World university women’s hockey gold for Gryphon

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – At least one member of the Guelph Gryphons varsity women’s hockey team will return from the 2023 world university winter games with a gold medal following Saturday night’s championship match.

Canada is to play Japan in the gold-medal game of the tournament. Hannah Tait of the Gryphons plays for Canada while Guelph teammate Chihiro Suzuki plays for Japan.

Gryphon associate coach Katie Mora, a Guelph native, is the team leader and an assistant coach for Canada.

Tait has a goal and three assists in the tournament while Suzuki has two goals and an assist.

Canada downed Slovakia 6-1 in Friday’s semifinals to gain a berth in the final while Japan blanked the Czech Republic 3-0.

Canada defeated Japan 6-0 in the preliminary round.

Leah Herrfort of Palmerston, who plays for the Waterloo Warriors, is also a member of the Canadian squad.

The gold-medal game is set for Saturday at 8:35 p.m.

Guelph native Austen Keating is a member of the Canadian men’s hockey team that is to play Kazakhstan in Saturday’s semifinals. Game time is 1:05 p.m.

• Guelph Sports Journal