The U11 AAA Guelph Gryphons fought until
the very end this past weekend but couldn’t overcome a 2-0 deficit in the OMHA championship semi-finals, losing 3-0 (after an empty-netter) to the eventual champion and their OMHA-West counterpart Southern Tier Admirals. The Gryphons finished OMHAs with a 2-2 record over three days at the INVISTA Centre in Kingston.
In game 1 on Friday morning, the U11 squad trailed the Hamilton Steel 2-0 with 2:30 remaining in the game. They mounted a comeback for the ages scoring 3 times in the final 146 seconds to win 3-2 in regulation time. In game 2 that afternoon, the Gryphons faced the defending champion Quinte Red Devils and weren’t able to hold onto a 3-2 third period lead, eventually falling short with a 5-3 loss. On Saturday afternoon, in game 3, the team faced the Central Ontario Wolves needing a win in regulation to advance. They battled hard and showed tremendous resiliency to earn a 4-2 victory and a spot in the final 4.
The Gryphons 2 losses at the championship tournament were to the defending champion and this year’s runner-up Quinte and to the champs from Southern Tier. The Admirals defeated the Red Devils 3-2 in the Sunday afternoon final to claim the prestigious red hats.
The U11 AAA team has a lot to be proud of and success to build on heading into the U12 season. Their hard work and dedication was inspirational to those that followed them closely. They would like to thank the coaching staff and their parents for their unwavering support throughout the year.