The Guelph Gryphons men's soccer team defeated the visiting Western Mustangs 1-0 today (September 30) at the Gryphons Soccer Complex.
The game thrusts the Gryphons to a 4-4-1 standing while dropping the Mustangs to 3-4-3.
Great defensive stability heading into the game kept numerous Mustang attacks at bay throughout the first half of the game to keep Guelph in pace with Western's strong offensive play. An additional five saves by
Chad Paparoni (Burlington, Ont.) in the first half alone alleviated defensive pressure on the Gryphons, giving the offense time to recoup.
While possession remained largely up for grabs in the first half with neither teams taking a chink out of the other's armour; the Gryphon offense slowly began to find its rhythm. With the help of
Michael Bijman, (Brantford, Ont.) the Gryphons tallied their fourth shot in just under 15 minutes to gain necessary momentum going into halftime.
With two early bookings in the second, it was clear that the emotional stage would only intensify as the battle for possession continued. While the offsides stacked up on both sides, and the fouls becoming all too common, a strong strike off the Mustang post in the 54
th minute rattled the Mustang cage. Further insult to injury was added as
Colin Aubrey (Ottawa, Ont.) carefully rallied the rebound to dish it off to
Spiros Maimonis (Oakville, Ont.) who hammered home the Gryphons' first goal of the game.
Combined efforts by
Paul Manchisi(Oakville, Ont.),
Marc Bijman (Brantford, Ont,), Michael Bijman and
Justin Springer (Burlington, Ont.), allowed Chad Paparoni to easily stop the three Mustang strikes on net to secure his third shutout of the 2012 sesason.
The Gryphons look to replicate their success as they take on the UOIT Ridgebacks in Oshawa on Wednesday (October, 3). The game is set to start at 6:00 pm.
