching down. Leveridge made good on the convert to give McMaster the lead once again at 13-7.
After Leveridge added a third penalty to his tally early in the second half, the Marauders found inroads once again down the left wing, and Ormrod benefitted with his second try of the day. It went unconverted, and the Marauders lead ballooned to 21-7.
As the half wore down and the clock became an enemy of the Badgers, the Marauders struck yet again through Nicol, who ran free to touch down under the posts and craft an easy convert for Leveridge. When McMaster's chosen kicker made good, the hosts led 28-7.
Brock salvaged a late try to make things interesting in the dying moments, but it was too little, too late, and McMaster came away with the impressive opening victory.
The Marauders have little time to savour their first win, as they travel to Toronto on Saturday, September 12 to battle the Varsity Blues.
Source: McMaster Marauders
