Adrian Pena’s goal in the 18th minute stood up as the game winner as the York University Lions men’s soccer team defeated the McMaster University Marauders 1-0 at York Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
The Woodbridge, Ont., native, who was last year’s Ontario University Athletics (OUA) most valuable player, had six shots on goal in the game. He nearly opened the scoring in the 14th minute but his first shot went wide.
 |
| Above: York Lions rookie Charlie Trafford (centre) during Wednesday’s match against the McMaster Marauders |
The Lions dominated play in the beginning and controlled the ball in McMaster’s end for most of the first half. Three minutes after Pena’s goal the Lions nearly scored again when Alon Badat, last year’s OUA West rookie of the year, got tangled with McMaster goalkeeper Matthew Grant while trying to take a shot on goal. Grant kept the ball out and the score remained 1-0 in favour of the Lions.
The team nearly notched its second goal in the 43rd minute when midfielder Carlos Noguiera of Brampton, Ont., was hauled down in the box. Pena took the penalty shot but it bounced off the top cross bar and fell behind the net.
McMaster’s best opportunity for a first-half goal came in the 29th minute, when a cross pass to Gersi Xhuti of Etobicoke, Ont., in front of the net just missed his foot.
The Lions continued to press for an insurance goal in the second half. Second-year midfielder Ilya Orlov of Toronto fired a great shot that Grant got in front of and Pena came close to another goal on a header that was pushed away.
The Marauders didn’t muster much of a scoring push until the 87th minute, when back-to-back corner kicks resulted in a flurry of shots in front of the net. Noguiera took one off his chest while York goalkeeper Sotiri Varlokostas of Toronto was caught at the other side of the net, and then Varlokostas dove to his right to stop another shot just before it crossed the goal line.
In the 90th minute Varlokostas made another game-saving stop, turning way Mark Reilly of Hamilton, Ont., as he came barrelling in alone. Play was whistled dead minutes later, giving the Lions the victory.
With the win the Lions remain undefeated on the year with a 2-0-1 record and are currently alone at the top of the OUA West standings with seven points. The loss drops the Marauders to 1-1-1 on the year, putting them in a three-way tie for second with four points.
The Lions will play their fourth and final game of the week this afternoon when they face the Brock University Badgers at York Stadium. Game time is 3:15pm.
Women’s soccer Lions earn first win of season
The York University Lions women’s soccer team earned its first win of the season on Wednesday afternoon, defeating the visiting McMaster Marauders 2-0 at York Stadium.
The game winner came off the foot of rookie Colleen Beesley of Richmond Hill, Ont., who scored her first career goal in the 29th minute to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.
 |
| Above: Rookie Colleen Beesley (centre) scored the game winner during Wednesday’s game against the visiting team from McMaster University |
The scored stayed that way into half-time and through the first part of the second half. In the 55th minute, Beesley nearly scored her second of the game when she went in alone on McMaster goalkeeper Brittany Duffey of Markham, Ont., but fired her shot just wide.
The teams continued trading possession throughout the second half but could not break though the defence. In the 90th minute, Lions fourth-year midfielder Nicole Markowitz of Toronto scored her first goal of the season to give her team an insurance marker.
That goal nearly proved necessary as McMaster rookie Stephanie Davis of Mississauga, Ont., came in on Lions goalkeeper Sarah Fiorini of Newmarket, Ont., just moments later and fired the shot toward the left goal post. Fiorini did not get there in time but the ball bounced off the post.
Fiorini earned the shutout in net, her second of the season after a scoreless draw with the Waterloo Warriors on Sunday.
With the win, the Lions improved their record to 1-1-1 on the season and now have four points. The loss was McMaster’s first of the season, dropping its record to 2-1.
The Lions will be back in action again this afternoon when they take on the Brock Badgers at York Stadium. Kick-off is set for 1pm.