Gravenhurst - The Gravenhurst Gryphons girls soccer team knows they can kick it with the top of their league.
Although they came out of their last game May 24 with a loss to Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School, the team is fiercely eager to get the Georgian Bay Secondary Schools Association playoffs underway.
GHS girls soccer coach David Gilbert and his charges knew they were in tough May 24 against the top-seeded Bracebridge squad. The Gryphons, as the fourth seed in their league, came out in that game inspired defensively and offensively, controlling both sides of the field in the early goings.
“The girls came out incredibly strong in the first half and we took an early 1-0 lead,” Gilbert explained.
He said the Gryphons did an excellent job of ball control, but near the late stages of the first half, Bracebridge responded and broke through their defences for a one-one tie headed into the halftime break.
Gilbert said his crew responded perfectly to the tie game, picking up the pace as the second half started.
“This, by the way, was awesome,” he said of how they responded. “The girls were incredibly pumped up and really played strong.”
But Bracebridge would not falter either. Gilbert said the Lakers team came out hungry to hold onto their top spot and broke the one-all tie early in the second off a corner kick.
Bracebridge went up 3-1 “off a beautiful header,” shortly after.
“It really was impressive,” he added of his opposition’s play.
Bracebridge potted one more to seal the game 4-1 in the final minutes of the second half.
“But our spirits were high and the girls are looking forward to the GBSSA championships,” Gilbert added.
The Georgian Bay Secondary Schools Association championships will be held at St. Dominic Catholic Secondary School in Bracebridge this Thursday, May 31 in an all-day tournament.