Battle for Mid-West hockey title starts at York

The race for top spot in the Mid-West Division in Ontario University Athletics men’s hockey heats up this week when the York Lions and the Brock Badgers square off in a key home-and-home series.

Nathaniel BrooksThe Lions, who sit eight points behind the first-place Badgers, play host to Brock Thursday (Jan. 17, 7pm) at Canlan Ice Sports before the teams meet again Saturday night in St. Catharines.

The Lions enter the series on a roll, having won their past two games, including a dominant 6-1 triumph over the visiting Concordia Stingers of Montreal this past Saturday. Nathaniel Brooks (right) led the way with two goals and an assist in the victory.

Basketball fans also are in for a treat this weekend as the top men’s team in the country – the Carleton Ravens – come to the Tait McKenzie Centre to face the Lions Friday (Jan. 18, 8pm). The five-time defending national champion Ravens are 12-0 this season. Carleton beat York 80-61 earlier this month in Ottawa. The Carleton-York game can be heard on CHRY 105.5fm or at chry.fm. The Lions continue their homestand Laura MacCallumSaturday (Jan. 19, 8pm) against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

The Lions women’s basketball team (11-2), meanwhile, will look to extend its 37-game winning streak against OUA East opponents this weekend when it plays host to the Ravens (Jan. 18, 6pm) and the Gee-Gees (Jan. 19, 6pm, CHRY). Star guard Laura MacCallum (left) reached the 1,000-point mark for her career this past weekend in a win over the Queen’s Golden Gaels.

All the other York teams are on the road this weekend. The volleyball teams travel to Western and Windsor for doubleheaders against the Mustangs and Lancers, respectively. The women’s hockey team faces the Badgers Saturday afternoon in St. Catharines before facing off with the Guelph Gryphons on Sunday night. Finally, the track & field team competes in the Toronto Track Classic and the Don Wright Meet at the University of Western Ontario, in London.

Submitted to YFile by Mike Koreen, sport & recreation information officer in York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health.