Gaels win fourth consecutive OUA Championship with 24-23 win at Guelph

Guelph, Ont. (November 15, 2015) – The Queen's Gaels men's rugby team won their fourth consecutive OUA Championship. Queen's held on to defeat the Gryphons 24-23 in a gripping, intense match, the second consecutive OUA Final that Guelph has lost to the rivals from Kingston.
 
After the Gaels were penalized for a straight arm in the opening minutes, the Gryphons got things started with an incredible kick from just inside the halfway line of the pitch for a 3-0 Guelph lead.
 
Queen's began to picked things up offensively. Third-year winger Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga, Ont.) got the Gaels on the scoreboard with a try (his first of two in the match) and the subsequent conversion made it 7-3 for the visitors. But Guelph responded immediately when the Gaels muffed a lineout and turned the ball over. Guelph's Benjamin Wust, only moments after going to the ground clutching his shoulder in pain, courageously ran in the Gryphons' first try.  Stein's convert made it 10-7.
 
Guelph added to their lead when Adam Maahs ran in another but a missed conversion meant the hosts went into the half up 15-7. The Gryphons were given a yellow card as the half ended and Queen's took full advantage with Guelph down a man.
  
With both sides desperate, there was a flurry of scoring early in the second half. After Lloyd earned his second try, Guelph fullback Jonathan West scored three points on a beautiful drop goal. OUA MVP Lucas Rumball (Toronto) then added another try for the Gaels with Alex Colborne (London, Ont.) made the convert to give Queen's a 24-18 lead entering the late stages of the game.  The Gryphons DiNardo's had a great run for a try late to bring the game within a single point. The Gryphons missed the convert which kept the Gaels in the lead which ultimately held up as the difference in the game.

With the win, the Gaels now have hoisted the Turner Trophy a remarkable 22 times, the most by any team in OUA history.