Playoffs arrive for Lions’ volleyball and men’s hockey teams

Steve ChabbertThe York Lions men’s hockey team will host the Lakehead Thunderwolves at the Ice Gardens on Wednesday in game one of a best-of-three Ontario University Athletics (OUA) opening-round playoff series. The Lions finished in second place in the Mid-West Division with a record of 10-11-1-2, while the Thunderwolves were third in the Far West Division with a 13-9-2 record. Lakehead won both regular season meetings between the teams, 6-1 and 6-5, on Nov. 11 and 12 in Thunder Bay.


Right: Lions captain Steve Chabbert


Ticket prices for Wednesday’s 7:30pm game are $5 for adults, $3 for all students/seniors, children 12 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at the Ice Gardens beginning at 6:30pm on Wednesday. For ticket information, contact Sport York communications and promotions officer Kimberly Moser at kmoser@yorku.ca or ext. 55982. Game two is set for Friday in Thunder Bay, and game three, if necessary, is scheduled for Saturday also in Thunder Bay.


The defending OUA Champion York men’s volleyball team will travel to London to face the Western Mustangs on Thursday in quarter-final action. The Lions finished in fifth place in the OUA with a 13-7 record, while the Mustangs were fourth with a record of 14-6. The teams split a pair of regular season matches, with the home squad winning each time. York defeated Western in last year’s OUA Championship.


The Lions women’s volleyball team will face the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the quarter-finals on Saturday in Ottawa. The teams split a pair of regular season matches. The Lions (14-5) finished in third place in the OUA East, two points behind the second place Gee-Gees (15-4).


The women’s hockey Lions kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2-0 win at Western on Feb. 11. The Lions are tied with Windsor for the final playoff spot. Both teams play their final two regular season games this week. York (6-9-7) visits number-one ranked Laurier (19-3-1) on Saturday before hosting Guelph (8-7-5-1) at 2pm on Sunday.


Ricky Foley of the Lions track and field team broke York’s 27-year-old shot put record with a performance of 14.89 metres last weekend at the Windsor Team Challenge. The previous mark of 14.57 was set by Bill Milley in 1979. Foley, who is also a member of the Lions football team, was a Canadian Interuniversity Sport All-Canadian defensive end in 2004 and a two-time OUA All-Star. The Lions recorded eight personal bests and 14 OUA qualifying performances in Windsor.


The women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to nine games with weekend victories over Queen’s and RMC. The Lions will wrap up the regular season at Laurentian on Wednesday. The Lions clinched first place in the OUA East Division and receive a first-round bye before hosting the East Semifinal on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 8pm. If the Lions win their semifinal contest, they will also host the East Final on Saturday, Feb. 25, 6pm. Ticket prices for each game are $5 for adults, $3 for all students/seniors, children 12 and under are free. To order tickets or for more information, contact Kimberly Moser at kmoser@yorku.ca or ext. 55982.


The men’s basketball team also defeated Queen’s and RMC last weekend. York wraps up the regular season at Laurentian (8-13) on Wednesday in a preview of the OUA East quarter-final. The Lions will host Laurentian in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 8pm. Ticket prices are $5 for adults, $3 for all students/seniors, children 12 and under are free. To order tickets or for more information, contact Kimberly Moser at kmoser@yorku.ca or ext. 55982.


This article was submitted to YFile by Jim McLarty, sport & recreation information officer in York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science.