The Guelph Gryphons have added another women’s hockey championship banner to their rafters.
The University of Guelph beat the University of Toronto on Saturday afternoon to win the OUA McCaw Cup championship on home ice.
The victory marks a poetic ending to a comeback season for the Gryphons.
“We had a hard time getting off our feet at the beginning,” said co-captain Kaitlin Lowry. “A lot of learning for us to do.”
This was Lowry’s fourth OUA finals appearance in the past five years.
“It’s what we play for,” she said.
The Gryphons managed to win back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016, but exited the playoffs early last year.
“It’s your ultimate goal every year,” said head coach Rachel Flanagan. “Winning never gets old.”
Flanagan adds that how the girls carry their winning attitude off the ice is more important than the actual game.
“The leadership that this group in particular has brought is something I’ve never experienced,” she said. “They do a lot with their volunteer hours and their time away from the rink, so they’re a pretty special group.”
The first period finished in a 1-1 tie. The Gryphons trailed 2-1 at the end of second, but came back to win it all in the third with a final score of 4-2.
This year marks Lowry’s final season at Guelph.
“It’s been such an honour to play with them,” she said. “I’m really excited to leave my mark here in a good way and cap off this career right.”
She and eight other veteran teammates will soon be graduating and leaving their legacy in the hands of rookies like Lauren Ianni.
“The captains and vets have done a very good job on leaving what they want to leave behind,” she said. “So I think we'll do a good job going forward.”
This is not the final stop for the Gryphons. They’ll be heading to PEI on Monday for a run at the USports national championship.
