Weekend wrap: Tennis Lions claim OUA silver, men finish fourth

The York University Lions women’s tennis team won the silver medal at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships for the second straight year on Sunday, with a 4-3 loss to the host Western University Mustangs in the championship final.

The York University Lions women's tennis team won the silver medal at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships for the second straight year
The York University Lions women’s tennis team won the silver medal at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships for the second straight year

The men’s team, meanwhile, was defeated by a 5-2 score by the Universite de Montreal Carabins in the bronze medal match to finish in fourth place.

The women, who entered the championships as the top seeds after an undefeated regular season, knocked off the University of Waterloo Warriors 7-0 in the semis to set up a surprise final against the Mustangs, who upset the defending champion Carabins in their semifinal match. The Lions took a 3-0 lead after claiming the doubles point and winning the first two singles matches, but the Mustangs came storming back to win the last four singles matches and capture the banner. More details on the York Lions website.

Men’s soccer Lions clinch 10th straight OUA West title with win over Badgers

The York University Lions men’s soccer team won its 10th straight OUA West Division title on Sunday afternoon, with a 2-0 victory over the Brock University Badgers at Alumni Field.

With the victory, the Lions keep their undefeated streak alive and move forward with a record of 12-0-2. The stunning record translates to 38 points and the first place position in the OUA West standings. They have a six-point lead over Guelph, with two games remaining and hold the tie-breaker over their division rivals.

The first goal of the match came from the foot of Maurizio Ragone in the 20th minute when he dribbled the ball into the 18-yard box and fired a laser straight past unaware Brock goalkeeper Matt Zaikos. More details.

Women’s rugby Lions have season ended by Gaels in OUA quarter-finals

The York University Lions women’s rugby team dropped a 60-7 decision to the No. 7 nationally ranked Queen’s University Gaels in their OUA quarter-final match at Nixon Field in Kingston, Ont., on Saturday afternoon.

The Gaels scored 26 points in the first half, on four tries and three conversions, to all but put the game away. The Lions scored the first points of the second half, a try by Dorrian Khouri and a conversion by Catherine Belanger 10 minutes into the frame, but that was as close a they would get.

The Gaels added five more tries and two conversions in the second half to run away with the victory. More details.

Men’s hockey Lions rally from three goals down to defeat Golden Hawks

The York University Lions men’s hockey team rallied from a three-goal deficit to defeat the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks by a score of 4-3 on Saturday night at Canlan Ice Sports.

The result avenged a 4-3 loss to the Golden Hawks one week ago in Waterloo, Ont.

The first period was all the Golden Hawks, as Danny Hanlon scored twice to give Laurier a 2-0 lead entering the second period. The beginning of the second period was opened up with a goal from Laurier’s Kyle Morrison just one minute in. With the Lions now down 3-0 at the start of the period, it was time for the rally to begin, and they did so 55 seconds later when Trevor Petersen capitalized off of the power play. More details.

On Friday night, Kyle Campbell scored the lone goal of the game to give the Lions a 1-0 victory over the visiting University of Toronto Varsity Blues also at Canlan Ice Sports.

The first two periods of the game were scoreless for both teams even with 24 shot attempts by the Lions. In the first two periods, York outshot Toronto 24-10; this would lead to good fortune in the third and final period of the game when, once again, the Lions outshot the Varsity Blues 10-5. More details.

Women’s soccer Lions top Badgers to remain first in OUA West

The York University Lions women’s soccer team stormed the field on Sunday afternoon and they defended their home turf at Alumni Field with a 1-0 victory over the Brock University Badgers.

The victory was the Lions’ 10th on the season, as they now have a record of 10-1-3 and 33 points, giving them top spot in the OUA West Division.

The match was filled with both teams racing to move the ball into each other’s end. No player on either team seemed to be able to find a way to succeed in enemy territory in the first half. With the score still deadlocked just before the half, Kiyani Johnson scored in the 41st minute of play on an incredible goal. She came racing down the field into the 18-yard box and just before she was forced out of bounds she sliced the ball, beating the goalkeeper’s angle all the way to the opposite post. More details.

Football Lions close home schedule with loss to No. 8 Marauders

The York University Lions football team was defeated by the No. 8 nationally ranked McMaster University Marauders by a score of 64-2 in their home finale at Alumni Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Marauders scored a touchdown on their opening drive and never looked back from there, putting up 582 yards of offence and scoring six offensive touchdowns. They also had a pair on special teams, with an 85-yard punt return major by Mitch Garland in the first quarter, and a 63-yard return in the fourth quarter by Aaron Baker.

York’s only points came on a McMaster conceded safety in the opening quarter. More details.

Women’s hockey Lions top Ridgebacks for season opening win

The York University Lions women’s hockey team played their season opener on Saturday afternoon at Canlan Ice Sports against the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks and started the season off on the right foot as they left the game victorious with a 4-1 win.

Both teams entered the game with an extreme hunger for the win and the first period was a reflection of that as both teams held each other scoreless for the first 20 minutes of the match.

The second period was a much different story. In the second minute of the frame, rookie Kelsey McHolm broke the deadlock when she sneaked the puck past UOIT goaltender Tori Campbell off of an assist from Erin Locke for a 1-0 lead. More details.

On Sunday, the Lions travelled to Kingston, Ont., for their first road game of the season and were defeated by the Queen’s University Gaels by a score of 3-0.

The Gaels flooded the Lions net offensively and for the most part the defence played stellar as York goaltender Lauren Dubie saved 21 shots on net. More details.

Sharma posts second straight top-five finish at Toronto Invitational

York University Lions cross country runner Suraj Sharma recorded his second straight top-five finish of the season with a fifth-place showing at the Toronto Invitational on Sunday at Centennial Park.

The fifth-year runner from Brampton, Ont., crossed the finish line of the 8-kilometre race in a time of 25:38 to finish among the leaders in a field of 84 runners.

The Lions also had four runners in the women’s 5-kilometre race and they were led by Vaishnavy Yogarajah, who crossed the finish line in a time of 20:16 in 34th place. More details.