Tag: Sports

Archival tag

York Lions women’s hockey team begins round two of OUA playoffs

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions women’s hockey team resumes its quest for a berth into the national championship Thursday night in northern Ontario. The Lions will travel to the North Bay Memorial Gardens to take on the Nipissing Lakers in Game One of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) semifinal.

The winner of this series earns a spot in the McCaw Cup final for the OUA title, and automatic entry into U SPORTS women’s hockey nationals.

The pivotal opening game of this best-of-three series will begin at 7 p.m. Lions faithful can catch the game on OUA.tv.

If the season series between York (14-8-0-2) and Nipissing (14-7-2-1) was any indication, this playoff series should go down to the wire. In two games this season, the two teams each took a win. York had the first one, scoring four third period goals en route to a 6-3 decision on home ice. Kelsey McHolm had two goals.

Nipissing took the second and most recent contest between the two squads on Jan. 31 – that one played in North Bay. The score was 4-3, with the Lakers’ game-winner standing as the only goal of the third period.

York had a tremendous season in 2019-20, making the playoffs for the first time in eight years. They did it in decisive fashion – posting a record six games above .500. It’s the first time above .500 for head coach Dan Church’s squad since the 2011-12 season, and their first time with less than 10 losses since 2019-10.

A breakout season from a standout on the blue line helped them get there. Taylor Davison improved her point production by 14 this year, going from six points in 2018-19 to a team lead of 20 in the current season. She added a goal and an assist to her point total over two games in the first round against the Waterloo Warriors.

Additionally, an unlikely face between the pipes starred for the Lions in the first round – Serena Vilde allowed just one goal on 40 shots in her two starts versus Waterloo. She made four starts during the regular season.

For the Lakers, they too have been near the top of the standings for the duration of the season. Their Jan. 31 win over the Lions solidified their positioning in the standings and aided them eventually get a three-point cushion on second place heading into the playoffs.

Third-year player Maria Dominico and rookie Malory Dominico led Nipissing on the stat sheets during the regular season. They topped Lakers point totals with 20 and 16 respectively. Younger players lead the Nipissing offence – the top scoring senior Jetta Derenoski is sixth in team scoring with 11 points.

Look for above average goaltending from the Lakers tandem of Danika Ranger and Chantelle Sandquist. Their .934 save percentage was third in the OUA during the regular season, only trailing Toronto and Brock.

The winners of this series will play the other McCaw Cup semifinal, featuring the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, and the Ryerson University Rams. These two series winners will also head to Charlottetown, P.E.I. for the national tournament, beginning Mar. 12.

LA&PS student athletes impacting the community – one tiny stride at a time

For children and adolescents across Canada, organized sports provide an avenue to build lasting connections, develop social skills, lead healthy lives, and realize potential at an early age. However, due to financial barriers, these opportunities can be difficult for some families to afford. With today’s cost of living on the rise, disposable income required for extra-curricular activities has become tougher to come by. As a result of these challenges, sport participation among youth is on the decline.

From the standpoint of Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) student athletes Jacob Janke, Rossini Sandjong, Gaetano Minto and Daniel Loggale, something needs to be done to counter this trend. Taking the field together with the 2019-20 York Lions football team, this group is unified behind a singular cause – one that aims to overcome these economic obstacles.

From left: Daniel Loggale, Gaetano Minto, Rossini Sandjong, and Jacob Janke. Photo by Nicole Glassman
From left: Daniel Loggale, Gaetano Minto, Rossini Sandjong, and Jacob Janke. Photo by Nicole Glassman

These friends, who’ve all relocated from their home provinces to pursue a university education at York, acknowledge the common factor that brought them together. It isn’t difficult to imagine how things could have gone differently if not for organized sports being introduced to them many years ago.

“We were all sitting around, and the conversation was about how four people from different parts of the country became best friends,” Janke said. “It was football. The common theme was that someone gave each of us a shot along the way. We all came from situations where we wouldn’t have been able to play organized sports if someone – whether it was a role model or mentor – didn’t provide support and guide us along that path.”

Now enrolled in the final year of their studies at York University, this group is dedicated to facilitating similar opportunities for others who may need assistance. This pledge to give back to the community is what led to the creation of their non-profit organization, Tiny Strides.

Tiny Strides came together after countless discussions on the subject, as the group worked together to brainstorm fundraising methods to support participation in sports among underprivileged youth. As the name implies, the group agreed that a small-scale approach would lead to notable results. Even if their efforts would only impact one individual, it would have been worth it. After submitting paperwork to become a registered non-profit last year, this initiative became official.

The goal was closely aligned to their upbringing as minorities with additional barriers to overcome. In the past, being empowered through sport wasn’t always a reality for these LA&PS students. Today, football has become a regular aspect of everyday life. Now, the group aspires to encourage sport participation and exemplify the ways in which these activities can serve as catalysts for positive outcomes on and off the field.

“One really great thing about sport is that it brings out family,” Minto said “With Tiny Strides, we can play a part in creating those families, those spaces for individuals. It’s more than a game if you use it the right way.”

Through pub nights, event appearances, and 50-50 charity raffles, the group has been able to raise thousands of dollars to cover the costs of equipment and sport registration fees. However, the mentorship aspect of the initiative cannot be overstated. In just one year, they’ve built meaningful connections with minor league football programs, as well as nearby community shelters.

“One really great thing about sport is that it brings out family. With Tiny Strides, we can play a part in creating those families, those spaces for individuals. It’s more than a game if you use it the right way.” – Gaetano Minto

“Last July, we were approach by a refugee shelter not too far from campus,” Sandjong said. “There were kids from different parts of the world who had been living there for a couple months. We had the chance to introduce sports to their lives. There were three days of programming. On the first day, we introduced them to football. On the second day, we played soccer. Then, on the third day, we brought them to Canada’s Wonderland.”

The strong bonds formed by Tiny Strides have played a significant role in some of these children continuing to play football, several months after the shelter visit. Each of the non-profit’s founders are extremely proud of how their efforts have resonated thus far.

This year, the group hopes to continue taking small steps in establishing similar ties with local youth and sport organizations while still raising funds for those in need. The eventual goal is for these relationships to be facilitated with an integrated mentorship program more closely linked to York University Lions football.

“As members of the black community, we’re often seen as the people trying to tear each other down. It feels great to break that stereotype,” Loggale said. “We’re not just conforming to what people think we should be doing. We’re stepping out of that box that they put us in. We want to uplift.”

“If you look at where York is positioned geographically, sometimes it seems that we shy away from the Jane & Finch community,” Janke added. “The university can be that uplifting force. I think that’s something we should start to embrace.”

Weekend wrap: Lions finish third, fourth at OUA Track and Field Championships

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions track and field team rode a productive Day 2 at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) track and field championships to a third place finish in the men’s standings and fourth in the women’s at their own host facility, the Toronto Track and Field Centre.

York’s point standing was secured during the final event of the day, when they took the top two spots in pole vault. Daniel Gleason struck gold, while Samuel Adams won the silver medal.

Keysean Powell also picked up his second medal of the meet, winning silver in the 60-metre dash. He was the long jump gold medallist on Day 1 and also set the OUA record in the event.

Other landmark podium finishes for the Lions came in the men’s 4×400-metre relay, when Tohma Van Bergen came from behind to move past the Toronto Varsity Blues into third position on the final straightaway of the race’s last lap, as well as the women’s 4×200-metre and 4×400-metre relays. More details on the Lions website.

Agard wins bronze at U SPORTS women’s wrestling championships

York University Lions women’s wrestler Bailey Agard won the bronze medal in the 51kg weight class at the U SPORTS championships in St. Catharines, Ont., on Saturday afternoon.

Agard is just the second York women’s wrestler to win a medal at the national meet, following in the footsteps of current assistant coach Alexandria Town, who won silver (2018) and bronze (2016) medals throughout her career.

The second-year wrestler from Ottawa had a tremendous showing at her first U SPORTS championship to reach the podium. After going 2-1 in her pool on the opening day of the meet, she recorded a dominant 11-0 victory over Saskatchewan’s Katie Dutchak in the bronze-medal match to cap off her season in style. More details.

Women’s hockey Lions sweep Waterloo, qualify for second round with 3-0 win

A goal 29 seconds into the contest eventually stood as the game-winning goal for the No. 10 nationally ranked York University Lions women’s hockey team in a 3-0 victory over the University of Waterloo Warriors at Columbia Ice Field in Game 2 of their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarter-final series.

The win ended the series and sent the Lions to the second round of the OUA playoffs. It’s the first trip to the second round for the Lions since the 2011-12 season, which is also their most recent playoff appearance. More details.

Men’s volleyball Lions go .500 on final weekend of regular season

On Friday, the York University Lions men’s volleyball team swept the Trent University Excalibur 3-0 in their graduation game and last home game of the season at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

Andrew Shotbolt led all Lions with 12.5 points in the win over the Excalibur, 10 of them kills. More details.

The Lions then travelled to play the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday, the final day of the regular season. They fought to the end, going back-and-forth for set wins with the No. 7 nationally ranked Varsity Blues, which ended in a 3-2 loss for the Lions.

The veteran Shotbolt finished his final game as a Lion with 20 points. Right behind Shotbolt was Andrew Tauhid, who scored 12 points for York. Dan Everton also helped the Lions to 30 assists this game. More details.

Lions sweep Trent, drop final women’s volleyball regular season game to Toronto

On Friday, the York University Lions women’s volleyball team swept the Trent University Excalibur 3-0 in their final home game of the season at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

Jessica Reynolds finished the night as the team’s leading scorer with 13.5 points. More details.

The team then travelled south on Sunday and lost 3-0 to the No. 3 nationally ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues during their last regular season game.

York’s Olivia Kim finished the game with a total of 10 points, seven of them kills. Veteran Sarah Williams completed the game with six kills, which helped to add points on the scoreboard for the Lions.

The women will be playing the Brock University Badgers next weekend as they enter as the fourth seed in the East in the OUA playoffs. The game will take place on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. in St. Catharines, Ont. More details.

Ravens take down Lions in OUA women’s basketball playoff opener

The York University Lions women’s basketball team saw its season come to an end on Wednesday night with a 67-64 loss to the Carleton University Ravens in their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) first round playoff game.

The 10th-seeded Lions had their chances and built a sizable first-quarter lead, but the experienced Ravens, seeded seventh and winners of back-to-back OUA championships in 2017 and 2018, clawed back and ultimately came out on top.

Lauren Golding led all Lions with 12 points and added nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. Megan MacLeod had 11 points and Megan Stewart added 10. More details.

Weekend wrap: Women’s hockey Lions move back into second place with big win over Gryphons

Lions logo
York U Lions

The No. 10 nationally ranked York University Lions women’s hockey team moved back into second place in the Ontario University Athletics standings with a big 5-2 victory over the University of Guelph Gryphons at Canlan Ice Sports on Friday night.

The win was York’s first win over the Gryphons in nine outings and gave the Lions an important three points as they fight for playoff positioning. The Lions controlled play for large stretches of the game and outshot the Gryphons 32-22 overall, including 12-6 in the third period when the Gryphons were trying to climb back into the contest.

An even first period ended with the Lions leading 1-0 after a goal by Ellen Donaldson at 14:22 accounted for the only scoring of the frame. More details on the York Lions website.

Men’s hockey Lions end season with victory over Golden Hawks

The York University Lions men’s hockey team wrapped up the 2019-20 campaign with a 2-1 victory over the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks on Saturday night at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Lions had already been eliminated from the playoffs but closed the season with some solid play over the last few weeks, going 4-1-1 in their last six contests, with their only regulation loss coming to the second-place Ryerson University Rams.

After a scoreless first period the Lions finally got on the scoreboard midway through the second when Alex Mowbray redirected a pass from Tyler Higgins beside the net to give his team a 1-0 advantage. It lasted less than four minutes, however, as the Golden Hawks leveled the score on a power play tally by Matt McJannet. More details.

Men’s volleyball Lions pick up important points with sweep of Lakers

The York University Lions men’s volleyball team picked up an important two points on Saturday night with a sweep of the Nipissing University Lakers at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

In the first set, the Lions trailed behind the Lakers but were quick to regain the lead. Andrew Tauhid scored a service ace to make it 16-13. The Lakers were closing in on the Lions 22-20, but a service error gave the Lions the chance to get the set point. An attack error from Grady McClure gave the Lions the set point, and a kill from Andrew Shotbolt ended the first set 25-22 for the Lions. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions came up short in a four-set loss to the No. 6 nationally ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues. The first set started off with the Blues gaining the first point of the match, but the Lions were not far behind as they gained a point from a serve error. At the beginning of the game, both teams were neck and neck until the Lions began to extend their lead with a serve ace by Luke de Greeff followed by a Blues’ attack error and a kill from Tauhid. More details.

Women’s volleyball Lions get back into win column with 3-1 victory over Lakers

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team got back into the win column on Saturday with their 3-1 victory over the Nipissing University Lakers at home at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

The first set started well for the Lions as they led the game early 11-3, with a fantastic kill from Aleksandra Steins over the Lakers. The Lions did not let their feet off the gas as they dominated the first set. Tara Leithead scored a serve ace to give the Lions the set point, and a serve error from the Lakers closed the first set 25-9 for the Lions. More details.

The Lions also dropped a 3-1 decision to the No. 4 nationally ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday night.

The Blues struck first with a kill from Jenna Woock, but a kill from Sarah Williams helped even the score. Both teams were neck-and-neck in the first half of the opening set but the Blues began to pull away with the lead with a kill from Alina Dormann to make the score 5-2 for the Blues. More details.

Track and field Lions post strong results at a trio of meets over the weekend

The York University Lions track and field teams split three ways this weekend: the Hillsdale Wide-Track Classic in Michigan, the University of Akron College Invitational in Ohio and the Windsor Team Challenge in Windsor, Ont.

Middle distance sprinter Levar Russell had a phenomenal weekend as he set a new fieldhouse record in the 600m at Hillsdale College with a personal best time of 1:20.26, which moves him to the ninth position on York’s all-time list and also moves him up in the U SPORTS rankings.

Samuel Adams finished the weekend hitting the U SPORTS auto-qualification standard with a season’s best jump of 5.02m, tying for the second highest jump in the nation with teammate Daniel Gleason who took the gold medal at the University of Akron Invitational. More details.

Women’s basketball Lions wrap up road schedule with overtime loss to Mustangs

The York University Lions women’s basketball team lost 76-71 to the Western University Mustangs after going into overtime on Saturday evening in London, Ont.

The Mustangs came out charging in the first quarter, scoring 22 points against the Lions who were able to get 12 points in, four of them from veteran point-guard Katrina Collins-Samuels and another four from forward Megan Stewart. More details.

As part of their weekend road trip, the Lions dropped a 57-44 decision to the No. 7 nationally ranked Windsor University Lancers. In the game’s opening quarter, Windsor opened up an early advantage by matching the Lions’ point output. Save for an early 2-2 tie, the Lancers held at least a one-point advantage over York for the duration of the opening quarter. More details.

Late push not enough in men’s basketball Lions’ loss to Lancers

Alex Thielen led the York University Lions men’s basketball team with 18 points, but it wasn’t enough to upend the University of Windsor Lancers at the St. Denis Centre Friday night.

Windsor took the game 102-73, outscoring York in every quarter except for the fourth.

The Lancers got hot offensively in the game’s opening quarter, allowing them to post 29 points and open up a 16-point lead on the Lions. More of the same happened in the second frame, putting Windsor in control heading to halftime. They led 62-37. More details.

One day later, the Lions lost 108-73 to the Western University Mustangs in London, Ont. The Lions waited until the fourth quarter of the game to score the most points in a frame. They surpassed the Mustangs with 25 points and the home team finished behind with 23. Prince Kamunga finished the quarter with a total of nine points, including a three-pointer, while teammate Tyler Pryce added six points to the final quarter. More details.

Weekend wrap: Rodgers, Agard win silver medals at OUA wrestling championships

Lions logo
York U Lions

York University Lions wrestlers Brea Rodgers and Bailey Agard won silver medals at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships on Saturday to lead the women’s team to a sixth-place finish in Guelph, Ont., while the men were eighth.

Rodgers won the silver medal in the 59kg weight class in her debut OUA meet, earning the conference’s rookie of the year award in the process. She is the first rookie of the year in program history, and the result from her and Agard equals the best ever finish from a Lions women’s wrestler at the championship.

Agard’s result came in the 51kg division. She was also competing in her first OUA championship after an injury forced her to miss the event last year.  More details on the York Lions website.

Women’s volleyball Lions win third straight after downing Paladins in five sets

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team beat the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins 3-2 on Sunday in Kingston, Ont., their third victory in a row.

The Lions took the first two sets against the home team. York finished the first set with a 25-17 win and took the second set 25-15.  More details.

As part of their weekend road trip, the Lions earned a 3-1 victory over the Queen’s University Gaels on Saturday.

In the first set, kills from Olivia Kim and Aleksandra Steins helped the Lions gain the early lead. The Lions didn’t lead for long with a kill from Arielle Palermo followed by a Lions attack error helped the Gaels come back to tie the score. Both teams were fighting for the lead, but with a series of attack errors from the Gaels the Lions were able to gain the edge and widen it. A final kill from Kim sealed the Lions 25-22 win in the first set.  More details.

Men’s hockey Lions continue hot streak with road win over Warriors

The York University Lions men’s hockey team continued its late-season surge on Thursday night with a 4-2 win over the University of Waterloo Warriors at Columbia Ice Fields in Waterloo, Ont.

The Lions have now earned points in four straight games, winning three of them.

Morgan Messenger is a big reason why the Lions have been picking up points. He scored the winning goal against the Warriors and added an assist on the final goal and now has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last three games.  More details.

The win came one day after a 3-1 victory over the Brock University Badgers on home ice. In the first period, the Lions were pressuring hard and played tough defence. Six minutes in, the Badgers had a substantial chance for themselves to score, but Lions goalie Cole Ceci made a desperate save and smothered Brock’s chance.  More details.

Men’s volleyball Lions need five sets to take down Paladins in Kingston

The York University Lions men’s volleyball team got its first win of 2020 as they beat the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins in a 3-2 game on Sunday in Kingston, Ont.

Andrew Shotbolt finished the game with a total of 18 points, 17 of them kills, while teammate and first-name twin Andrew Tauhid finished with 16 points, 13 of them kills.

The Lions finished on top of the Paladins in the first two sets, taking the first 25-19 with 14 kills from York and 10 from the home team. The Lions finished the second set 25-14, creating a 2-0 game lead against the Paladins.  More details.

The Lions were also in Kingston the day before for a match against the Queen’s University Gaels and were defeated in straight sets.

In the first set, the Gaels scored the first point off of a serve error, but Tauhid came back with a great kill to equalize the game early. The Lions gained the lead with a series of Gaels’ mistakes, followed by a kill from Shotbolt. However, the lead didn’t last long as the Gaels continued to earn points to regain the lead and finish the first set with a 25-19 score.  More details.

McHolm scores hat trick but Voyageurs defeat women’s hockey Lions in shootout

The No. 9 nationally ranked York University Lions women’s hockey team was defeated in a shootout by a 4-3 score by the Laurentian University Voyageurs in Sudbury, Ont., on Saturday evening.

The Lions picked up a point in the standings as the race for the playoffs continues and are now third with 41 points, one point back of second-place Nipissing and one ahead of Waterloo. The Lions played hard with excellent defence, but neither team found the back of the net in the first period.  More details.

On Friday, the Lions suffered a 4-3 loss to the Nipissing University Lakers. York and Nipissing traded goals back and forth in a busy first period. The Lions opened the scoring less than four minutes in on a tally by Ava Ricker-Singh, but 49 seconds later the score was tied again as Malory Dominico found the back of the net for the home team.  More details.

Track and field Lions finish weekend with 17 podium results across two meets

The York University Lions track and field teams hosted the annual York Open this weekend at the Toronto Track and Field Centre (TTFC), while some of the jumpers headed across the border for Cornell University’s Kane Indoor Invitational.

The women long jumpers swept away the competition across the border as Leah Jones, who has gone undefeated in the women’s long jump for four weeks in a row, left with the gold medal; long and triple jumper Olivia Henry left with the silver and Rasheeda Gurley finished with the bronze and a season’s best.

At TTFC, pole vaulter Daniel Gleason hit the U SPORTS auto-qualification standard with a jump of 5.02m. He also finished first among U SPORTS athletes at the meet and still holds the number one spot nationally by a large margin.  More details.

Men’s basketball Lions fall behind early in loss to Marauders

All of the McMaster University Marauders starters had over 10 points, as their men’s basketball side took an early lead over the York University Lions and would not relinquish it for the duration of the contest.

They downed the Lions 95-72 at Burridge Gymnasium, including a 31-point opening quarter that allowed the host Marauders to breathe in the later three quarters of the game. The loss was York’s fifth in a row.  More details.

Earlier in the week, the Lions dropped a 94-81 decision to the Brock University Badgers on the road. The Lions gained an early lead over the Badgers with a jump shot from Yacine Loe followed by a three-pointer and a free throw from Prince Kamunga. Still, the Badgers quickly regained their lead and extended it with a jump shot from Mitch Saunders, followed by another jump shot from Daniel Cayer. A three from Saunders closed out the first quarter with 27-17 over the Lions.  More details.

Five-game winning streak comes to end for women’s basketball Lions against No. 8 Badgers

The York University Lions women’s basketball team saw its five-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday night with a 73-55 loss to the No. 8 nationally ranked Brock University Badgers in St. Catharines, Ont.

The Lions came out strong in the first quarter of the game with a series of three-pointers from Megan Stewart, Lauren Golding and Emma Jonas to gain the early lead. The Badgers scored baskets of their own to keep it a close game, but the Lions prevailed and outscored the Badgers in the first quarter 15-12.  More details.

The Lions lost their second straight of the week with a 76-68 defeat to the McMaster University Marauders on the road on Saturday. York started fast, outscoring their opponents 24-19 in the game’s opening quarter, holding McMaster off the score sheet for four straight minutes at the end of the first frame.

In the second, the game remained close but York had a slight edge over the Marauders thanks to six points from Katrina Collins-Samuels. She held the Marauders back and kept the Lions in the lead. They had a three-point lead, 42-39 at half time.  More details.

Weekend wrap: Women’s basketball Lions extend win streak to five with dominant win over Voyageurs

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to five games on Saturday evening with a lopsided 75-48 victory over the Laurentian University Voyageurs at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

The Lions came out strong in the first half and dominated the Voyageurs. Lauren Golding led the team with 10 points, followed by Megan MacLeod with eight to close the half with 31-22 lead.

The second half kicked off with a great steal from Megan Stewart, which ended in a three-pointer from Emma Jonas. More details on the York Lions website.

One day earlier, and in front of hundreds of school children, the Lions picked up an 84-70 win over the Nipissing University Lakers. Third-year forward Lauren Golding recorded her fifth consecutive double-double, this time with a game-high 28 points and 13 rebounds. More details.

Men’s hockey Lions snap skid with OT win over Badgers

Nik Coric’s goal just 90 seconds into overtime snapped the York University Lions men’s hockey team’s losing streak and gave them a 5-4 victory over the Brock University Badgers at the Seymour-Hannah Centre on Thursday night.

The home team outshot the visitors 19-10 in the first period but it was the Lions who emerged with a 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of goals 19 seconds apart. Tyler Higgins opened the scoring at 13:37 and Xavier Pouliot potted the second at 13:56, the only two goals of the frame. More details.

The Lions also earned a point against the University of Guelph Gryphons in their home game on Friday night, falling by a score of 4-3 also in overtime.

The first period started active with both teams going full tilt to the net and creating a lot of good chances. It was the Gryphons who got on the scoreboard first with a wrister from Mikkel Aagaard. Later in the period, the Lions gained a power play and were looking to use the extra man to their advantage but could not capitalize. More details.

Women’s hockey Lions post sixth shutout of the season in victory over Badgers

Lauren Dubie recorded her fourth shutout of the season and the No. 8 nationally ranked York University Lions women’s hockey team earned its sixth overall in a 3-0 victory over the visiting Brock University Badgers at Canlan Ice Sports on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Caroline Eagles potted the first goal of the game just 2:16 in for an early 1-0 advantage. More details.

Earlier in the week, the Lions were defeated by a score of 3-1 by the University of Guelph Gryphons on the road. Though the first period saw a total of nine shots from the Gryphons and five from the Lions, the period remained scoreless for both teams.

It was in the second period of the game when Guelph’s Miranda Lantz scored the first goal of the contest within the first five minutes of the period, in what would be the only goal of the frame. The second period ended 1-0 for the home team. More details.

Wrestling Lions win team provincial title at Ontario junior championships

The York University Lions wrestling team was crowned Ontario provincial champions this past weekend after three members of the women’s team won medals at the junior championships in London, Ont.

Mary Adarkwa, Bailey Agard and Brea Rodgers finished with a combined 29 points to finish at the top of the field of 24 teams.

Adarkwa won the gold medal in the 72kg weight class in impressive fashion, outscoring her opponents 32-0. The result was never really in doubt as she won her first match 12-0, her semifinal match-up 10-0 and then cruised to another 10-0 score in the championship bout. More details.

Men’s basketball Lions hang close but end up on wrong end of result against Voyageurs

The York University Lions men’s basketball team put up a fight at the end but were ultimately defeated by a score of 84-76 by the Laurentian University Voyageurs at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Saturday night.

In the first quarter the Voyageurs gained an early lead, but the Lions were beginning to close in. A three-pointer from Prince Kamunga helped the Lions close the gap, but the Voyageurs had the upper hand in the first as they outscored the Lions 17-11. More details.

On Friday, the Lions fell to the Nipissing Lakers by a score of 82-67. The two squads were deadlocked at 19 apiece after the opening quarter, but the Lakers wasted little time taking the lead in the second and, by the end of the frame, were up by eight at 43-35. More details.

Track and field Lions finish second, seventh in team standings at McGill Team Challenge

The York University Lions track and field team had an incredible weekend at the McGill Team Challenge in Montreal, as the women’s team finished on the podium in second place after amassing 112 points and the men were seventh with 47 points.

The women were strong all around, garnering 10 personal bests and 15 season’s bests.

The 4x400m women’s team, consisting of Nicolette Witherspoon, Simone Da Silva, Marvelous Agbonwaneten and Zakiya Tavernier, went from not being on the U SPORTS rankings to running the third fastest time in the nation with a season’s best of 3:51.14, which also placed them on top of the podium with the gold medal at the meet. More details.

 

Top student-athletes honoured for academic success

The York University Athletics & Recreation department honoured its top students on Jan. 21 at the annual Awards and Scholarships Reception. The event was held at the Second Student Centre on the Keele Campus.

This reception recognizes student-athletes who have won various awards and bursaries for the 2018-19 academic year. All award and bursary recipients experienced success both within the classroom and their sport in the previous year.

2018-19 Awards and Scholarships Recipients
2018-19 Awards and Scholarships Recipients

In addition to honouring hard-working student-athletes the evening also provided the department with an opportunity to thank its generous donors who make many of the awards possible.

Awards and scholarships are highly sought after by student-athletes and have a tremendous impact on their university careers.

For a full listing of all the student-athletes recognized visit the York U Lions website.

Weekend wrap: Women’s hockey Lions take down Gaels in 4-1 win on the road

Lions logo
York U Lions

The No. 10 nationally ranked York University Lions women’s hockey team beat the Queen’s University Gaels 4-1 on Saturday, their second win of the same score this weekend, during a game in Kingston, Ont.

The Lions opened the first period by scoring the first three of their four goals. Taylor Coward started the game off with a goal, followed soon by another from Ellen Donaldson. With just 35 seconds left on the clock, Kelsey McHolm scored the third goal for the Lions and her eighth goal of the season, bringing the score to 3-0 by the end of the first period. More details on the York Lions website.

On Friday night the Lions used a balanced scoring attack to defeat the Ontario Tech University Ridgebacks 4-1 at the Campus Ice Centre in Oshawa, Ont.

All four lines got into the scoring action as the Lions scored once early in each period and added an empty netter to cruise to victory.  More details.

Women’s volleyball Lions get first win of 2020 with four-set victory over Lakers

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team beat the Nipissing University Lakers 3-1 in a Sunday afternoon game in North Bay, Ont.

The Lakers took the first set 25-18. However, the final three sets were all the Lions. The Lions finished the second set with a 25-19 win. Kayla Clennon finished the set with a total of five kills to help the Lions even out the game. In the third set, the Lions beat the Lakers 25-23 and Chiara Da Silva was able to record nine assists in the set.  More details.

Track and field Lions capture 15 medals at annual Fred Foot Memorial meet

The York University Lions track and field team headed downtown to the University of Toronto’s Athletic Centre for the Fred Foot Memorial meet this past Friday and Saturday, while the pole vaulters were across the border for the pole vault summit in Reno, Nevada.

The Lions ended the weekend with 15 podium finishes.

Holly Taylor finished with two first-place results, throwing 13.99 metres in the shot put, a personal and also the automatic qualifying standard for the U SPORTS championships. Taylor now moves up to the second spot in national rankings, right behind teammate Kaitlin Brooks.

Taylor also took the gold in the weight throw with a distance of 15.34 metres while teammate Thyra Mbiro finished second with a personal best of 11.02 metres.  More details.

Mowbray’s hat trick not enough as Rams come back to defeat men’s hockey Lions

Alex Mowbray scored a hat trick but it wasn’t enough on Friday night as the Ryerson University Rams came back with four goals in the third period to defeat the Lions by a score of 6-5 at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Mowbray scored once in the first period and twice in the second, including a pair of goals two minutes apart right at the end of the middle frame, but the Rams tied the game with just under five minutes remaining and scored the winner with 1:48 left on the clock to steal the victory.  More details.

Lakers sweep men’s volleyball Lions in straight sets

The York University Lions men’s volleyball team lost 3-0 to the Nipissing University Lakers on Sunday afternoon during a game in North Bay, Ont.

York’s Andrew Shotbolt and the Lakers’ Curtis MacPherson tied for first in scoring between all players on the court with 11.5 points.

The Lakers took the first set 25-11. They also took the second set 25-16 and the Lions were able to battle it during the final set for a two-point 25-23 difference.  More details.

Weekend wrap: Women’s basketball Lions come back to win first game of the new year against No. 8 Brock Badgers

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions women’s basketball team won its first game of 2020 in thrilling fashion, picking up a 66-63 upset victory over the No. 8 nationally ranked Brock University Badgers on Wednesday night (Jan. 8) at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

The game started off electric with a huge turnout. Both teams were neck and neck in the first. Lauren Golding broke the tie to help the Lions gain the lead. The pressure didn’t stop there as the Lions forced numerous turnovers. With the help of Megan MacLeod, the Lions continued to edge away with the lead. More details on the York Lions website.

On Saturday, Golding’s career night led the Lions to a big 91-84 overtime victory over the defending Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and U SPORTS champion McMaster University Marauders. Golding shined throughout the game as she finished with a career high of 35 points and 17 rebounds to help the Lions take their second win of 2020.

The third quarter proved to be the turnaround for the Lions, where they added 31 points to the scoreboard, which helped them get marginally close to the Marauders for the first time in game. More details.

Men’s basketball Lions open 2020 with thrilling win over visiting Badgers

The York University Lions men’s basketball team got back into the win column with a 79-77 win over the Brock University Badgers at the Tait McKenzie Centre to tip off the new year.

In the first quarter, the Badgers gained an early 3-0 lead but the Lions picked up the pace and came out loud to dominate over the Badgers. Three-pointers from Prince Kamunga and Alex Thielen helped solidify the Lions’ lead and kept the momentum going to close the first quarter with a whopping 22-14 advantage thanks to a buzzer-beater from DeAndrae Pierre. More details.

Three days later, the Lions nearly upset the No. 7 McMaster University Marauders, ultimately falling by a single point, 83-82, on home court. The first quarter was off to a fast start with the Lions leading the charge. Kamunga and Joshua Kagande had fantastic steals ending with the Lions leading 14-10. More details.

No. 9 women’s hockey Lions fall to No. 2 Blues in battle for first place

The No. 9 nationally ranked York University Lions women’s hockey team battled the No. 4 University of Toronto Varsity Blues for first place in the OUA standings on Saturday afternoon and came away with a tight 2-0 defeat.

Offence was hard to come by for both teams as they played strong defensive games and got solid play from their goaltenders.

With one minute left on the clock in the first period, Mathilde De Serres opened the scoring to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage. That would be all the offence until the dying seconds of the game, when Natasha Athanasakos scored into an empty net to secure the victory. More details.

Women’s volleyball Lions come up just short in five-set loss to Warriors

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team came up just short in a five-set loss to the University of Waterloo Warriors at the Tait McKenzie Centre in their first OUA game of 2020.

The Lions nearly came all the way back from a two-set deficit but could not close it out, falling 15-11 in the fifth set to fall to 5-5 on the year. The Warriors improved to 5-4 with the win. More details.

The Lions returned to the court the following day to face the University of Guelph Gryphons and had their match play out in similar fashion. The Gryphons took the first two sets against the Lions, who trailed behind 25-16 in the first and 25-18 in the second set.

It took the Lions the third set to help them get on the board. A block by Wesley-Ann Bailey and Kayla Clennon provided the Lions with their first point of the set. This was followed by two more blocks by Bailey to give the Lions a 3-0 lead. More details.

Men’s hockey Lions drop both decisions to Thunderwolves in weekend doubleheader

The Lakehead University Thunderwolves defeated the York University Lions men’s hockey team by a score of 5-2 in the first game of their weekend doubleheader at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Thunderwolves built a 3-0 lead early in the second period and never looked back. The score remained that way until five minutes into the third period, when Nik Coric found the back of the net to cut the deficit to 3-1. More details.

One night later the two teams were back on the ice again and the Thunderwolves pulled out a tight 3-2 victory.

In the second period of the game, during a power play, the Thunderwolves put themselves on the scoreboard at 9:34 of the period and took a temporary 1-0 lead to the Lions.

York answered the visiting team just a minute later as Morgan Messenger found the back of Lakehead’s net with assists from Scott Feser and Xavier Pouliot. More details.

Men’s volleyball Lions drop 3-1 decision to Warriors

The York University Lions men’s volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to the University of Waterloo Warriors to open the new year at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

The Lions got 2020 off to a great start as they took an early lead over the Warriors. Toronto native Grant Lynch scored a strong kill for the Lions. The Lions continued to lead the Warriors by nearly doubling their score and by the end of the set were up 25-19 to take a 1-0 lead. More details.

The following day, the Lions were back on court against the University of Guelph Gryphons and were defeated in straight sets. The first set saw the teams past the 25-point mark. The two remained close throughout most of the set, with the Gryphons only ever getting five points ahead of the Lions. Towards the end of the set, the Lions began to make their move on the Gryphons and they tied the visiting team 19-19, then they tied again 21-21, at the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th points. The Gryphons were able to ultimately take the set 28-26, bringing the match to 1-0. More details.

Track and field Lions leave Windsor with six medals after Can Am Classic success

The York University Lions track and field team came away from the annual Can Am Classic with six medals after a successful weekend of competition in Windsor, Ont.

Leading the way was thrower Holly Taylor, who finished atop the podium in the shot put with a personal best distance of 13.56m, finishing just ahead of the silver medallist. Taylor also competed in the weight throw, an event she was undefeated in prior to the weekend, and finished in fifth place with a throw of 14.97m. More details.

Rodgers and Agard win medals at Brock Invitational

York University Lions wrestlers Brea Rodgers and Bailey Agard finished on the podium at the Brock Invitational meet in St. Catharines, Ont., on Saturday.

Rodgers, in her first season of competition with the Lions, won the silver medal in the 59kg weight class. Her only loss of the day came to Hannah Taylor, a multi-medallist at past OUA and U SPORTS championships.

Agard, meanwhile, won the bronze medal in the 51kg division. Wrestling against Emily Duchesne from the Algoma Thunderbirds in her final match, she won a narrow 5-2 decision to put herself on the podium. More details.

Year in Review 2019: Top headlines at York University, October to December

As a new year emerges, YFile takes a look back on 2019 to share with readers a snapshot of the year’s highlights. “Year in Review” will run as a four-part series and will feature a random selection of top news stories published in YFile. Here are the stories and highlights for October to December 2019, as chosen by YFile editors.

October

Osgoode Professor Emeritus John McCamus co-recipient of 2019 Justice Medal
The Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice (CIAJ) has announced its Justice Medal Award will be jointly awarded to Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Emeritus John McCamus and Patrick J. LeSage, former chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

York University vision scientists disprove 60-year-old perception theory
Vision researchers at York University have disproved a long-standing theory of how the human vision system processes images, using computational models and human experiments.

New Joan and Martin Goldfarb Art Gallery will help others find their passions through art
For Joan and Martin Goldfarb, art has always been a major passion and a significant part of their lives. Now they are on a mission to help others find their own passion through art by contributing $5 million to build a new art gallery on Keele Campus.

Chris Caputo

York chemistry professor receives Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award
Chemistry Professor and Tier II Canada Research Chair Chris Caputo in the Faculty of Science has received the 2019 Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award. The award is presented to outstanding early-career faculty members at York University and is a commitment by Petro-Canada (now Suncor Energy Inc.) and the University to encourage excellence in teaching and research that will enrich the learning environment and contribute to society.

November

‘The Economist’ ranks the Schulich School of Business No. 1 in Canada
The Economist magazine has ranked the MBA program at York University’s Schulich School of Business No. 1 in Canada in the magazine’s annual survey of the world’s top 100 MBA programs.

Writer and scholar Jesse Thistle headlines 2019 Kitty Lundy Memorial Lecture
The 2019 Kitty Lundy Memorial Lecture will be presented by best-selling author and scholar Jesse Thistle, author of the memoir From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way (2019). Thistle’s talk will be followed by a discussion with panellists Shane Belcourt, ShoShona Kish and Jesse Wente.

Janke receiving the award from Russ Jackson

Lions football player Jacob Janke wins U SPORTS Russ Jackson Award, named all-Canadian
York University Lions football player Jacob Janke was named the recipient of the U SPORTS Russ Jackson Award on Nov. 21 as the national award winners and all-Canadians were celebrated at the annual Vanier Cup gala. Janke is the first-ever York recipient of the national award.

York U researchers play major role in advancing autonomous rail travel
Professor Gunho Sohn from the Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering in the Lassonde School of Engineering is playing a major role in advancing autonomous transportation through a cutting-edge autonomous train research project.

December

The Art Gallery of York University wins major awards and accolades from OAAG
The Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) swept the 2019 Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) Awards of Excellence, and took home seven awards out of the 25 awards presented, including a special accolade for Interim Director/Curator of the AGYU, Emelie Chhangur, who received the OAAG’s inaugural Changemaker Award.

From left: Collette Murray with the President of Mod Developments, Noorez Lalani and Toronto Arts Foundation Director & CEO, Claire Hopkinson

MEd student Collette Murray wins Neighbourhood Arts Network Community Arts Award
Faculty of Education master’s student Collette Murray was awarded the 2019 Community Arts Award by Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighbourhood Arts Network. The $10,000 award, sponsored by MOD Developments, was presented to Murray recently at a reception at the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery.

Introducing the 2019-20 cohort of York University President’s Ambassadors
York University has announced the students selected to participate in the second cohort of the President’s Ambassador Program. This diverse group of multi-talented undergraduate and graduate students are engaged York community members who will share their commitment for the University through various institutional events and initiatives.

Research on cloud computing earns award 10 years after publication
Professor Marin Litoiu, from York’s Lassonde School of Engineering, along with an interdisciplinary group of colleagues, have received the Most Influential Paper award for research on cloud computing that was published 10 years ago.

This concludes the Year in Review 2019 edition.