Gryphon rugby men slip into national semifinals

VANCOUVER – The Guelph Gryphons will play for a medal at the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship despite limiting their scoring to the second half as they came back to defeat the Memorial Sea-Hawks 28-22 in their quarter-final match Wednesday.

The second-ranked Gryphs trailed 14-0 at halftime, but came back to grab a 21-14 lead with 10 minutes to play before the seventh-ranked Memorial shot ahead again with seconds to play, this time by a point.

However, the Sea-Hawks couldn’t kick the ball into touch to end the game and the Gryphs won the match on a try by Brenden Black, who scored on a run up the left side, and Kobe Faust added the convert.

Guerschom Mukendi, Faust and Charles Trollip scored consecutive tries in the second half. Faust converted all three.

Lucas Shortall had a try, penalty convert and two converts for Memorial. Mudiwa Makanza and Simbarashe Mandoza had the other tries for the Sea-Hawks.

In the other semifinals, the fifth-ranked McGill Redbirds edged the fourth-ranked Laurier Golden Hawks 23-22, Trinity Western slipped by the top-ranked Victoria Vikes 23-22 and the third-ranked UBC Thunderbirds dumped the sixth-ranked Calgary Thunderbirds 53-0.

McGill came back for the win over Laurier after trailing by eight points with six minutes to go in the first half.

Wyatt Brown had two tries for the Golden Hawks while Nicholas Harrington had one. Adam McNee kicked a penalty convert and two converts.

Play is to resume Friday.

Laurier is to play Victoria in a consolation final at 2 p.m. while Memorial and Calgary are to battle in the other one at 5 p.m.

The Gryphs are to tangle with UBC at 8 p.m. and Trinity Western and McGill are to clash at 10:30 p.m.

• Guelph Sports Journal