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Weekend wrap: Third consecutive overtime win for Lions in last game before winter break

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York U Lions

The York University women’s hockey team pulled out another overtime victory on Friday as they beat the University of Western Mustangs 3-2 at Canlan Ice Sports. Erin Locke again played the role of hero for the Lions, as she scored the overtime winner in the second consecutive game.

The Lions’ first good scoring chance of the game came off the stick of forward Brooke Anderson four minutes into the game, as she took a pass in the slot but lost the handle on the puck as it dribbled harmlessly toward Mustangs goalie Carmen Lasis. The teams settled into a defensive battle through the first half of the period, with Lions goaltender Eva Hall making a nice blocker save on a backhand by Western forward April Clark at the six-minute mark. More details on the York Lions website.

York brings home 16 medals at annual X-mas Meet

The York University Lions track and field had a successful home meet over the weekend, as the team brought home a total of 16 medals at their annual X-mas Meet. Hosted at the Toronto Track & Field Centre on York’s Keele Campus, the X-mas Meet yielded an even eight medals for both the York men’s and women’s teams.

The women’s team earned an impressive four gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals. Bringing home the gold for the Lions were thrower Brittany Crew in the weight throw (17.60m), Caroline Ritchie in the pole vault (3.45m), and Christy Ihunaegbo in the 300m (39.34) and the 4x200m relay team, which featured Ihunaegbo, Asia Hogan Rochester, Adjaratu Traore and Nicolette Witherspoon (1:44.45). More details.

Lions earn big road win against Marauders

The York University men’s basketball team defeated the McMaster University Marauders 91-81 on Friday evening in Hamilton, Ont.

Despite a comeback attempt by the Marauders in the third quarter, the Lions led the Marauders throughout all four quarters. The Marauders and the Lions were evenly matched holding similar records on the season. The Lions entered the game with a 3-5 record, while the Marauders had a 4-5 record. Despite the Marauders now having one more loss than the Lions, they sit in fourth place in the OUA West division, while the Lions sit in sixth place in the OUA East division. More details.

The following night, the Lions lost by two points to the Brock University Badgers by a score of 96-94 on Saturday evening at Bob Davis Gym.

Despite a coming back from a slow start in the second quarter, and leading the game late, the Lions faced a disappointing loss after a buzzer beater jump shot by the Badgers in the final quarter won the game.

The Lions added the first points to start the game with a jump shot by Chevon Brown. The Badgers had the biggest lead on the Lions in the last minute of play of the first quarter by a score of 21-12. Gianmarco Luciani made a jump shot and a free throw and the Lions trailed 21-15 by the end of the quarter. More details.

Lions lost high-scoring game 6-5 to Warriors in overtime

The York University Lions men’s hockey team lost a high-scoring game to the Waterloo Warriors on Friday night in Waterloo, Ont., by a score of 6-5 in overtime. With the loss, the Lions have dropped their last three games after a red-hot stretch saw them win seven of eight games.

It was all Warriors in the first period as they outshot the Lions 17-5 in the frame. Lions goaltender Mack Shields kept his team in the game, turning away 16 shots in the period, but Waterloo gained a 1-0 lead at the 13:30 mark when Markson Bechtold found the back of the net on the powerplay. More details.

On Saturday afternoon, the Lions were defeated by the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks 5-0 at Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.

The Lions won their previous matchup against the Golden Hawks on Nov. 17 at home by a score of 4-3. However, the Golden Hawks had the advantage of the home crowd in this afternoon’s game and outshot the Lions with 47 shots on goal compared to the Lions who had 17. The game was also highly physical, as there was a total of 28 different infractions.

The Golden Hawks were all over the Lions in the first period, putting up 18 shots on goal, while the Lions had three shots on goal. Despite the Golden Hawks outshooting the Lions, neither team was able to find the back of the net. Alex Fotinos stopped all 18 shots from the Golden Hawks and kept the score at 0-0 by the end of the first period. More details.

Lions lose close game by two points to Badgers

The York University women’s basketball team lost a close game against the Brock University Badgers 75-73 on Saturday evening at Bob Davis Gym.

The Lions competed in their final game until the New Year, and it was one jump shot and a free throw that allowed the Badgers to top the Lions by two points in the fourth quarter. The Lions managed to come back from an 11-point deficit in the first quarter and lead the Badgers throughout the third and fourth quarters.

The Lions were the first to add points to the score sheet with a jump shot by Emma Jonas to begin the game. However, it was the Badgers who dominated the rest of the first quarter, adding 24 points to lead the Lions 24-13 by the end of the quarter. More details. 

The day before, the Lions were defeated by the McMaster University Marauders 84-62 on Friday evening in Hamilton, Ont.

The Marauders were a tough opponent for the Lions, as they are sitting in first place in the OUA West division with an 8-2 record this season. With the loss, the Lions now have a 5-4 record and sit in the middle of the pack in the OUA East division after their second last game before the winter break.

The Marauders kept a strong lead on the Lions throughout all four quarters to earn themselves their eighth win. In the first quarter, after five consecutive points by the Marauders, the Lions earned their first points with a three-pointer by Megan Macleod. Despite the Lions keeping it close throughout the first half of the quarter, the Marauders added 23 points to lead the Lions 23-14. More details.

Weekend wrap: Lions win triple-overtime game against the Thunderwolves

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York U Lions

The York University Lions men’s basketball team beat the Lakehead University Thunderwolves on Saturday, Nov. 23 in Thunder Bay, Ont., in a massive 112-104 win following an exhilarating triple overtime.

York’s Gianmarco Luciani led the Lions in points, with a total of 26 throughout the away game.

The first period saw the Thunderwolves leading with 18 points and the Lions were two points behind at 16. Luciani was the first to score with a three-point bucket less than a minute into the quarter. York’s DeAndre Pierre then followed with a two-point shot, giving the Lions an early 5-0 lead over their opponents. The Thunderwolves’ Davarius Wright then secured a three-point shot, putting Lakehead on the board. More details on the York Lions website.

Locke scores OT winner in first game of season against Voyageurs

The York University women’s hockey topped the Laurentian University Voyageurs 1-0 with an overtime goal on Saturday evening in Sudbury, Ont., their second overtime win of the weekend.

The Lions had a quick turnaround from the previous evening’s 6-5 overtime win against the Nipissing Lakers. Despite the high-scoring game against the Lakers, after three periods, neither the Lions nor the Voyageurs were able to get a shot past the goaltenders.

The Lions outshot the Voyageurs in the first period with 15 shots on goal compared to the Voyageurs’ nine. The Voyageurs had 17 more shots in the last two periods, while the Lions only had 12, but neither teams were able to find the back of the net. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions also beat the Nipissing University Lakers in overtime in North Bay, Ont., smashing a three-game losing streak.

The first period of the game saw both teams making an appearance on the scoreboard. However, the Lakers were the first to complete a successful shot on goal at 5:27, which was fired by forward Kaley Tienhaara with assists from teammates Zosia Davis and Jetta Derenoski.

The Lions answered 59 seconds later when forward Avery Reeves found the back of the net, assisted by Natalie Dean and Kara Washer. The two teams went into the second period tied 1-1. More details.

Lions win nail-biter against Varsity Blues

The York University Lions men’s volleyball team beat the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Sunday, Nov. 25 in a spectacularly close 3-2 win for the home team in a game that extended to five sets.

York’s Andrew Tauhid led in points between both teams, scoring a game total of 25.5 points, 25 of them being kills, while outside hitter Andrew Shotbolt also had a phenomenal game, contributing 21.5 points and 20 kills.

The Lions beat the Blues in the first set, which went over 25 points as the home team battled for the 27-25 win. York’s ability to keep a ball in the game contributed to their first set win, especially as they attempted to secure their last few points and Tauhid raced down the court as the ball was escaping the Lions and he brought it back into the game to secure another point for the Lions. More details.

On Friday evening, the Lions played in front of a packed house and, despite a hard-fought battle, were defeated by the Ryerson University Rams 3-2 at the Tait Mackenzie Centre.

After three consecutive points in the first set, it was Toure Nwakwesi who earned the first point for the Lions. The game was tied early on, 6-6, but the Lions led the Rams 16-11 by the midway break. The Lions stayed strong and held onto their lead to win the set 25-19. More details.

Lions defeated 3-0 by first-place Rams

The York University women’s volleyball team were defeated by the Ryerson University Rams 3-0 on Friday evening at the Tait Mackenzie Centre.

The Rams, who went undefeated in the 2017-18 season, and won the U SPORTS women’s volleyball championships, sit in first place in the OUA East division with a 6-1 record. With the loss, the Lions are still tied in second place with the Toronto Varsity Blues sharing a 5-2 record.

It was the Rams who dominated the first set, racking up a total of 15 consecutive points at the start of the game before the Lions were able to earn one for themselves. After the Lions earned a point from a Ryerson serve that went out of bounds, it was the Rams who earned one last point to lead the Lions 16-1 midway through the set. The Lions were able to add four more points before the end of the set, but the Rams topped the Lions 25-5. More details.

Two days later, the Lions lost their final game before the holiday break to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Sunday, Nov. 25 at the Tait McKenzie Centre with a 3-0 win for the Blues.

The University of Toronto took the first set in a close 25-23 win. York was able to secure four points in a row following the Blues’ first point of the game, which gave the Lions an early 4-1 lead. More details.

Lions five-game win streak halted with loss to Thunderwolves

The York University Lions women’s basketball team lost to the Lakehead University Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay, Ont., on Saturday, Nov. 24, which put a halt to their historic five-game winning streak.

The scoreboard in the first half of the game was almost identical for both teams. In the first quarter of the game, the Lions ended with 22 points and the Thunderwolves ended with 23.

The Lions’ Lauren Golding opened up the game with a three-point jump shot. The scoring went back and forth between both teams and neither led to far ahead from the other. The Thunderwolves scored two layups, which were followed by a layup from York’s Katrina Collins-Samuels and a three-point shot from Emma Jonas. More details.

Lions fall 3-1 at home to Varsity Blues

The York University men’s hockey team played against their city rivals, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, on Saturday evening and were defeated 3-1 at Canlan Ice Sports.

Both teams had chances in the first period, with the first huge chance coming from the Varsity Blues after a shot squeezed past Alex Fotinos, but hit the post and remained out of the Lions’ net. Ben Verrall had the first big chance for the Lions, taking a shot that went off the post. A few minutes later, Dexter Bricker received a long pass just behind the Varsity Blues’ defencemen; however, it was stopped by the goaltender. After multiple chances by both teams, Toronto’s Matt Campagna slipped one passed Fotinos to lead the Lions 1-0 just four minutes before the end of the period. More details.

On Thursday, the Lions lost 5-2 to the University of Guelph Gryphons in Guelph, Ont., ending the Lions’ season-high four-game winning streak.

The Gryphons previously fell short to the Lions back on Oct. 13, 2018, as the Lions beat their opponents in a 4-3 win at their home arena. The first period of the game saw 11 shots on goal for the Lions and 12 shots on goal for the Gryphons, one of which was fired by Matt Kenney, entering the Lions’ net and giving the Gryphons their first lead of the game. More details.

York Lions men’s hockey hosts Dahlgren’s Diabeauties and Diabetes Awareness Night, Nov. 24

Dahlgren's Diabeauties
Dahlgren’s Diabeauties

The York University Lions men’s hockey game on Saturday, Nov. 24 against the Toronto Varsity Blues will double as Dahlgren’s Diabeauties and Diabetes Awareness Night.

Founded by Lions forward Kaleb Dahlgren, Dahlgren’s Diabeauties is an advocacy program aimed at supporting children within the community and surrounding areas who live with Type 1 diabetes. Dahlgren’s goal is to make sure children with diabetes are aware that they can pursue their dreams, and not let diabetes get in their way.

Dahlgren’s Diabeauties night will feature a meet-and-greet with Dahlgren before the game at 6 p.m. and an on-ice presentation with a ceremonial faceoff.

Dahlgren's Diabeauties
Lions forward Kaleb Dahlgren and some of the Dahlgren’s Diabeauties

“I am looking forward to helping to bring awareness to all types of diabetes and shining a light on the positives that come with diabetes, even though it may be hard to see,” said Dahlgren. “This is a great opportunity to meet new people and discuss the way I treat my diabetes from an athlete’s perspective as well.

“I hope to make a positive impact in many people’s lives, and change their perspectives about managing diabetes and not letting it manage you. Make sure to wear red in honour of diabetes and to help cheer on the York Lions.”

Dahlgren’s Diabeauties will recognize a child with Type 1 diabetes at Lions home games during the season. The “Diabeauty” will receive complimentary tickets to a game, participate in a ceremonial puck drop, take pictures with Dahlgren on the ice and meet him after the game.

“I’m also very excited to have another Diabeauty and honour them for the first time ever in Toronto,” he said.

Dahlgren signed to come to York in May of this year, after playing with the Humboldt Broncos last season. He was involved in the tragic bus crash on April 6 that killed 16 people and left 13 people with injuries. He has not suited up in game action for the Lions yet, but has been working hard to overcome a number of serious injuries he sustained in the crash.

The forward had a career year with the Broncos last season. He was selected as an assistant captain by his teammates and went on to play in 48 games and finish sixth in team scoring with 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists). Prior to joining Humboldt, he spent two full seasons with the Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and served as an assistant captain for one of those seasons. Prior to that, he was with the Battleford Stars in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, where he also served as an assistant captain for one year.

As part of the Diabeauties Night, anyone who donates online or at the game on Nov. 24 will be eligible for a 10-per-cent discount off of their meal at Wild Wing in Canlan Ice Sports. Proof of donations (email or screenshot) can be shown at the Lions ticketing table at the main doors to Rink 1 between 6 and 8 p.m. to receive the discount coupon to Wild Wing.

To find out more information about the event and to apply to become a Diabeauty, visit yorkulions.ca/Diabeauties.

To donate to the Dahlgren’s Diabeauties program, visit the Dahlgren’s Diabeauties donation page online.

Weekend wrap: Five straight wins for Lions with victory over Golden Hawks

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York U Lions

The York University Lions women’s basketball team beat the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks 82-60 at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Saturday, Nov. 17 for their fifth win in a row.

The Lions took the first quarter of the game finishing with a 22-17. Hailey Bowie, York’s point guard, was able to score several successful three-point shots for the Lions, which contributed to the Lions early lead in the first quarter.

In the second quarter of the game, the Golden Hawks were able to make a slight comeback. They scored 14 points in the quarter, which temporarily gave them a lead over the Lions who scored 10 points in the second quarter. More details on the York Lions website.

A day earlier, Lions dominated the University of Waterloo Warriors in all four quarters and picked up a 68-45 victory on Friday evening at Tait Mackenzie Centre.

The Lions started off the first quarter strong and picked up a big 20-6 lead against the Warriors. The home team built on the momentum of Emma Jonas’ three-pointer that gave the Lions their first three points and continued to add 17 more points before the buzzer. More details.

Lions win fourth straight in victory over Golden Hawks

The York University men’s hockey team won their fourth straight game with a 4-3 victory over the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks on Saturday evening at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Lions had multiple goal-scoring chances in the first period with shots by Reid Jackman and Ben Verrall to test the Laurier goaltender. It wasn’t until the Lions went on the only power play of the period that they were able to capitalize and take a 1-0 lead on the Golden Hawks. At 8:41, in front of a crowded net, Bradley Forrest found Scott Feser who shot the puck perfectly into the bottom right corner. The Golden Hawks had a couple chances, however, Alex Fotinos who started in net for the Lions, remained solid. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions men’s hockey team beat the University of Windsor Lancers at Canlan Ice Sports by a final score of 4-1.

The Lions got off to a fast-scoring start as Lions’ defenseman Jack Goranson scored the first goal of the game just over two minutes after the puck drop with an assist by Josh Harris and Alex Mowbray. The Lions and the Lancers battled it out during the remainder of the period, with both teams having their chances to score with 11 shots on goal by the Lancers and 10 shots on goal by the Lions in the period before the Lions were able to sneak a goal in before the end of the period. More details.

Lions open season strong in Guelph

Members of the York University Lions track and field team got their season underway this past weekend, coming away with ten top-10 performances, as they made the trip down to the University of Guelph to compete at the Zolten Tenke meet.

Third-year captain Quinn Charles led the way for the men on the track, as he not only sprinted to a second-place finish in the 60m, but eclipsed his lifetime best of 7.04, running a solid 7.01 seconds to kick the season off. Also placing top 10 in the men’s 60m was third-year sprinter Brandon Shokour with a ninth-place finish, in a time of 7.24 seconds. More details.

Lions pick up 3-0 win over Paladins

The York University men’s volleyball team defeated the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins 3-0 to earn their second win this season on Sunday afternoon at SAM gymnasium in Kingston, Ont.

After a tough 3-1 loss yesterday afternoon against the Queen’s University Gaels, the Lions, who sit in the middle of the pack in the OUA East division, took on the Paladins who are in last place with a 0-8 record on the season. The Lions topped the RMC Paladins through three sets to win the match. More details.

On Saturday afternoon, the Lions team were defeated 3-1 by the Gaels despite tying the game 1-1 in the second set on Saturday afternoon at Athletics and Recreation Centre in Kingston, Ont.

The Lions who sit in fifth place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East Division, played the Gaels who are leading the pack in first place and despite the loss, put up a good game taking the Gaels to four sets. The Gaels earned an early 1-0 lead on the Lions after taking the first set winning by a score of 25-20. More details.

Lions bounce back from first loss of season with victory over Paladins

The York University women’s volleyball team defeated the Royal Military College Paladins 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at SAM Gymnasium in Kingston, Ont. The Lions bounced back from a loss in yesterday afternoon’s match against the Queen’s Gaels to earn their fifth win this season. The Lions are now tied in first place in the OUA East division with the Ryerson Rams with a 5-1 record on the season.

Despite the Paladins not winning a game yet this season, they managed to bring the Lions to four sets after topping York in the second set. The Lions won the first set by a score of 25-18 with 16 kills and 46 total attacks. Although the Lions almost doubled the Paladins in kills with 21 compared to 12, the Paladins tied the game after winning the second set in a close match by a score of 25-23. More details.

A day prior on Saturday, the Lions lost their first game of the season 3-1 against the Queen’s University Gaels on Saturday afternoon at Athletics and Recreation Centre in Kingston, Ont.

The Gaels, who are now 3-4 on the season, managed to break the Lions’ four-game win streak in front of their home crowd. Although the Lions were able to take an early lead and win the first set, it was the Gaels who came on top winning the last three sets to take the game. More details.

Lions capture four bronze medals at York Open

The York University Lions wrestling teams took advantage of home mat, coming away with four bronze medals as they hosted their annual York Open meet on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Finding the podium and claiming bronze medals for the men were Paul Nguyen in the 54kg category, and Josh Malu in the 57 kg. category. Coming off a podium finish just last weekend, Nguyen was able to continue his medal-winning form, defeating the University of Western’s Reeve Boule with a decisive 10-0 win in the bronze medal match-up. Malu also proved formidable, as he made quick work of University of Alberta’s Valdes 10-0, setting him up to win a nail-bitter of a match against Brody Collison of Algoma University, 9-7 for the bronze medal. More details.

Lions outshoot Mustangs 37-32 but fall 1-0 on the road

York University Lions women’s hockey team lost 1-0 to the University of Western Mustangs after a very close game, which saw the winner from the Mustangs in the third period of the Friday night game.

The first period of the game ended 0-0 for both teams as Western had 19 shots on goal, all of which were saved by York goaltender Lauren Dubie. York was able to fire 11 shots at Western, which were all saved by the Mustangs goalie Carmen Lasis.

The second period of the game also saw several scoring opportunities from both teams, however, neither was able to find the back of their opponent’s net. York took the lead in shots on goal in the second period with 14 for the Lions and five for the Mustangs. More details.

On Sunday afternoon the Lions lost 6-3 against the Brock University Badgers at Canlan Ice Sports.

The first period of the game ended 0-0 for the Lions and the Badgers. Both teams had several scoring opportunities, however, strong defense from both sides prevented any attempt at securing a goal. In the second period of the game, the Badgers were able to capitalize on their opportunities and scored a trio of goals on the home team within the first five minutes of the period. More details.

Big fourth quarter by Golden Hawks lead to the Lions loss at home on Saturday night

The York University Lions men’s basketball team lost against Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks by just four points at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Saturday, Nov. 17.

The Lions scored the first two points of the game as York’s Prince Kamunga secured a two-point shot for the home team, which was followed by a three-point shot from Chevon Brown. Brown and Kamunga contributed points for the Lions one after the other, giving the Lions an early 9-3 lead over the Golden Hawks.

After the first quarter the Lions were ahead 22-13 with nine of their points coming from Kamunga. In the second quarter of the game, the Golden Hawks were the top scorers with 23 points to the Lions’ 18. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions fought hard in a close game on against the University of Waterloo Warriors, but were ultimately defeated 96-91 at Tait Mackenzie Centre.

Brendon Chevannes opened up the first quarter adding the first two points for the Lions. Early on, Gene Spagnuolo sunk a three-pointer to increase the Lions’ lead 11-4. With two minutes remaining in the quarter, the Warriors fought back and tied the game 17-17 which eventually allowed them to lead 23-22 by the end of the quarter. More details.

Weekend wrap: Lions squeak out one-point victory for third win in a row

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York U Lions

The York University women’s basketball team had the crowd roaring as they defeated the University of Guelph Gryphons in a close game by a score of 77-76 on Saturday evening at Tait Mackenzie Centre.

The Lions were on a roll to open the first quarter, as an interception by Haley Bowie led Lauren Golding to score the first two points for the Lions. Emma Jonas and Bowie each nailed a three-pointer to add to the Lions’ lead, but Guelph managed to pick up their game and tie the Lions 11-11 midway through the quarter. The Gryphons added eight more points and led the Lions 19-13 at the end of the quarter. More details on the York Lions website.

A day earlier, the Lions beat the Algoma Unversity Thunderbirds by 15 points on Friday, Nov. 9 at the Tait McKenzie Centre. The victory was their second win of the regular season and came by way of a 74-59 final score over the visiting team.

The Lions outscored the Thunderbirds in points in three of the four quarters. In the first quarter of the game, Algoma’s Karly Francalanze scored the first two points of the game against the Lions, but York forward Lauren Golding soon answered with a two-point jump shot, which was followed by a three-point shot from Francalanze. More details.

Lions complete weekend sweep with 4-2 win over Thunderbirds

The York University Lions men’s hockey team beat the Lakehead University Thunderwolves with a 4-2 victory on Saturday, Nov. 10 in Thunder Bay, Ont., their second win against the Thunderwolves this weekend.

The Lions and the Thunderwolves finished the first period of the game scoreless, but they were both, however, able to fire several shots on goal, which were all saved by the respective goalkeepers. York netminder Mack Shields was able to keep the Lions’ net secured as he saved 17 of Lakehead’s shots and Lakehead was able to save all nine of York’s shots. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions played their first of two back-to-back games against the Thunderwolves and came away with a 5-2 victory. Reid Jackman scored three goals in the second period to earn himself his second hat trick of season. Jackman previously scored a hat trick two weeks ago in a huge 7-0 win for the Lions against the Laurentian Unviersity Voyageurs. He is now ranked third in the OUA with eight goals and tied for fourth with 13 points. Scott Feser added a goal for the Lions and two assists to jump into fifth place in the OUA with nine assists this season.

The Lions managed to get 25 shots on goal and capitalize on five, while the Thunderwolves doubled the Lions with 51 shots on goal, but only got two of them passed Mack Shields. More details.

Lions foiled by Citadins in consolation finals of U SPORTS championships

The York Lions men’s soccer team played their last game of the 2018 season on Saturday in the consolation finals of the U SPORTS national championships against the UQAM Citadins and fell by a score of 1-0.

On a gorgeous fall day on the University of British Columbia campus, the Lions played the possession game early on as the game started slowly with neither side registering a shot in the first 12 minutes. Lions goaltender Shyon Gaeeni easily made the first save of the match in the 13th minute off of a strike from the Citadins’ Oussama Kounna from the right corner of the box. More details.

To start the tournament on Thursday, the Lions battled back from a two-goal deficit against the Trinity Western University Spartans in the second half, but fell 4-2 in penalty kicks in the U SPORTS quarterfinals on Thursday at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The loss marked the second year in a row the Lions lost in the U SPORTS quarterfinal match and meant they would play the remainder of the tournament in the consolation side of the bracket.

Trinity Western opened the game strong, keeping the Lions pinned in their own end in the first five minutes, and had an early corner kick but couldn’t capitalize. A few minutes later, Lions midfielder Dylan Carreiro had the first chance for the Lions as he broke down the left side of the field and worked his way around a Spartans defender, but fired a shot wide left of the Spartans’ goal. More details.

In the consolation semifinals, the Lions battled the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds on Friday afternoon and advanced to the consolation finals after a hard fought 1-0 victory. Despite their loss in the quarterfinal round, the Lions came out aggressive against the Varsity Reds and played with intensity throughout all 90 minutes of the match. More details.

Lions dig deep for overtime win over Thunderbirds

The York University Lions men’s basketball team beat the visiting Algoma University Thunderbirds 85-81 in overtime on home court at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Friday night. The game was a back and forth contest that went into extra time after the Lions led in points in the first two quarters, and the Thunderbirds were able to make a comeback and tie up against the Lions in the second half.

In the first quarter of the game, the Lions led with 18 points as the Thunderbirds were behind the Lions by six points. York’s Chevon Brown’s had four points in the quarter, while fellow guard DeAndrae Pierre also scored four points, the last two being a jump shot with just 13 seconds remaining in the quarter. More details.

The next day the Lions fought hard, but were ultimately defeated by the University of Guelph Gryphons 105-92 on Saturday evening at the Tait Mackenzie Centre.

Prince Kamunga opened the first quarter by scoring a two-point jump shot for the Lions, followed by a three-pointer. The rest of the quarter, however, was all Gryphons as they were in control for most of the opening stanza and led the Lions 31-14 by the end of the quarter. More details.

Lions score six goals in win over Lancers

The York University women’s hockey team put an end to their four-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory against the University of Windsor Lancers on Friday evening at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Lions opened up the first period and outplayed the Lancers, taking 12 shots on goal compared to Windsor’s two. York’s Christina Chin, who was assisted by Chelsea Tucker, gave the Lions an early lead at 5:01 when she placed the puck perfectly in the bottom right corner through a crowded Lancers net. Later in the period at 14:49, Lions captain Jenna Gray intercepted a puck in the Lancers’ end zone, which led her to score her first goal of the season. More details.

The following night, the York Lions lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Nipissing University Lakers on Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Lions’ home rink.

The Lions were the only team to secure a goal in the first period of the game as the Lions’ offense was able to fire 10 shots at the Lakers’ net, one of them resulting in the first goal of the game from Kelsey McHolm, which was assisted by Brooke Anderson. The Lakers attempted to score on York’s net eight times; however, none of the shots were able to reach the back of York’s net and the Lions led 1-0 after the first period against the visiting team. More details.

Lions move to 4-0 with win over Thunderwolves

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team beat the Lakehead University Thunderwolves in a 3-0 sweep on Remembrance Day, Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Tait McKenzie Centre, adding a fourth win to their current undefeated season.

The Lions dominated each set of the game, refusing to let the visiting team get much momentum going in any of the three sets. The Lions, who have been having an impressive season under new head coach Jennifer Neilson, took the first set with a 25-9 victory over the Thunderwolves, winning by a large 16-point gap.

In the second set, it was all Lions once again, even though the Thunderwolves were able to lessen the scoring gap between the two teams. The Lions took the set with a 25-16 win, and in the third set of the game the Thunderwolves played hard to try and win, but the Lions came out on top again by a score of 25-18. More details.

Agard and Nguyen golden at Ryerson Open

It was a successful day for the York University Lions wrestling teams, as Bailey Agard and Paul Nguyen came away on top, capturing gold medals at the Ryerson Open this past Saturday.

Competing in the men’s 54kg category, Nguyen was able to defeat Dip Lad of Team Xtreme and Lakehead University’s Hasan Ercan on his way to the top of the podium. The second-year wrestler was flawless in his quest for gold, not giving up a single point in any of his rounds.

Not to be outdone, Agard was dominant in her four matches in the women’s 51kg category, going undefeated in the process. This is her second gold and third medal overall this season, highlighting and already impressive rookie campaign. More details.

Weekend wrap: Lions win back-to-back OUA banners with 3-1 victory over Ravens

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions reclaimed Ontario University Athletics (OUA) supremacy and lifted the Blackwood Cup for the second consecutive year and the fifth time in the past six years, after shutting down the Carleton University Ravens with a 3-1 victory in the OUA final match.

York started early on as Maurizio Ragone shot a bullet into the right lower corner of Raven Nick Jeff’s goal after a lost ball in the middle of the field for a 1-0 lead. OUA first-team all-star Jorgo Nika increased the gap with his first goal of the night on a beautiful header to the first post from a corner kick by Dylan Carreiro to make the score 2-0 Lions. More details on the York Lions website.

A day earlier, while playing in the second semifinal of the day against the Ryerson University Rams, the Lions needed well over 60 minutes to put themselves ahead of the game, while Ryerson demonstrated to be a tough challenge in what was a defensive-minded game throughout.

In a scoreless first half, both teams had a few chances to open the score and while Ryerson had a better control coming from the back, York created the best opportunities of the half with five shots on goal against three for Ryerson. More details.

Lions win second consecutive silver medal at U SPORTS championships

The York University Lions field hockey team fought hard in Game 2 of the U SPORTS national championships, but it wasn’t enough to top the University of Victoria Vikes, as U Vic took the game by a score of 3-1. With the win, the Vikes will bring home the program’s first national banner since 2008, while the Lions win the national silver medal for the second year in a row.

The game was intense from the beginning, as both teams seemed desperate to get off to a good start. The Lions had the first scoring chance after U SPORTS all-Canadian Jaslan Stirling broke in front of the Vikes net and was fouled inside the circle. An ensuing penalty corner was defended well by the Vikes defence though, as they shut down the Lions attack and cleared the ball quickly away from goalie Robin Fleming’s net. More details.

The Lions dropped Game 1 on Friday afternoon, playing on a cold day with drizzling rain. The game started slowly with both teams trading possessions early on. The Lions had the first good scoring opportunity 10 minutes into the game when forward Jaslan Stirling set up Prava Sandhu inside the box after dekeing around a Vikes defender. Sandhu was foiled by Vikes goalie Robin Fleming, who made the first big save of the game to keep the score tied 0-0.

Fleming made another highlight-reel save at the 16-minute mark, as she stoned Stirling this time after the forward snuck behind the Victoria defence and ripped a shot that the netminder sprawled to stop. A few minutes later, the Vikes looked dangerous in the Lions end, but a crossing pass was deftly broken up by Lions defender Sydney McFaul to shut down the scoring chance. More details. 

Malu and Agard bring home medals at McMaster Open

A small contingent of York University Lions wrestled this weekend at the McMaster Open in Hamilton, Ont., with two of the three competitors bringing back medals.

Third-year wrestler Josh Malu led the way for the team with a first-place finish in the men’s 57-kg category. Malu defeated a pair of Marauders on his way to the finals, beating Francesco Fortino 12-0 in the opening round and Spencer Lee 11-2 in the semifinals. In the gold medal match, Malu claimed the top step on the podium by defeating Garette Saunders of the Brock Badgers by a score of 8-3. More details.

Lions stay undefeated with win over Gryphons

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team beat the University of Guelph Gryphons on the road in Guelph, Ont., on Friday by a score of 3-1. The Lions lost the first set 25-18 to the Gryphons and although they were handily defeated in the first set, they were able to make a comeback throughout the remainder of the game and win the following three sets.

In the second set, the Lions beat the Gryphons by a close score of 25-22. The third set saw another close win by the Lions as they took the set in a 25-23, while in the final set of the game the two teams reversed original scores and York won by a 25-18 score. More details.

Two days later, the women’s volleyball team impressed the crowd in the first home game of the season dominating three sets to defeat the visiting Trent University Excalibur 3-0 on Sunday afternoon at the Tait Mackenzie Centre.

The Lions have started off their season strong and are now 3-0 on the season after previously defeating the Nipissing Lakers and the Guelph Gryphons in their first two away games.

The Lions sailed through the first set, building a 16-6 lead by the midway point. The Lions continued to outplay the Excalibur and finished off the set with a final score of 25-11. More details.

Lions defeat Excalibur in first home game of season

The York University men’s volleyball team won their first game of the season 3-0 against the Trent University Excalibur in front of the home crowd at the Tait Mackenzie Centre on Sunday evening.

The Lions were off to a slow start as Trent was able to lead 11-7 early in the first set. After a kill by York’s Andrew Tauhid got the crowd going, the Lions were back on track and led the Excalibur midway through the set 16-14. The rest of the set was close as the Excalibur managed to trail one point behind the Lions. After a York timeout, Toure Nwakwesi came back into the set with a huge kill, followed by Tauhid with a service ace to finish the set 25-21 for the Lions. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions men’s volleyball team lost to the Guelph Gryphons with a final score of 3-1 on Friday, Nov. 2 in Guelph, Ont. The Lions won their first set as they battled their way towards a 26-24 win against the Gryphons.

In the final three sets, however, the Gryphons were able to secure each set to take victory over the Lions. In the second set, the Gryphons surpassed the Lions by seven points, giving them a 25-18 win. More details.

Lions score big win on road over Lancers 

The York University Lions men’s basketball team was able to lead the University of Windsor Lancers through all four quarters and come away with a 76-73 victory at St. Denis Centre on Friday evening. The win for the Lions snapped a lengthy regular season losing streak for the squad dating back to last season and evens their record at 1-1 on the year.

Despite the Lions leading all four quarters, the Lancers were the first to get on the scoreboard, earning five points from two layups and a free throw. Chevon Brown scored the Lions’ first points with a jump shot, followed by Nicholas Duncan who sunk a three-pointer. The quarter was close in points from both the Lions and Lancers; however, after a three-point jump shot by Prince Kamunga that brought the score to 11-9, the Lions continued to lead and finished the quarter with a score of 18-17. More details.

The following day, the Lions competed against the University of Western Mustangs and, despite outscoring the Mustangs by seven points in the second half, the Lions were defeated 78-61 on Saturday evening at Alumni Hall in London, Ont.

The Lions got off to a slow start in the first and second quarter as the Mustangs added 18 points to the scoreboard that the Lions were able to score their first points of the game with a layup made by Chevon Brown. Brown scored all six of the Lions’ points in a tough opening quarter, sinking four free throws to end the quarter at 25-6 for the Mustangs. More details.

Lions win first game of season against Mustangs

The York University women’s basketball team had a huge fourth quarter and netted a 35-point victory over the University of Western Mustangs by a score of 77-42 on Saturday evening at Alumni Hall in London, Ont.

The entire Lions squad contributed to the massive win, with every player on the roster racking up points against the Mustangs. Leading the way was Lauren Golding who earned 11 points and nine rebounds, while veteran Haley Bowie picked up 11 points and six rebounds. Similarly, Madison Bardoel had 11 points and three rebounds, and close behind was Emma Jonas with 10 points, three rebounds and two steals. More details.

A day prior, the Lions jumped out to an early lead, but were unable to hold on. They were defeated by the University of Windsor Lancers 97-76 at St. Denis Centre in Windsor, Ont., on Friday evening.

The Lions were the first to get on the scoreboard when Lauren Golding nailed both of her free throw attempts. For the next five minutes, the first quarter saw back-and-forth action as the Lions and Lancers were close in points. The Lancers were able to build a 10-point lead, 19-10; however, the Lions dominated the last three minutes of the quarter, building on the momentum of a three-pointer by Emma Jonas. More details.

Rams too much for Lions in Friday night home game

The York University men’s hockey team was defeated by the Ryerson Rams 8-3 after a huge third period by the Rams at Canlan Ice Sports on Friday evening.

The intensity was high as the two top teams of the OUA West competed for the first time this season. The Lions were close in shots to the Rams with 32 compared to the Rams’ 40; however, the Rams dominated the third period, scoring five goals with only 12 shots on net. Leading the way for the Rams was Matt Mistele who earned himself a hat trick with a goal in the first period and two goals in the third. More details.

Lions unable to capture city bragging rights, fall to Blues on Saturday afternoon

The York University Lions women’s hockey team lost 5-3 to the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Blues were the first to score between the two Toronto-based teams. It took a little over 15 minutes for the first goal of the game to make its appearance on the scoreboard, when Blues forward Kassie Roache scored the first goal for the visiting team in the first period of the game. More details.

Earlier in the week, the Lions played the University of Guelph Gryphons at Canlan Ice Sports on Wednesday, Oct. 31 and lost 4-0 in their fourth game of the regular season.

Guelph got off to a strong start as they scored two goals within the first four minutes of the first period. It was Guelph’s Gabrielle Smith who scored the opening goal of the game and, minutes later, the Gryphons’ Miranda Lantz secured the second goal for the visiting team, which was assisted by forward Ashlee Lawrence. More details.

Weekend wrap: OUA banner remains at York, Lions repeat as field hockey champs

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions field hockey team made it two consecutive Ontario University Athletics (OUA) field hockey championships on Sunday, defeating the University of Guelph Gryphons by a score of 1-0 in the final of the OUA championship tournament.

Playing on a cold, overcast day at Warrior Field in Waterloo, Ont., the Lions jumped out a quick start when forward Jaslan Stirling scored six minutes into the game. Stirling found herself alone in front of Warriors goaltender Amanda Hodgert and deked to her left around the goalie to find a wide-open net and give the Lions a 1-0 lead. More details on the York Lions website.

On Friday, the Lions opened the tournament by crushing the McMaster University Marauders 16-0 in their first playoff game.

The Lions dominated the match, scoring nine goals in the first half and seven in the second. First-year rooki, Amber Sandhu, who scored four goals in the regular season, had a spectacular match, scoring five goals for the Lions. She scored three in the first half at the 30th, 33rd and 35th minutes, followed by two in the second half at the 50th and 61st minutes. More details.

In the semifinal on Saturday, the Lions defeated the host University of Waterloo Warriors 8-2 to advance to the OUA finals for the second straight year.

The Lions were able to get eight goals past Warriors goalie Marley Dowling, scoring four in the first half and four in the second. York’s Chloe Walton, who scored a goal in the previous win against the Marauders, earned herself a hat trick by scoring in the 10th, 40th and 42nd minutes. More details.

Lions advance to OUA final four championships with victory over Warriors

The York University Lions men’s soccer team has advanced to the following round of the OUA playoffs after beating the Waterloo Warriors 3-0 on home turf at Alumni Field on Sunday.

Although the game between York, the No. 1-seeded team in the OUA, and Waterloo, the sixth-seeded team in the OUA, was fast-paced, the first goal of the game didn’t occur until the 25th minute, after the Lions’ first two shots on goal, by forward Cristian Cavallini and midfielder Emmanuel Zambazis, were stopped by the Warriors.

It was York’s star forward Omar Marzouk who scored the first goal of the playoffs for the Lions and gave the team a 1-0 lead. More details.

Jackman scores hat trick in big 7-0 win over Voyageurs

The York University men’s hockey team won 7-0 in their second of two back-to-back games against the Laurentian University Voyageurs on Saturday evening at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Lions opened up the first period by scoring two late goals to pick up a well-deserved 2-0 lead. After multiple goal-scoring chances, the Lions scored their first goal at 17:35 when Morgan Messenger and Bradley Forrest assisted Reid Jackman. Jackman received a puck in front of the net from wide right and shot the puck, which went off the top crossbar and in. More details.

A day earlier, the Lions picked up a 3-1 win against the same Voyageurs on Friday evening at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Lions and Voyageurs were close in shots, with the Lions shooting 28 times compared to the Voyageurs’ 26. The home team was able to capitalize on three and Mack Shields made 25 important saves for the Lions.

The Lions opened up the scoring in the first period at 14:24 when Justin Maiolino, who was assisted by Mark Wilson and Daniel Nikandrov, was able to sneak a goal past the Voyageurs’ goaltender, giving them a 1-0 lead going into the second period. More details.

Lions top Lakers 3-1, Neilson gets first win as head coach

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team beat the Nipissing University Lakers in North Bay, Ont., on Saturday, winning three out of four sets against the Lakers in their first regular season game of 2018-19.

The Lions took the first set of the game as they reached the 25-point mark, while the Lakers scored 18 points. The Lions were able to record eight kills, three of them by York’s Kayla Clennon, and the Lakers were not too far behind with six kills.

In the second set of the game, the Lakers were able to pull ahead and win the set, tying the score 1-1. The Lakers cruised to the 25-point mark as the Lions trailed behind by 10 points. The Lakers’ Madison Murphy scored three of the seven kills for Nipissing in the set. More details.

Lions fall to Mustangs 3-2 in OUA quarterfinal

The York University Lions women’s soccer team fought to the finish as they played the University of Western Mustangs during the quarterfinals of the OUA playoffs on Sunday, Oct. 29 at Alumni Field. The Mustangs eliminated the Lions from the playoffs with a 3-2 victory after the Lions recovered from a two-nil deficit.

Western got off to an early scoring start as Kiera Grein, the Mustangs’ midfielder, scored the first goal of the game and her first goal of the season in the third minute of the game. The Mustangs struck again 26 minutes later, when Katrina Giantsopoulos scored against the Lions, furthering Western’s lead in the pivotal single elimination playoff round. More details.

Pisani and Ghadghoni top finishers for Lions at OUA cross country championships

It was a cold, rainy and muddy morning at the 2018 OUA cross country championships on Saturday, but that didn’t seem to dampen the spirit or the drive of the athletes taking part.

In the men’s race, Lions third-year runner Ali Ghadghoni led the York contingent with a 56th place finish, near the middle of the pack, in a time of 34:19 in the men’s 10-kilometre race. Austin Kpiebewieng was the next Lion to cross the line in 82nd place (36:54), followed closely behind by Christopher Pietrangelo in 84th (36:59) and Justin Kpiebewieng in 92nd (37:57). More details.

Lions fall 1-0 to Gaels

The York University women’s hockey team was defeated in a close 1-0 game by the Queen’s Gaels on Friday evening in Kingston, Ont.

Although the Lions had two shots more with 21 compared to the Gaels’ 19, the Gaels were able to capitalize on one of their shots to win the 1-0 game.

The first and only goal came in the first period at 10:03 by Katrina Manoukarakis, assisted by Hailey Wilson and Caroline DeBruin. The Lions were able to get eight more shots in the second period and seven in the third period, but were unable to find the back of the Gaels’ net to tie the game. More details.

The following afternoon, the Lions were were defeated 2-1 by the UOIT Ridgebacks on Saturday afternoon in Oshawa, Ont. The Lions scored an early goal in the first period; however, the Ridgebacks were able to score two goals in the third period to top the Lions.

The Lions led the Ridgebacks for two periods, thanks to an early goal four minutes into the first period by Avery Reeves, assisted by Leah Hibbert. More details.

York opens season with road loss to Nipissing

The York Lions men’s volleyball team lost its first regular-season game to the Nipissing University Lakers on Saturday by a score of 3-1 after a close battle between the two teams in North Bay, Ont.

The sets were close throughout the entire game. In the first set, the Lions fell by a tight 25-23 score. The Lions offence was on point to start the game and had 13 kills in the set. York’s Tyler Covach contributed four kills throughout the first set for the Lions; however, Nipissing was able to secure the first-set win.

The second set saw the Lions secure the win from the Lakers 25-15. The set also saw 12 kills by the Lions and seven by Nipissing. York’s Alexandre Rioux secured two kills for the Lions, helping them win the set and tie the game 1-1. More details.

Town places 12th at senior world championships

Former York Lions wrestler Alexandria Town competed in her first senior world wrestling championships in Budapest, Hungary, this week and placed 12th in her weight class.

Town, who was recently named an assistant coach with the Lions wrestling program, competed in the 57-kilogram weight class and started the tournament well, beating her opponent by a score of 10-0 in her opening match.

However, she was defeated 10-0 by eventual silver-medallist Bulgaria’s Bilyana Dudova in the quarterfinals and found herself competing against Romania’s Kateryna Zhydachevska for a spot in the bronze-medal match. More details.

Lions men’s and women’s basketball seasons kick off on Friday

The York Lions women’s and men’s basketball teams kick off their regular seasons this Friday, Oct. 26 when they host the Queen’s Gaels at the Tait McKenzie Centre. The women’s game starts at 6 p.m. and the men’s game will tip off at 8 p.m.

Fans attending the games will be in for a treat, as the name of the new Lions mascot will be revealed during halftime of the men’s game.

Oct. 26 vs. Queens Nate Philippe begins his second season as head coach for the men’s team with a fresh set of expectations after the team struggled in his first year behind the bench. The Lions got off to a good start last season going 8-5 in their non-conference schedule and 2-1 in the first three games of the regular season, but fell into a long losing skid soon after that would last the rest of the regular season. With a tough first year now in the rear-view mirror, Philippe sees a productive first off-season as head coach as the first step in bringing back a winning culture to the team.

“I think we’ve had a really good off-season and we’ve been taking steps forward every day,” said Philippe on his expectations for the team this year. “Realistically, we definitely want to improve on last season, which was a tough year for us on and off the court that we don’t like to talk about too much. Our main goal this year is to continue to improve and compete for a playoff spot. Playing in the OUA (Ontario University Athletics) East is a challenge with it being the toughest division in Canada, but I’m excited to see how we match up and how good our team can be this season.”

Leading the way for the Lions’ returning players this season will be 2017-18 team MVP Gianmarco Luciani and former OUA all-rookie team member Gene Spagnuolo, who will be playing their final years in the York red and white. After sitting out two seasons, first in 2015-16 as a red shirt after transferring from the Acadia Axemen and then in 2016-17 with an injury, Luciani was one of the bright spots for the team last year, averaging a team-leading 10.7 points per game and finishing second on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game. Spagnuolo also returned last season after missing the 2016-17 season and averaged 7.5 points per game while finishing second on the team in assists.

The York Lions women’s basketball team, on the other hand, has been getting better and better each year since head coach Erin McAleenan took over the program in advance of the 2015-16 season.

The Lions struggled during McAleenan’s first year and were out of the OUA playoff picture. With her first recruiting class on the roster, the Lions improved by two wins in 2016-17 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14. Last season, the Lions took a big step forward in their development, finishing the regular season with an 11-12 record and proving they can compete with the best programs in the OUA. The team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row, but McAleenan hopes that focusing on the process of building a winning team this year will help them make a deeper playoff run.

“We have 12 players returning from last year’s team and we’re just trying to build off what we accomplished last year,” said McAleenan. “We’ve been to the playoffs two years in a row now but haven’t gotten out of the first round. This season we’re trying to focus on the process of how we’re training, competing and practising on a daily basis, and hopefully that will put us in a position to get farther then we did last year.”

While the Lions return 12 players from the breakthrough squad last season, they did lose a key piece in U SPORTS second-team all-Canadian Lindsay Shotbolt. The star forward was the Lions’ leading scorer and rebounder last season and her presence will be missed on the court and in the locker room. Stepping up to fill the leadership void both on and off the court for the Lions this year will be team captains Katrina Collins-Samuels and Haley Bowie.

“Katrina and Haley both learned a lot working with Lindsay last year,” said McAleenan on who she expects to lead the team this season. “Katrina was also captain last year and she learned a lot as a younger leader. We’ll lean on her heavily, both on and off the court, and the way she’s been playing and carrying herself throughout the pre-season has been great. She’s been that resilient player we need and has been our best defender.

“Haley’s a fifth-year guard and you can really see the increase in her confidence and poise on the floor. She’s been able to get us under control offensively and always plays tough defence. We’re in a good position with these two leading us, even after losing a player of Lindsay’s calibre.”

The season opening games will feature the Rock Your Red, Best Seats in the House and Fan of the Game contests, as well as great prizes from the Tait Pride Shop, the York University Bookstore and Pizza Pizza. During halftime of the men’s game, the highly anticipated name of the new York Lions mascot will be revealed. After receiving 800 entries, the names have been whittled down to the following three finalists, in no particular order:

  • Regulus – meaning the brightest star in the constellation of Leo;
  • Yeo (pronounced Yo!) – it was chosen as an homage to and a shortened version of our former team name, the York Yeomen/Yeowomen; and
  • Roary – it’s spelled R-O-A-R-Y, like when a lion roars!

The winner of the naming contest will receive an amazing fitness-focused prize pack, courtesy of Kahunaverse, valued at $500. Our two runners-up will each receive a prize pack valued at $250.

Weekend wrap: York men’s soccer caps undefeated regular season with 2-1 win over Western

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions men’s soccer team heads into the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs with an undefeated record and seven-game winning streak after beating the University of Western Mustangs 2-1 on Sunday, Oct. 21 at the Mustang Field in London, Ont.

York’s Chris Jacovou scored an unassisted goal, his fifth goal of the regular season, just three minutes into the first half, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead. More details on the York Lions website. 

Two nights earlier, on Friday, Oct. 19, the Lions were on the road playing the University of Windsor Lancers and beat them on their home turf with a 1-0 win.  

The sole goal of the game was scored by none other than York’s Omar Marzouk, who has recorded a total of 14 goals in the 15 games he has played this regular season. Marzouk scored the goal at the 64th minute of the game, which saw a total of six shots by York and seven shots by the Lancers who were unable to find the back of the net. More details.  

Lions win last three regular season games to stay undefeated 

The York University Lions field hockey team travelled to Montreal and won their last three regular season games with wins over the University of Western Mustangs, the McGill University Martlets and the University of Waterloo Warriors.   

The Lions have had a spectacular year so far and ended the regular season with a 10-0-2 record and 32 points. With one more point than the second-place University of Toronto Varsity Blues, the Lions will be entering playoffs in first place. 

The Lions started off the weekend with a 4-0 win over McGill on Saturday morning. Jaslan Stirling, who has now ended off the regular season as the leading goal scorer with 22 goals, netted another hat trick for the Lions. More details.  

Lions, peaking at right time, head into playoffs in big 5-2 win over Mustangs 

The York University Lions beat the University of Western Mustangs to a 5-2 win on Sunday, Oct. 21 in London, Ont., to finish off their regular season. Western started off the game with three shots against York, the third resulting in a goal at the eighth minute by Western’s Jess Vieira, assisted by Nikki Balachorek. 

York’s Christina Morelli, who played her final regular season game as a Lion, had a scoring chance against the Mustangs; however, it went to the right of Western’s net. Morelli then answered that attempt with her first goal of the game, which was assisted by Kiyani Johnson. More details.  

On Friday night, the Lions beat the University of Windsor Lancers 4-3 in their second to last game of the regular season in Windsor, Ont. The Lions had 17 shots throughout the entire game while the Lancers had five shots.  

York’s Christina Morelli was the first athlete to fire a shot during the game at the third minute of the game and at the 13th minute, she scored the first goal of the game. Seven minutes later, Windsor’s Kaitlyn Austin answered York’s goal and scored the first goal for the Lancers. More details. 

Lions end season with win over Blues in 49th edition of Red and Blue Bowl 

The York University Lions football team ended their season on a high note Saturday as they picked up a win against their cross-town rivals the University of Toronto Varsity Blues by a score of 31-15. A big second quarter, in which they scored 28 of their 31 points, was all the Lions needed for the victory. With the win, the Lions pull closer to the Blues in Red and Blue Bowl history who still hold the edge 31-18, but the Lions hold on to the bragging rights for another season. 

The Lions got on the board first after Toronto conceded a safety on their first possession. A fumbled snap by Toronto quarterback Vince Luccisano led to sack by defensive end Rossini Sandjong-Djabome that pinned the Blues deep in their own territory and led to them kneeling down in end zone for the safety. More details.  

Lions comeback bid falls short in loss to Ravens 

After falling behind early, the York Lions football team made a spirited comeback effort in the second half, but it was not enough as they fell to the Carleton University Ravens by a score of 35-20. The Lions were down 18-0 after the first quarter but pulled within three points with the score at 20-17 after three quarters. The Ravens had a bit more left in the tank though and pulled away in the fourth quarter to clinch the victory. 

The Ravens got on the board early with a rouge point from kicker Mike Domagala on the game’s opening kickoff, and Domagala followed that with a 48-yard field goal on the Ravens first drive to give them a 4-0 lead. After a Lions field goal attempt by kicker Dante Mastrogiuseppe missed a few drives later, Ravens returner Chris Manchulenko ran the ball back 93 yards to put Carleton deep in Lions territory. On the ensuing possession, quarterback Michael Arruda found Phil Iloki in the end zone for the game’s first touchdown, and a few minutes later Arruda completed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Khalik Johnson to make the score 18-0 before the game was 13 minutes old. More details. 

Lions take down Warriors in first game of season 

The York University women’s hockey team scored two early goals to secure a 2-1 win against the University of Waterloo Warriors in their first game of the year on Friday evening at Canlan Ice Sports. Just 12 seconds after the puck drop, Kelsey McHolm scored her first of two goals assisted by Courtney Gardiner and Brooke Anderson. McHolm, a third-year veteran, led the team with seven goals and was third overall with 10 points in the 2017-18 season. 

The Lions continued to dominate the first period and produced the most goal scoring attempts with a total of 17 shots. Avery Reeves had an attempt at goal, followed by Anderson who shot a pass she received right across goal, however the Warriors goalie, Amanda Smith, saved both attempts. More details.  

Lions net six goals in win over Ridgebacks  

The York University men’s hockey team took home a big victory over the UOIT Ridgebacks with a 6-1 win on Saturday evening in a road win at Campus Ice Centre.   

Six Lions were able to get a shot passed the Ridgebacks’ goalie, Brendan O’Neill, even though the team put up less shots with 27 compared to the Ridgebacks’ 30. Mack Shields had an impressive night saving 29 of the 30 Ridgeback shots. 

The Lions controlled the first two periods at UOIT’s home ice and scored four goals to take a 4-0 lead by the third period. More details.  

The night before, the York University men’s hockey team faced a tough 5-4 overtime loss against the Concordia University Stingers on Friday evening in Montreal, Que. 

The Lions got on the scoreboard first at 14:04 with a power play goal by Scott Feser assisted by Josh LaFrance and Justin Bean. The Lions had ten shots on goal in the first period while the Singers had 15 but were unable to beat the Lions goaltender, Mack Shields. The Lions led 1-0 at the end of the period. More details. 

Lions lose to Mustangs in consolation final 

The York University women’s rugby team were defeated 45-31 by the Western Mustangs in the consolation final on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. 

Fourth-year veteran, Veronica Harrigan led the Mustangs in the first 20 minutes scoring three tries, one at the fourth minute, 13th minute and 17th minute. Her teammate, Lexi Smith, was also able to score two conversions and the Mustangs jumped out to a 19-0 lead.   

The following 20 minutes, the Lions dominated the Mustangs scoring three tries which tied the game. At the 21st minute, Megan Pakulis plowed herself through the Mustangs’ defence to score the first try for the Lions. More details.  

The York University Magazine’s Fall 2018 issue is online now

The York University Magazine Fall 2018 featured image
The York University Magazine Fall 2018 featured image

The York University Magazine’s Fall 2018 issue is available now at yorku.ca/magazine. Inside you’ll find: “Going Home,” documenting graduate student Jesse Thistle’s journey from drug addiction to the upper echelons of academe; “Fat Chat,” debunking the notion that obesity is a global health crisis; “Rise Up,” featuring environmentalist Tzeporah Berman’s latest cause; “Numero Uno,” recognizing newly minted Distinguished Research Professor Nantel Bergeron; “I Can Do That,” profiling postal worker turned Bay Street success story Nancy Sullivan; and much more.

Cover of The York University Magazine's Fall 2018 issue
Cover of The York University Magazine‘s Fall 2018 issue

The York University Magazine is published three times during the academic year. It is printed and mailed to alumni and friends of the University in the fall, with limited quantities delivered to Faculties, departments and administrative units. The winter and summer issues of the magazine are available as a digital edition only, which can be enjoyed wherever you are – on your smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.

The York University Magazine’s new digital counterpart features exclusive, web-only content that’s not included in the yearly print edition. It is updated regularly with fresh stories, photos and videos to keep readers in the loop on the latest news, research and happenings at York.

If you would like to receive email updates when new issues and web exclusives are online, visit yorku.ca/magazine/subscribe to subscribe.

Note: For faculty and staff who are York alumni and are not currently receiving the print version of The York University Magazine at home but would like to, update your communication preferences via the Alumni & Friends website to ensure your mailing address is up to date and the “No Mail” box beside “The York University Magazine” is not selected.