The 2024 MilkUP Ontario Cup Final, taking place on Saturday, September 7th, welcomed two of Guelph Soccer’s Junior Gryphons teams. The Boys U14 Red and the Girls U15 Red fought fiercely to reach this point, and they truly gave it their all on the field.

The Boys U14 played first against the York Jets Atletico at 10:00am at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan, ON. The match started strong as forward Jacob Schubotz wasted no time finding the back of the net in just the second minute. Schubotz went one-on-one with the York Jets keeper, finishing cleanly after a precise assist from Nathan Balogun. The early goal set the tone for a fast-paced game. Just three minutes later, York Jets capitalized, making it 1-1 until the half.

Unfortunately, Guelph battled hard but went down 5-1. With little time left, Sam Poloni scored but it was too late to mount a full comeback.

With a final score of 5-2, our Boys U14 Red Jr. Gryphons finished as runner ups in the 2024 MilkUP Ontario Cup BU14 final.

The U15 Girls played right after the U14 Boys at 12:30pm against Barrie Spirit at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan, ON.

The first half saw Guelph take control early, with Rylie Anselmini breaking the deadlock in the 19th minute. Anselmini showcased her skill, weaving through multiple Barrie defenders before unleashing a precise shot into the high corner of the net, putting Guelph ahead 1-0.

Just three minutes later, Guelph doubled their lead when Rachael Van Milligen fired a free kick from distance into the opposite top corner, leaving the Barrie defense stunned and giving Guelph a commanding 2-0 advantage.

Barrie had chances to respond late in the first half, but goalkeeper Julia Delaney was in fine form, committing impressive saves to preserve Guelph’s lead heading into halftime.

In the second half, Barrie came out strong and broke through Guelph’s defense. The momentum shifted further, leading Barrie to level the score at 2-2. With the score tied after regulation, the match headed to penalties. Both teams made four successful penalties, while one was saved by Julia Delaney, pushing the shootout into sudden death.

The pressure mounted as both goalkeepers came up with clutch saves on the first attempts in sudden death. Then, Julia Delaney proved to be the hero for Guelph, making another critical save to give her team the advantage. Laila So stepped up next and slotted home the decisive penalty, securing a hard-fought victory for the Guelph Jr. Gryphons, the 2024 MilkUP Ontario Cup GU15 Champions. They will be advancing to the Toyota National Championship in October.

Special shoutouts go to Jacob Schubotz and Sophia Shum who were awarded players of the match.