LIONS FALL TO NO. 2 GRYPHONS IN SEASON FINALE

The York University Lions women's rugby team finished up its season at home Friday evening (Oct. 7) with a 106-0 loss to the No. 2 nationally-ranked Guelph Gryphons.

The Lions (0-5) were unable to generate any offence against a punishing Gryphons (5-0) squad that outscored opponents 453-8 this season and is looking to defend as OUA champions for a fourth consecutive year.

Mackenzie Higgs (Aurora, Ont.) led all scorers with 26 points on three tries, four conversions and one penalty kick.

Higgs was first on the board for the Gryphons, earning a try on her squad's opening drive. She would add another try before the end of the half and another in the second half.   

Higgs made up just one-third of a powerful offensive trident on the night that included teammates Britt Benn (Napanee, Ont.) and Jacey Murphy (Alliston, Ont.), who each matched Higgs's three tries and earned 15 points apiece.

Murphy had the prettiest try of the game, which came late in the first half. After receiving a pass and creating some separation, Murphy found a gap in the Lions defence and blasted through it, dispatching a lone Lions defender with a defiant stiff arm en route to her second try of the match.

Besides the trio of Higgs, Murphy and Benn, three other Gryphons put up double digits on the scoresheet. Shannon Spurrell (Haley Station, Ont.) put up 14 points on two tries and two conversions, while Caitlin McNally (Guelph, Ont.) and Morganne Linthwaite (Guelph, Ont.) both added 10 points on two tries apiece.

Rounding out the scoring for the Gryphons were Stephanie Tibelius (Ottawa) with six points on three conversions, and Melanie Michener (Hawkestone, Ont.) and Brianna Newman (Belleville, Ont.), who each scored five points on single tries.

With the loss, the Lions will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 season, while the Gryphons are off to the OUA playoffs to defend their OUA championship title.  

By Cody Powell, sport writing assistant