The York Lions men’s and women’s soccer teams are undefeated as they head into the season’s second doubleheader weekend.
Each team recorded victories over the Guelph Gryphons and Waterloo Warriors to open the season, putting them into the early lead in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) standings. The Lions will be looking for similar results this weekend when they take on the McMaster Marauders on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 1pm and 3:15pm, and the Brock Badgers on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 1pm and 3:15pm.
Second-year women’s player Stefania Morra (right) continued her scoring prowess from last year as she exploded for six goals in two games this past weekend. On the heels of her Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) rookie-of-the-year award from last season, she scored all three of York’s goals en route to a 3-1 victory over the Gryphons and then followed up that performance with another three goals in a 5-0 rout of the Warriors. With six goals, Morra is currently the scoring leader in both the OUA and CIS.
The men’s team received plenty of scoring help from new talent as rookies Andrea Lombardo and Jarek Whiteman each scored a pair of goals in the Lions’ two shutout victories. Lombardo comes to York after playing for Toronto FC Major League Soccer last year, while Whiteman was a member of Canada’s under-20 national team.
The football squad will attempt to win its first game of the season when it faces the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 1pm at Varsity Stadium. York has struggled so far this year, losing 40-7 to the Windsor Lancers and 71-3 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees, but holds a 13-game winning streak over its Toronto rivals.
A number of other Lions teams will begin their 2008-2009 seasons this week.
The women’s rugby team opens on the road against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 5pm and the Queen’s Golden Gaels on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 1pm. The Lions will look to build on their record from one year ago, where they finished 1-4 and dropped a 14-7 decision to the Trent Excalibur in the OUA quarter-final.
The Lions men’s and women’s tennis teams kick off their campaigns on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 9am and 12pm at home against the Toronto Varsity Blues. The men are coming off an OUA championship season while the women finished second last year, losing a heartbreaker in the final to the Varsity Blues.
Finally, the field hockey and cross-country teams will see their first regular season action of the year on the weekend. The field hockey team, silver medallists at the OUA championships last year, plays back-to-back games on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 2pm against the Western Mustangs and then the Toronto Varsity Blues at 6pm in London. Meanwhile, the cross-country squad will be in Guelph for the Guelph Open on Saturday, Sept. 13.