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Guelph Gryphons Soar to Victory Over LS Croatia in U16 Girls Final

By Staff, 01/26/25, 4:15PM EST

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Guelph Jr. Gryphons Red defeat LS Croatia 4-2 to win the U16 Girls 2025 Ontario Indoor Cup.

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The U16 Girls Final at the 2025 Ontario Indoor Cup delivered a thrilling contest on Sunday afternoon at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan. The Guelph Gryphons overcame an early deficit to defeat LS Croatia 4-2, led by a standout performance from Rylie Anselmini, who completed a hat trick in the final moments of the match.

LS Croatia struck first, with Lauren Berenz finding the back of the net just two minutes into the game. Guelph responded with their first attempt in the 7th minute, but goalkeeper Jada Mayer-Lashley confidently saved the shot. LS Croatia’s Amina Reabel threatened to extend the lead in the 10th minute, only to be denied by Guelph keeper Julia Delaney.

Guelph’s attack began to gain momentum, with Gemma Schmalenberg attempting a long-range shot in the 13th minute that flew too high, followed by a second effort in the 16th that was saved by Mayer-Lashley. The breakthrough for Guelph came in the 18th minute, when Addison Pellizzari delivered a perfectly placed cross to Anselmini, who fired it home from the top of the box to even the score. Juliette Mann nearly put Guelph ahead four minutes later, but her shot hit the post.

Guelph carried their momentum into the second half, scoring just moments after the restart. Ella Rea sent a well-timed through ball to Rachael Van Milligen, whose shot was saved by Mayer-Lashley, but Schmalenberg capitalized on the rebound to give the Gryphons the lead.

LS Croatia fought back and nearly equalized in the 29th minute with a strong effort from Natalie Chea and Reabel, but Delaney came up with a clutch save. Minutes later, Veronica LaForge broke through Guelph’s defense, scoring to level the match at 2-2.

The Gryphons quickly regained control, with Anselmini producing a brilliant solo effort to restore the lead. In the dying seconds of the match, Anselmini completed her hat trick, sealing the victory and the championship for Guelph.

Click here to watch the livestream and re-live the action.

Highlights of the Match

The full match is available for viewing on the Ontario Soccer YouTube channel.

Championship Photo

For the full photo album, visit the Ontario Soccer Facebook page.