Rookie Erin Houle scored all three goals as the fourth-seeded Guelph Gryphons captured the bronze medal at the FHC-CIS women’s field hockey championship with a 3-0 win over the top-seeded Toronto Varsity Blues, Sunday morning, at the University of Calgary’s Hawkings Field.
Houle found the back of the net in the first two minutes of both halves, adding her third with eight minutes to go as the Gryphons earned their revenge on the Varsity Blues for both last week’s OUA championship game – a lopsided 6-0 Toronto victory – as well as a 2-1 Blues victory in the round robin portion of the CIS tournament.
“The game plan was to come out hard, and once we were up we just pulled people back and played a ‘half-court’ game, and it was extremely successful,” said a jubilant Guelph head coach Michelle Turley, whose team claimed CIS bronze for the second straight year. “The second half we did the same thing, then settled back again. The game plan worked and was extremely well-executed by our team.
“It was sweet revenge,” Turley went on. “We played really well when they beat us 2-1 the other night, and we deserved to win today.”
Houle, a first-year midfielder from Burlington, Ont., was held off the scoresheet throughout the tournament – until moments after the opening whistle in her final game. The first goal was set up nicely by Candace Hawksworth, who raced down the left wing, around a Toronto defender, and rifled the ball toward the front of the net. The freshman was able to get her stick on it and deflect it just out of the reach of Toronto netminder Kathryn Williams.
Houle was at it again in the early stages of the second half, scoring in the 37th minute to give Guelph a 2-0 lead. The Blues had no answer for the stifling defensive play of the Gryphons and were limited to just a few penalty corner opportunities – and none of those generated any dangerous chances.
With the Gryphons awarded a corner in the final 10 minutes, Houle whipped a shot from high in the circle that bounced past Williams to give her the hat trick.
“Erin saved the best for last,” said Turley. “It was phenomenal for her, and she told me she saved everything for the very end!”
The result wraps up a disappointing tournament for the Varsity Blues, who entered as the No. 1 seed and defending CIS champions. After losing just once and giving up only four goals in 14 OUA conference and playoff games, Toronto was held to a 2-3 record with nine goals against at the FHC-CIS championship tourney.
Playing her final game for the Varsity Blues, fifth-year midfielder Hanna Tighe was named player of the game for Toronto.
The 2011 FHC-CIS championship wraps up Sunday afternoon as the host Calgary Dinos (3-1) take on the Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds (4-0) for the McCrae Cup, with that match slated for 1 p.m. MT at Hawkings Field.
GAME NOTES: Guelph now has three medals in seven all-time appearances at the FHC-CIS championship including silver in 2007 and bronze in 2010 and 2011…
SCORING SUMMARY
GUE 1-2:3
TOR 0-0:0
First half
GUE: Erin Houle (1), 2nd
Second half
GUE: Erin Houle (2), 37th
GUE: Erin Houle (3), 62nd
Goaltenders
GUE: Kaye McLagan (W, 70:00, 0 GA, 2-3)
TOR: Kathryn Williams (L, 70:00, 3 GA, 2-3)
Players of the Game
GUE: Erin Houle
TOR: Hannah Tighe
