Tag: Lions

Archival tag

Weekend wrap: Lions reach podium 21 times at three meets

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions track and field team had a huge medal haul over the weekend, racking up 21 medals including 10 gold medals, eight silver medals and three bronze medals at three separate meets.

The biggest contingent for the Lions competed at the Ottawa Winter National Invitational meet, where the team brought home 14 of their 21 medals. The men’s team led the way with nine medals, with gold medals going to Kayden Johnson in the 60m hurdles (8.47s), Xavier Jehovah in the 300m (34.55s), the 4x200m relay team of Demari Grant, Xavier Joseph, Tohma Van Bergen and Quinn Charles (1:30.36), and the 4x400m relay team of Jehovah, Mark Hutchinson, Daniele Orsini and Joshua Ching (3:21.82). Jehovah’s time in the 300m was a new personal best and finds him now ranked in the top eight in U SPORTS, while Johnson’s time in the 60m hurdles ranks him sixth in the nation. More details on the York Lions website.

Lions post big 3-1 victory over Lakers

The York University Lions men’s volleyball team beat the Nipissing University Lakers in a thrilling 3-1 game on Friday, Jan. 18 at the Tait McKenzie Centre, winning their first game of the second half of their 2018-19 season.

The Lions were off to an early lead in the first set of the game with setter Logan Mend serving the first ball. By the technical timeout, the Lions were leading 16-10 against the Lakers.

York’s Andrew Tauhid provided the Lions with their 22nd point of the set, which was followed by another point on a serve by Mend. The last point of the set occurred as a result of an out of bounds serve from the Lakers, giving the Lions their first set win with a final score of 25-18. More details.

Lions sweep Lakers 3-0 in convincing win

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team beat the Nippising University Lakers on Friday, Jan. 18 for their sixth win of the 2018-19 season. The Lions beat the Lakers in a 3-0 sweep during their first home game since the new year in front of a packed crowd.

The Lions took the first set 25-17 against the Lakers, who they also beat during their first game of the season by a score of 3-0. The first set saw great plays from the Lions, especially from York’s Cadence Currie who was all over the court for the Lions and had a number of key kills. More details.

No. 9 Gryphons too much for Lions on Wednesday night

The York University Lions women’s hockey team lost 4-1 to the University of Guelph Gryphons in an away game on Wednesday, Jan. 16. The Lions got off to a great start as they scored the first goal of the game in the first period. At 16:15, York’s Courtney Gardiner secured the Lions sole goal with an assist from Tegan Duncan.

In the second period, neither teams scored. However, the Lions controlled the play, as they were able to get 11 shots on goal compared to Gryphons’ five. More details.

Two days later, the Lions lost 1-0 to the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks in Waterloo on Friday, Jan. 18, their second loss in as many road games this week.

Though both teams had six shots on goal in the first period, neither team was able to get the puck past Eva Hall and Cohen Myers, the respective goalkeepers for the Lions and the Golden Hawks. The first period of the game ended 0-0 for both teams. More details.

York falls to No. 1 Carleton

The York University men’s basketball team were defeated 100-54 against the Carleton University Ravens on Saturday evening at the Raven’s Nest in Ottawa.

The Lions were up against tough competition in Ottawa this weekend, playing against the No. 1 team in the country. The Ravens are also first place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East standings with a perfect 16-0 record this season.

The Lions opened the game with Chevon Brown nailing a three-pointer after the Ravens got five points on the scoreboard. Despite keeping the game close at the start of the quarter, the Ravens added 22 points total to lead the Lions 22-13. More details.

A day earlier, the Lions were defeated by the No. 7 University of Ottawa Gee-Gees 92-58 at Montpetit Hall in Ottawa.

The Lions were up against tough competition facing the No. 7-ranked team in the country and the third-place team in the OUA East standings. The Gee-Gees were consistent through all four quarters and maintained a large lead on the Lions after a solid opening quarter.

The Lions kept the game close through the first period and trailed 15-12 with two minutes remaining. In the final two minutes, the Gee-Gees added seven more points to lead the Lions 22-12. In the second quarter, the Gee-Gees extended their lead to end the half by a score of 47-27. More details.

Lions end up on wrong end of high-scoring game, fall 7-6 to Rams

On Saturday, Jan. 19, the York University Lions men’s hockey team lost 7-6 against the Ryerson University Rams in a high-scoring game during York’s first away Subway Series game of the year at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

In the first period of the game, the Rams were able to get on the scoreboard with a goal with just over a minute to spare, at 18:45, to give Ryerson the first goal of the game. The Rams’ offence provided the home team with 16 shots on goal and all but one was saved by York goaltender Mack Shields. The Lions, on their end, were able to get six shots on goal during the first period, but none were able to find the back of Ryerson’s net. More details.

On Friday evening, the Lions faced a tough 5-3 loss against the Western Mustangs at Canlan Ice Sports.

In the previous Lions vs. Mustangs matchup just six days prior, the Mustangs topped the Lions 2-1, scoring the game winner in the final minute of play. With one point separating the two teams in the OUA West standings, the Mustangs earned a big win to maintain their third-place spot. More details.

Lions fall to No. 5 Gee-Gees

The York University women’s basketball team faced the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, who are ranked fifth in the country, and fell 88-58 on Friday evening at Montpetit Hall in Ottawa.

The Lions were up against tough competition playing against the Gee-Gees, who are also tied for first place in the OUA East standings with the Ryerson Rams. Despite the loss, the Lions are sitting in fifth place and are looking to end the second half of the season strong to earn a playoff spot.

The Lions kept the game close throughout the start of the first quarter and trailed by only three points, 12-9, midway through the quarter. The Gee-Gees picked up a bigger lead in the final minutes of the quarter and ended it by a score of 27-13. More details.

The following night, the Lions were defeated 71-50 by the Carleton University Ravens on Saturday evening at the Raven’s Nest in Ottawa.

The Lions had two tough matchups against top teams in the country this weekend in Ottawa. Sunday’s matchup against the Ottawa Gee-Gees ended in an 88-58 loss for the Lions. Unlike their previous game against the Gee-Gees, the Lions had a strong first half, making it difficult for the Ravens to pick up a large lead. More details.

York travels to Ryerson in Subway Series matchup on Saturday

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York Lions men’s hockey team will continue the popular Subway Series promotion this weekend when they battle the Ryerson Rams at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

The Lions will travel downtown to face the Rams in a rare matinee game on Saturday, Jan. 19. Puck drop between the Toronto rivals is at 2:15 p.m. This Subway Series matchup is a rematch of the inaugural Subway Series game last season, which saw the Lions defeat the Rams 3-2 in front of more than 400 visiting Lions fans.

The Lions will have payback on their minds when they face the Rams this time around, as Ryerson took the first leg of their season series by a lopsided 8-3 score back in November. In that game, Lions forward Stefano Pezzetta scored a goal eight minutes into the third period to tie the score at 3-3, but it was all Rams from there as they racked up five goals in the last 12 minutes to earn an emphatic road victory. The two teams also met in the second round of the playoffs last season, with the Lions winning in two straight games by scores of 6-3 and 3-2 respectively.

After a red-hot start to the year that saw them jump out to a 9-2-1 record in their first 12 games, the Lions have stumbled lately dropping seven of their past nine games. They lost five games in a row before the holiday break, but look to be snapping out of their mid-season funk with two wins in four games so far in 2019. They’ve played well in their two losses since the break, falling 4-3 to the first-place Brock Badgers and losing 2-1 on a late goal to the third-place Western Mustangs. The Lions sit in fourth place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West standings with an 11-7-2 record on the season.

Led by a powerful offence that has scored the most goals in the OUA, the Rams also began the season on a hot streak, winning 12 of their first 14 games. They were ranked as high as fourth overall in the country at one point, but a recent four-game losing streak has seen the Rams fall out of the top 10 as they were an honourable mention in the most recent national rankings. The Rams find themselves in second place in the OUA West after 20 games with a 14-5-1 record, five points ahead of the Lions.

The all-Toronto matchup figures to be a high-scoring, action-packed affair, which features the two highest scoring teams in the OUA West. The Lions offence is led by captain Scott Feser and fifth-year forward Reid Jackman, who each have 21 points on the season, followed by Josh LaFrance with 20 points. Ryerson counters with two of the top three scorers in the OUA in Matt Mistele (41 points) and Mathew Santos (33 points), who sit first and third overall, respectively, in league scoring.

Admission for York students is free and all attendees will receive free food, a promotional gift and TTC tokens. Students must sign up at yorkulions.ca/subwayseries before 6 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19 to attend.

Weekend wrap: Lions mount comeback in third period to beat Golden Hawks

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions women’s hockey team scored three times in the third period to secure a big comeback win by a score of 3-1 against the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks on Saturday evening at Canlan Ice Sports.

After a slow start to the year, the Lions are now red hot having won five of their last six games and earning the maximum six points in two games this weekend.

The game did not start out well for the Lions, as they took an early penalty just 30 seconds into the game and the Golden Hawks capitalized on the game’s first power play when forward Emily Visser gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 1:27. She broke in off the right wing and rifled a shot over the right shoulder of Lions goaltender Lauren Dubie for her first goal of the season. More details on the York Lions website.

A day earlier, the Lions beat the Waterloo Warriors 4-1 on Friday, Jan. 11 in Waterloo, Ont.

The Lions were the first to get on the scoreboard at 13:23 with a goal from Caroline Eagles. The first-year kinesiology and health science student scored the first goal of her Lions career, with assists from Ellen Donaldson and Leah Hibbert. The Lions continued their momentum as they scored their second goal of the game less than a minute later at 14:05. Erin Locke netted her fifth goal of the season, with assists from Hibbert and Jenna Gray. More details.

Lions claim seven medals at Sharon Anderson Memorial Meet

The York University Lions track and field team kicked off their 2019 year with a successful meet over the weekend, as the team claimed seven medals at the Sharon Anderson Memorial Meet at the University of Toronto campus.

York’s throwers led the way for the squad, earning a combined three medals in the weight throw event. Drew Erskine tossed his way to the gold medal in the men’s event, hurling a personal best of 16.64m on his third throw to win the event. Not far behind Erskine was Jonathan Raspanti, who earned the bronze medal with a throw of 14.49m.

In the women’s event, 2016 Olympian Brittany Crew also claimed the gold medal with a toss of 18.94m, a season’s best for the two-time York female Athlete of the Year. The winning throw came on her sixth and final attempt, and she needed it to win, as Jordana Badley-Castello of the Windsor Lancers had thrown an 18.49m toss on her fifth attempt. More details.

Lions medal at Brock Open, women’s team finishes third in team standings

The York Lions wrestling teams brought home some hardware from the Brock University Open on Saturday, as Bailey Agard, Lynelle Vassell and Shevonne Witter-Watts each won medals and the women’s team finished in third place overall for the meet.

Agard continued her outstanding rookie season with the Lions, bringing home the silver medal in the women’s 51kg weight class. Her biggest win of the tournament came against Sam Ramono of the host Badgers, who was an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) gold medallist and a U SPORT silver medallist last year, in addition to winning the junior national championship. Agard dominated Ramono, winning 10-0 in their match. Her lone loss of the tournament came in the first round of the tournament to Stefana Jelacic from the River Falls wrestling club, one of the most successful wrestling clubs in the U.S. More details.

LaFrance scores shootout winner to defeat Gryphons 4-3

The York University men’s hockey team defeated the University of Guelph Gryphons 4-3 in a shootout after two late goals by the Gryphons sent the game into overtime on Thursday evening at Gryphon Centre Arena in Guelph, Ont.

Josh LaFrance scored the lone goal during the shootout to top the Gryphons 4-3. LaFrance has been on fire this season, earning 19 points with four goals and 15 assists. Lions goaltender Mack Shields also had a strong game and saved 46 shots on goal, adding to his total of 491 saves this season and putting him in third place in the OUA.

The Gryphons scored early in the first period with a goal just under three minutes by Cody Thompson. The Lions tied the game at 17:42 on a short-handed goal by Scott Feser, who was assisted by Justin Bean. The Lions had 12 shots on goal in the first period, while the Gryphons had 15. More details.

On Saturday evening, the Lions lost 2-1 against the University of Western Mustangs on the road in London, Ont.

The Mustangs, who had 13 shots in the first period of the game, were off to a great start as they secured their first goal at 17:49. Western’s Spencer Cobbold was able to get a goal past York’s Mack Shields with an assist from his teammate Kyle Petit.

Two minutes later, the Lions were able to respond to the Mustangs’ lead by closing it with a goal of their own. York’s Jeremy Lucchini, with assists from Stefano Pezzetta and Josh LaFrance, scored the first goal of his Lions career. York had seven shots in the first period as the Lions and the Mustangs finished the first period tied 1-1. More details.

Lions top cross-town rival Blues for first win of 2019

The York University women’s basketball snapped out of a five-game slide and picked up their first win of 2019 with a 69-61 victory over their cross-town rivals the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in front of a full gym at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Friday night.

The Lions started the game strong, scoring on their first two shots of the game. The first came from guard Haley Bowie, and the second on a driving layup by forward Lauren Golding. Two baskets from Megan MacLeod and layup from Alysha Pinck followed and the Lions jumped out to an early 11-2 lead less than three minutes into the game. The home squad cooled off after their hot start as the Blues crept back into the game and led the Lions 17-16 at the first quarter break. More details.

The following night, the Lions lost 71-54 to the Ryerson University Rams at the Tait McKenzie Centre in their second cross-town rivals game of the weekend. The loss followed a big win against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues last night, also at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

The Lions fell behind the Rams in the first quarter by one point as they finished the first stanza down 19-18. York guards Haley Bowie and Emma Jonas, and forward Lauren Golding, all contributed five points in the first quarter of the game to help the Lions remain close to the visiting team that is currently placed second in the OUA East Division. More details.

Lions give No. 4 Rams all they can handle in hard-fought game

The York University Lions men’s basketball team lost 84-77 after a well-played, hard-fought game against the second-ranked team in the country, the Ryerson University Rams, on Saturday at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

York’s Prince Kamunga started the game off with a three-point shot within the first 45 seconds. Nana Adu-Poku supplemented Kamunga’s points with two points of his own with a jump shot to score the first points for the Lions.

Ryerson soon responded to York’s early 5-0 lead by scoring two jump shots in a row of their own. York’s Deandre Pierre was able to contribute four points in the quarter, helping the Lions maintain their lead over Ryerson, while Gianmarco Luciani was also a great contributor for the Lions in the first quarter as well as the entire game. More details.

On Friday evening, the Lions fell to the Toronto Varsity Blues by a score of 63-58 at the Tait McKenzie Centre in the first game between the cross-town rivals this season.

A three-pointer from Blues guard Evan Shadkami opened the scoring in the game, while Lions forward Gianmarco Luciani had the first points of the night for the Lions with a free throw followed by a nice jumper for an early 3-3 tie. Lions guard Chevon Brown got off to a good start, nailing back-to-back three-pointers early in the first quarter as the Lions jumped out in front. The Lions took a 15-10 lead into the second quarter after a defensive opening frame from both teams. More details.

Lions fall on road to No. 4 Rams 3-1

The York Lions women’s volleyball team took a close second set from the Ryerson University Rams on Saturday afternoon at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, but they were unable to steal any more games from the fourth-ranked team in the country as they fell 3-1.

The first set started evenly with the teams trading points in the early going. A kill from Lions outside hitter Celeste Witzell gave the Lions a 15-14 lead at the midway point of the set, but the two squads stayed close and were tied at 20-20 after an attack error by the Rams’ Sara Piana. From there, the Rams took over for the remainder of the set and won five of the next six points to take the first set 25-21. More details.

Lions lose close game to Rams 3-2

The York Lions men’s volleyball team lost a close game 3-2 to their cross-town rivals, the Ryerson University Rams, on Saturday afternoon at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. The Lions held a 2-1 lead, but were unable to hold off their rivals as the Rams took the last two sets to secure the victory.

The Rams drew first blood in the match, winning the first set 25-21. Grant Lynch scored the first point of the set for the Lions to tie the score at 1-1, but the Rams would pull ahead and hold the lead for the rest of the set. The score remained close right until the end, with Andrew Shotbolt pulling the Lions within two points at 23-21, but the Rams would win the next two points to take the opening set. More details.

York researchers invent novel computer vision system for automatic hockey videography

Researchers at York University have developed a deep learning-based computer vision system for attentive puck tracking (APT) that is able to automatically track the play in a game of hockey and deliver a dynamic zoomed video feed similar to an NHL broadcast feed.

The project, which is a collaboration between York University PhD candidate Hemanth Pidaparthy and Professor James Elder at York University’s Centre for Vision Research (CVR), will be presented on Jan. 10 at the 2019 IEEE Winter Conference on Applications in Computer Vision in Hawaii.

While hockey involves a large playing surface, instantaneous play is typically localized to a smaller region of the ice. Live spectators attentively shift their gaze to follow play, and professional sports videographers pan their cameras to mimic this process. Unfortunately, manual videography is economically prohibitive below the elite level.

The APT system takes as input a wide-field 4K video feed and automatically tracks the play, allowing an HD 3x-zoomed video feed to be dynamically cropped and re-targeted to a spectator’s display device (e.g. an iPad). This allows family and friends to enjoy high-quality video recordings of amateur games in the comfort of their homes and provides coaches and players with the ability to review play.

Original 4K video. Green dot: automatically estimated puck location. Blue rectangle: instantaneous region of interest
HD 3x-zoomed view, re-targeted for a standard display device

“Without this technology, it is really not possible to enjoy watching a game of amateur hockey on a standard display, as the puck is too small to be visible,” explained Pidaparthy.

A prototype of the system is currently operating at the Canlan Ice Sports facility at York’s Keele Campus, where it is being used to record the York Lions varsity home games for the 2018-19 season. A provisional patent application has been filed, and Innovation York and York’s Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) program are supporting the researchers to commercialize the technology. The project was awarded funding from the the VISTA Prototyping Fund to accelerate the development.

“This is a good example of how AI (artificial intelligence) can be used to simplify and enrich our lives. In this case, greater online access to community sporting events can cut down on vehicle traffic while keeping us socially engaged,” said Elder, who holds the York Research Chair in Human and Computer Vision and is jointly appointed to both the Department of Psychology and the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at York.

The research was supported by the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Idea to Innovation program and by the NSERC CREATE Training Program in Data Analytics & Visualization, led at York by Elder.

The researchers are currently enhancing their system to automatically extract video summaries of game highlights, and plan to extend their research to other sports such as soccer in the spring.

Weekend wrap: Lions retire No. 18 jersey of Mark Cross in emotional ceremony prior to Mark Cross Memorial Game

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York Lions honoured hockey alumnus Mark Cross on Saturday, Jan. 5 at Canlan Ice Sports prior to their evenly matched 4-3 loss to the Brock University Badgers in an emotional pre-game ceremony. Cross, who played with the Lions from 2011-16, was an assistant coach with the Humboldt Broncos last season and lost his life in the team’s tragic bus crash on April 6, 2018.

After symbolically stopping the clock at 18 seconds, the Lions celebrated Cross’ life and legacy as a York Lion in a stirring pre-game ceremony that included the retiring of Cross’ No. 18 jersey.

On the ice to take part in the ceremony were Cross’ parents, Brad and Marilyn; his brother, Michael; his sister, Leah; his girlfriend, Molly; friends from his native Saskatchewan; and his former York teammates. Cross became the first member of the Lions men’s hockey program to have his number retired. More details on the York Lions website.

On Friday night, the men’s hockey team opened up their second half of the season with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at Canlan Ice Sports.

After having been in York’s offensive end throughout most of the first five minutes of the game, U of T had a great scoring chance against the Lions; however, it was saved by York’s goaltender Mack Shields.

Following Shields’ save, the Lions skated the puck down to the Blues’ end with a passing play between Reid Jackman and Sal Filice, who passed the puck to Scott Feser, who scored the first goal for the Lions at 5:14. More details.

Lions defeat Lakers in first game of 2019

The York University men’s basketball team defeated the Nipissing University Lakers in their opening game of 2019 by a score of 73-64 on Friday evening at Robert J. Surtees Student Athletics Centre.

The Lions were off to a strong start picking up a big lead on the Lakers 16-5 midway through the first quarter. The Lions ended the quarter with a 22-16 lead.

The Lions continued to lead the Lakers at the start of the second quarter; however, the Lakers managed to close the large lead to just two-points with three minutes remaining in the half. The Lakers eventually tied the Lions 26-26, and after free throw the Lakers led the Lions for the first time 27-26. It was the Lakers who added one extra basket in the final minutes to lead 36-34 at the end of the half. More details.

The next night the Lions lost 111-80 on the road against the Laurentian University Voyageurs in Sudbury, Ont.

Prince Kamunga led the Lions in points throughout the game with 22 points on the night. In the first quarter of the game, the Lions were able to put in a total of 18 points to the Voyageurs’ 33. Lions guard Gene Spagnuolo contributed four of those points as he started the game well for the visiting team. By the end of the first half of the game, Laurentian was leading 55-36 against the Lions after outscoring them by four in the second quarter. More details.

Lions fall in Saturday night road game to Voyageurs

The York University women’s basketball team lost 64-46 against the Laurentian University Voyageurs during their second game of the weekend on Saturday, Jan. 5 in Sudbury, Ont.

The Voyageurs took the lead in the first quarter of the game and kept it throughout the remainder of the game.

Laurentian’s Kayla Deschatelets scored the first two points for the Voyageurs and picked up three more points in the first quarter to contribute to their 11 points in the first quarter. The Lions’ Alysha Pinck scored the first two points for York. More details.

A day prior, the Lions led the Nipissing University Lakers through three quarters until a push in the final minutes of the fourth quarter by the Lakers led them to a 65-61 victory on Friday evening at Robert J. Surtees Student Athletics Centre in North Bay, Ont.

The Lions came out strong in their first game of the new year and at the end of the first quarter, the Lions led the Lakers 18-12. They continued the momentum into the second quarter and managed to pick up a large, 11-point lead to end the half up 35-24. The Lions continued their lead into the third quarter, but the Lakers cut the lead close, trailing just two points by a score of 49-47 by the end of the quarter. More details.

Big third period by Badgers results in loss for Lions

The York University women’s hockey team was defeated on the road 6-3 by the Brock University Badgers on Saturday afternoon at Seymour Hannah Centre.

The Lions outplayed the Badgers in the first period and kept the game close until the last 10 minutes of the third period. The Badgers got on the scoreboard first at 9:49 of the first period with a shot by Niamh Haughey that slipped through the pads of Lions goaltender Eva Hall. After multiple attempts by the Lions to get on the scoreboard, Erin Locke scored the equalizer off a face-off with four minutes remaining in the first period. More details.

Mustangs claim 40th Excalibur Volleyball Classic

The University of Western Mustangs were crowned 2019 Excalibur Volleyball Classic champions on Sunday afternoon at the Tait McKenzie Centre in the 40th edition of the annual tournament. Western went a perfect 3-0 in the round robin tournament, the only team to go undefeated throughout the entire weekend.

The championship win was the fourth all-time at the tournament for the Mustangs, who also won previously in 2011, 2012 and 2015.

The Mustangs opened the tournament on Friday with a 3-1 win over the Nipissing Lakers (25-23, 19-25, 25-22 and 27-25) and followed that up with another 3-1 win over the host Lions on Saturday (25-22, 25-19, 23-25 and 25-14). They ended their tournament with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over the Queen’s Gaels on Sunday afternoon (29-31, 25-23, 25-20 and 25-22). More details.

Weekend wrap: Third consecutive overtime win for Lions in last game before winter break

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University women’s hockey team pulled out another overtime victory on Friday as they beat the University of Western Mustangs 3-2 at Canlan Ice Sports. Erin Locke again played the role of hero for the Lions, as she scored the overtime winner in the second consecutive game.

The Lions’ first good scoring chance of the game came off the stick of forward Brooke Anderson four minutes into the game, as she took a pass in the slot but lost the handle on the puck as it dribbled harmlessly toward Mustangs goalie Carmen Lasis. The teams settled into a defensive battle through the first half of the period, with Lions goaltender Eva Hall making a nice blocker save on a backhand by Western forward April Clark at the six-minute mark. More details on the York Lions website.

York brings home 16 medals at annual X-mas Meet

The York University Lions track and field had a successful home meet over the weekend, as the team brought home a total of 16 medals at their annual X-mas Meet. Hosted at the Toronto Track & Field Centre on York’s Keele Campus, the X-mas Meet yielded an even eight medals for both the York men’s and women’s teams.

The women’s team earned an impressive four gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals. Bringing home the gold for the Lions were thrower Brittany Crew in the weight throw (17.60m), Caroline Ritchie in the pole vault (3.45m), and Christy Ihunaegbo in the 300m (39.34) and the 4x200m relay team, which featured Ihunaegbo, Asia Hogan Rochester, Adjaratu Traore and Nicolette Witherspoon (1:44.45). More details.

Lions earn big road win against Marauders

The York University men’s basketball team defeated the McMaster University Marauders 91-81 on Friday evening in Hamilton, Ont.

Despite a comeback attempt by the Marauders in the third quarter, the Lions led the Marauders throughout all four quarters. The Marauders and the Lions were evenly matched holding similar records on the season. The Lions entered the game with a 3-5 record, while the Marauders had a 4-5 record. Despite the Marauders now having one more loss than the Lions, they sit in fourth place in the OUA West division, while the Lions sit in sixth place in the OUA East division. More details.

The following night, the Lions lost by two points to the Brock University Badgers by a score of 96-94 on Saturday evening at Bob Davis Gym.

Despite a coming back from a slow start in the second quarter, and leading the game late, the Lions faced a disappointing loss after a buzzer beater jump shot by the Badgers in the final quarter won the game.

The Lions added the first points to start the game with a jump shot by Chevon Brown. The Badgers had the biggest lead on the Lions in the last minute of play of the first quarter by a score of 21-12. Gianmarco Luciani made a jump shot and a free throw and the Lions trailed 21-15 by the end of the quarter. More details.

Lions lost high-scoring game 6-5 to Warriors in overtime

The York University Lions men’s hockey team lost a high-scoring game to the Waterloo Warriors on Friday night in Waterloo, Ont., by a score of 6-5 in overtime. With the loss, the Lions have dropped their last three games after a red-hot stretch saw them win seven of eight games.

It was all Warriors in the first period as they outshot the Lions 17-5 in the frame. Lions goaltender Mack Shields kept his team in the game, turning away 16 shots in the period, but Waterloo gained a 1-0 lead at the 13:30 mark when Markson Bechtold found the back of the net on the powerplay. More details.

On Saturday afternoon, the Lions were defeated by the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks 5-0 at Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.

The Lions won their previous matchup against the Golden Hawks on Nov. 17 at home by a score of 4-3. However, the Golden Hawks had the advantage of the home crowd in this afternoon’s game and outshot the Lions with 47 shots on goal compared to the Lions who had 17. The game was also highly physical, as there was a total of 28 different infractions.

The Golden Hawks were all over the Lions in the first period, putting up 18 shots on goal, while the Lions had three shots on goal. Despite the Golden Hawks outshooting the Lions, neither team was able to find the back of the net. Alex Fotinos stopped all 18 shots from the Golden Hawks and kept the score at 0-0 by the end of the first period. More details.

Lions lose close game by two points to Badgers

The York University women’s basketball team lost a close game against the Brock University Badgers 75-73 on Saturday evening at Bob Davis Gym.

The Lions competed in their final game until the New Year, and it was one jump shot and a free throw that allowed the Badgers to top the Lions by two points in the fourth quarter. The Lions managed to come back from an 11-point deficit in the first quarter and lead the Badgers throughout the third and fourth quarters.

The Lions were the first to add points to the score sheet with a jump shot by Emma Jonas to begin the game. However, it was the Badgers who dominated the rest of the first quarter, adding 24 points to lead the Lions 24-13 by the end of the quarter. More details. 

The day before, the Lions were defeated by the McMaster University Marauders 84-62 on Friday evening in Hamilton, Ont.

The Marauders were a tough opponent for the Lions, as they are sitting in first place in the OUA West division with an 8-2 record this season. With the loss, the Lions now have a 5-4 record and sit in the middle of the pack in the OUA East division after their second last game before the winter break.

The Marauders kept a strong lead on the Lions throughout all four quarters to earn themselves their eighth win. In the first quarter, after five consecutive points by the Marauders, the Lions earned their first points with a three-pointer by Megan Macleod. Despite the Lions keeping it close throughout the first half of the quarter, the Marauders added 23 points to lead the Lions 23-14. More details.

Weekend wrap: Lions win triple-overtime game against the Thunderwolves

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions men’s basketball team beat the Lakehead University Thunderwolves on Saturday, Nov. 23 in Thunder Bay, Ont., in a massive 112-104 win following an exhilarating triple overtime.

York’s Gianmarco Luciani led the Lions in points, with a total of 26 throughout the away game.

The first period saw the Thunderwolves leading with 18 points and the Lions were two points behind at 16. Luciani was the first to score with a three-point bucket less than a minute into the quarter. York’s DeAndre Pierre then followed with a two-point shot, giving the Lions an early 5-0 lead over their opponents. The Thunderwolves’ Davarius Wright then secured a three-point shot, putting Lakehead on the board. More details on the York Lions website.

Locke scores OT winner in first game of season against Voyageurs

The York University women’s hockey topped the Laurentian University Voyageurs 1-0 with an overtime goal on Saturday evening in Sudbury, Ont., their second overtime win of the weekend.

The Lions had a quick turnaround from the previous evening’s 6-5 overtime win against the Nipissing Lakers. Despite the high-scoring game against the Lakers, after three periods, neither the Lions nor the Voyageurs were able to get a shot past the goaltenders.

The Lions outshot the Voyageurs in the first period with 15 shots on goal compared to the Voyageurs’ nine. The Voyageurs had 17 more shots in the last two periods, while the Lions only had 12, but neither teams were able to find the back of the net. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions also beat the Nipissing University Lakers in overtime in North Bay, Ont., smashing a three-game losing streak.

The first period of the game saw both teams making an appearance on the scoreboard. However, the Lakers were the first to complete a successful shot on goal at 5:27, which was fired by forward Kaley Tienhaara with assists from teammates Zosia Davis and Jetta Derenoski.

The Lions answered 59 seconds later when forward Avery Reeves found the back of the net, assisted by Natalie Dean and Kara Washer. The two teams went into the second period tied 1-1. More details.

Lions win nail-biter against Varsity Blues

The York University Lions men’s volleyball team beat the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Sunday, Nov. 25 in a spectacularly close 3-2 win for the home team in a game that extended to five sets.

York’s Andrew Tauhid led in points between both teams, scoring a game total of 25.5 points, 25 of them being kills, while outside hitter Andrew Shotbolt also had a phenomenal game, contributing 21.5 points and 20 kills.

The Lions beat the Blues in the first set, which went over 25 points as the home team battled for the 27-25 win. York’s ability to keep a ball in the game contributed to their first set win, especially as they attempted to secure their last few points and Tauhid raced down the court as the ball was escaping the Lions and he brought it back into the game to secure another point for the Lions. More details.

On Friday evening, the Lions played in front of a packed house and, despite a hard-fought battle, were defeated by the Ryerson University Rams 3-2 at the Tait Mackenzie Centre.

After three consecutive points in the first set, it was Toure Nwakwesi who earned the first point for the Lions. The game was tied early on, 6-6, but the Lions led the Rams 16-11 by the midway break. The Lions stayed strong and held onto their lead to win the set 25-19. More details.

Lions defeated 3-0 by first-place Rams

The York University women’s volleyball team were defeated by the Ryerson University Rams 3-0 on Friday evening at the Tait Mackenzie Centre.

The Rams, who went undefeated in the 2017-18 season, and won the U SPORTS women’s volleyball championships, sit in first place in the OUA East division with a 6-1 record. With the loss, the Lions are still tied in second place with the Toronto Varsity Blues sharing a 5-2 record.

It was the Rams who dominated the first set, racking up a total of 15 consecutive points at the start of the game before the Lions were able to earn one for themselves. After the Lions earned a point from a Ryerson serve that went out of bounds, it was the Rams who earned one last point to lead the Lions 16-1 midway through the set. The Lions were able to add four more points before the end of the set, but the Rams topped the Lions 25-5. More details.

Two days later, the Lions lost their final game before the holiday break to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Sunday, Nov. 25 at the Tait McKenzie Centre with a 3-0 win for the Blues.

The University of Toronto took the first set in a close 25-23 win. York was able to secure four points in a row following the Blues’ first point of the game, which gave the Lions an early 4-1 lead. More details.

Lions five-game win streak halted with loss to Thunderwolves

The York University Lions women’s basketball team lost to the Lakehead University Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay, Ont., on Saturday, Nov. 24, which put a halt to their historic five-game winning streak.

The scoreboard in the first half of the game was almost identical for both teams. In the first quarter of the game, the Lions ended with 22 points and the Thunderwolves ended with 23.

The Lions’ Lauren Golding opened up the game with a three-point jump shot. The scoring went back and forth between both teams and neither led to far ahead from the other. The Thunderwolves scored two layups, which were followed by a layup from York’s Katrina Collins-Samuels and a three-point shot from Emma Jonas. More details.

Lions fall 3-1 at home to Varsity Blues

The York University men’s hockey team played against their city rivals, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, on Saturday evening and were defeated 3-1 at Canlan Ice Sports.

Both teams had chances in the first period, with the first huge chance coming from the Varsity Blues after a shot squeezed past Alex Fotinos, but hit the post and remained out of the Lions’ net. Ben Verrall had the first big chance for the Lions, taking a shot that went off the post. A few minutes later, Dexter Bricker received a long pass just behind the Varsity Blues’ defencemen; however, it was stopped by the goaltender. After multiple chances by both teams, Toronto’s Matt Campagna slipped one passed Fotinos to lead the Lions 1-0 just four minutes before the end of the period. More details.

On Thursday, the Lions lost 5-2 to the University of Guelph Gryphons in Guelph, Ont., ending the Lions’ season-high four-game winning streak.

The Gryphons previously fell short to the Lions back on Oct. 13, 2018, as the Lions beat their opponents in a 4-3 win at their home arena. The first period of the game saw 11 shots on goal for the Lions and 12 shots on goal for the Gryphons, one of which was fired by Matt Kenney, entering the Lions’ net and giving the Gryphons their first lead of the game. More details.

York Lions men’s hockey hosts Dahlgren’s Diabeauties and Diabetes Awareness Night, Nov. 24

Dahlgren's Diabeauties
Dahlgren’s Diabeauties

The York University Lions men’s hockey game on Saturday, Nov. 24 against the Toronto Varsity Blues will double as Dahlgren’s Diabeauties and Diabetes Awareness Night.

Founded by Lions forward Kaleb Dahlgren, Dahlgren’s Diabeauties is an advocacy program aimed at supporting children within the community and surrounding areas who live with Type 1 diabetes. Dahlgren’s goal is to make sure children with diabetes are aware that they can pursue their dreams, and not let diabetes get in their way.

Dahlgren’s Diabeauties night will feature a meet-and-greet with Dahlgren before the game at 6 p.m. and an on-ice presentation with a ceremonial faceoff.

Dahlgren's Diabeauties
Lions forward Kaleb Dahlgren and some of the Dahlgren’s Diabeauties

“I am looking forward to helping to bring awareness to all types of diabetes and shining a light on the positives that come with diabetes, even though it may be hard to see,” said Dahlgren. “This is a great opportunity to meet new people and discuss the way I treat my diabetes from an athlete’s perspective as well.

“I hope to make a positive impact in many people’s lives, and change their perspectives about managing diabetes and not letting it manage you. Make sure to wear red in honour of diabetes and to help cheer on the York Lions.”

Dahlgren’s Diabeauties will recognize a child with Type 1 diabetes at Lions home games during the season. The “Diabeauty” will receive complimentary tickets to a game, participate in a ceremonial puck drop, take pictures with Dahlgren on the ice and meet him after the game.

“I’m also very excited to have another Diabeauty and honour them for the first time ever in Toronto,” he said.

Dahlgren signed to come to York in May of this year, after playing with the Humboldt Broncos last season. He was involved in the tragic bus crash on April 6 that killed 16 people and left 13 people with injuries. He has not suited up in game action for the Lions yet, but has been working hard to overcome a number of serious injuries he sustained in the crash.

The forward had a career year with the Broncos last season. He was selected as an assistant captain by his teammates and went on to play in 48 games and finish sixth in team scoring with 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists). Prior to joining Humboldt, he spent two full seasons with the Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and served as an assistant captain for one of those seasons. Prior to that, he was with the Battleford Stars in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, where he also served as an assistant captain for one year.

As part of the Diabeauties Night, anyone who donates online or at the game on Nov. 24 will be eligible for a 10-per-cent discount off of their meal at Wild Wing in Canlan Ice Sports. Proof of donations (email or screenshot) can be shown at the Lions ticketing table at the main doors to Rink 1 between 6 and 8 p.m. to receive the discount coupon to Wild Wing.

To find out more information about the event and to apply to become a Diabeauty, visit yorkulions.ca/Diabeauties.

To donate to the Dahlgren’s Diabeauties program, visit the Dahlgren’s Diabeauties donation page online.

Weekend wrap: Five straight wins for Lions with victory over Golden Hawks

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University Lions women’s basketball team beat the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks 82-60 at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Saturday, Nov. 17 for their fifth win in a row.

The Lions took the first quarter of the game finishing with a 22-17. Hailey Bowie, York’s point guard, was able to score several successful three-point shots for the Lions, which contributed to the Lions early lead in the first quarter.

In the second quarter of the game, the Golden Hawks were able to make a slight comeback. They scored 14 points in the quarter, which temporarily gave them a lead over the Lions who scored 10 points in the second quarter. More details on the York Lions website.

A day earlier, Lions dominated the University of Waterloo Warriors in all four quarters and picked up a 68-45 victory on Friday evening at Tait Mackenzie Centre.

The Lions started off the first quarter strong and picked up a big 20-6 lead against the Warriors. The home team built on the momentum of Emma Jonas’ three-pointer that gave the Lions their first three points and continued to add 17 more points before the buzzer. More details.

Lions win fourth straight in victory over Golden Hawks

The York University men’s hockey team won their fourth straight game with a 4-3 victory over the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks on Saturday evening at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Lions had multiple goal-scoring chances in the first period with shots by Reid Jackman and Ben Verrall to test the Laurier goaltender. It wasn’t until the Lions went on the only power play of the period that they were able to capitalize and take a 1-0 lead on the Golden Hawks. At 8:41, in front of a crowded net, Bradley Forrest found Scott Feser who shot the puck perfectly into the bottom right corner. The Golden Hawks had a couple chances, however, Alex Fotinos who started in net for the Lions, remained solid. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions men’s hockey team beat the University of Windsor Lancers at Canlan Ice Sports by a final score of 4-1.

The Lions got off to a fast-scoring start as Lions’ defenseman Jack Goranson scored the first goal of the game just over two minutes after the puck drop with an assist by Josh Harris and Alex Mowbray. The Lions and the Lancers battled it out during the remainder of the period, with both teams having their chances to score with 11 shots on goal by the Lancers and 10 shots on goal by the Lions in the period before the Lions were able to sneak a goal in before the end of the period. More details.

Lions open season strong in Guelph

Members of the York University Lions track and field team got their season underway this past weekend, coming away with ten top-10 performances, as they made the trip down to the University of Guelph to compete at the Zolten Tenke meet.

Third-year captain Quinn Charles led the way for the men on the track, as he not only sprinted to a second-place finish in the 60m, but eclipsed his lifetime best of 7.04, running a solid 7.01 seconds to kick the season off. Also placing top 10 in the men’s 60m was third-year sprinter Brandon Shokour with a ninth-place finish, in a time of 7.24 seconds. More details.

Lions pick up 3-0 win over Paladins

The York University men’s volleyball team defeated the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins 3-0 to earn their second win this season on Sunday afternoon at SAM gymnasium in Kingston, Ont.

After a tough 3-1 loss yesterday afternoon against the Queen’s University Gaels, the Lions, who sit in the middle of the pack in the OUA East division, took on the Paladins who are in last place with a 0-8 record on the season. The Lions topped the RMC Paladins through three sets to win the match. More details.

On Saturday afternoon, the Lions team were defeated 3-1 by the Gaels despite tying the game 1-1 in the second set on Saturday afternoon at Athletics and Recreation Centre in Kingston, Ont.

The Lions who sit in fifth place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East Division, played the Gaels who are leading the pack in first place and despite the loss, put up a good game taking the Gaels to four sets. The Gaels earned an early 1-0 lead on the Lions after taking the first set winning by a score of 25-20. More details.

Lions bounce back from first loss of season with victory over Paladins

The York University women’s volleyball team defeated the Royal Military College Paladins 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at SAM Gymnasium in Kingston, Ont. The Lions bounced back from a loss in yesterday afternoon’s match against the Queen’s Gaels to earn their fifth win this season. The Lions are now tied in first place in the OUA East division with the Ryerson Rams with a 5-1 record on the season.

Despite the Paladins not winning a game yet this season, they managed to bring the Lions to four sets after topping York in the second set. The Lions won the first set by a score of 25-18 with 16 kills and 46 total attacks. Although the Lions almost doubled the Paladins in kills with 21 compared to 12, the Paladins tied the game after winning the second set in a close match by a score of 25-23. More details.

A day prior on Saturday, the Lions lost their first game of the season 3-1 against the Queen’s University Gaels on Saturday afternoon at Athletics and Recreation Centre in Kingston, Ont.

The Gaels, who are now 3-4 on the season, managed to break the Lions’ four-game win streak in front of their home crowd. Although the Lions were able to take an early lead and win the first set, it was the Gaels who came on top winning the last three sets to take the game. More details.

Lions capture four bronze medals at York Open

The York University Lions wrestling teams took advantage of home mat, coming away with four bronze medals as they hosted their annual York Open meet on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Finding the podium and claiming bronze medals for the men were Paul Nguyen in the 54kg category, and Josh Malu in the 57 kg. category. Coming off a podium finish just last weekend, Nguyen was able to continue his medal-winning form, defeating the University of Western’s Reeve Boule with a decisive 10-0 win in the bronze medal match-up. Malu also proved formidable, as he made quick work of University of Alberta’s Valdes 10-0, setting him up to win a nail-bitter of a match against Brody Collison of Algoma University, 9-7 for the bronze medal. More details.

Lions outshoot Mustangs 37-32 but fall 1-0 on the road

York University Lions women’s hockey team lost 1-0 to the University of Western Mustangs after a very close game, which saw the winner from the Mustangs in the third period of the Friday night game.

The first period of the game ended 0-0 for both teams as Western had 19 shots on goal, all of which were saved by York goaltender Lauren Dubie. York was able to fire 11 shots at Western, which were all saved by the Mustangs goalie Carmen Lasis.

The second period of the game also saw several scoring opportunities from both teams, however, neither was able to find the back of their opponent’s net. York took the lead in shots on goal in the second period with 14 for the Lions and five for the Mustangs. More details.

On Sunday afternoon the Lions lost 6-3 against the Brock University Badgers at Canlan Ice Sports.

The first period of the game ended 0-0 for the Lions and the Badgers. Both teams had several scoring opportunities, however, strong defense from both sides prevented any attempt at securing a goal. In the second period of the game, the Badgers were able to capitalize on their opportunities and scored a trio of goals on the home team within the first five minutes of the period. More details.

Big fourth quarter by Golden Hawks lead to the Lions loss at home on Saturday night

The York University Lions men’s basketball team lost against Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks by just four points at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Saturday, Nov. 17.

The Lions scored the first two points of the game as York’s Prince Kamunga secured a two-point shot for the home team, which was followed by a three-point shot from Chevon Brown. Brown and Kamunga contributed points for the Lions one after the other, giving the Lions an early 9-3 lead over the Golden Hawks.

After the first quarter the Lions were ahead 22-13 with nine of their points coming from Kamunga. In the second quarter of the game, the Golden Hawks were the top scorers with 23 points to the Lions’ 18. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions fought hard in a close game on against the University of Waterloo Warriors, but were ultimately defeated 96-91 at Tait Mackenzie Centre.

Brendon Chevannes opened up the first quarter adding the first two points for the Lions. Early on, Gene Spagnuolo sunk a three-pointer to increase the Lions’ lead 11-4. With two minutes remaining in the quarter, the Warriors fought back and tied the game 17-17 which eventually allowed them to lead 23-22 by the end of the quarter. More details.

Weekend wrap: Lions squeak out one-point victory for third win in a row

Lions logo
York U Lions

The York University women’s basketball team had the crowd roaring as they defeated the University of Guelph Gryphons in a close game by a score of 77-76 on Saturday evening at Tait Mackenzie Centre.

The Lions were on a roll to open the first quarter, as an interception by Haley Bowie led Lauren Golding to score the first two points for the Lions. Emma Jonas and Bowie each nailed a three-pointer to add to the Lions’ lead, but Guelph managed to pick up their game and tie the Lions 11-11 midway through the quarter. The Gryphons added eight more points and led the Lions 19-13 at the end of the quarter. More details on the York Lions website.

A day earlier, the Lions beat the Algoma Unversity Thunderbirds by 15 points on Friday, Nov. 9 at the Tait McKenzie Centre. The victory was their second win of the regular season and came by way of a 74-59 final score over the visiting team.

The Lions outscored the Thunderbirds in points in three of the four quarters. In the first quarter of the game, Algoma’s Karly Francalanze scored the first two points of the game against the Lions, but York forward Lauren Golding soon answered with a two-point jump shot, which was followed by a three-point shot from Francalanze. More details.

Lions complete weekend sweep with 4-2 win over Thunderbirds

The York University Lions men’s hockey team beat the Lakehead University Thunderwolves with a 4-2 victory on Saturday, Nov. 10 in Thunder Bay, Ont., their second win against the Thunderwolves this weekend.

The Lions and the Thunderwolves finished the first period of the game scoreless, but they were both, however, able to fire several shots on goal, which were all saved by the respective goalkeepers. York netminder Mack Shields was able to keep the Lions’ net secured as he saved 17 of Lakehead’s shots and Lakehead was able to save all nine of York’s shots. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions played their first of two back-to-back games against the Thunderwolves and came away with a 5-2 victory. Reid Jackman scored three goals in the second period to earn himself his second hat trick of season. Jackman previously scored a hat trick two weeks ago in a huge 7-0 win for the Lions against the Laurentian Unviersity Voyageurs. He is now ranked third in the OUA with eight goals and tied for fourth with 13 points. Scott Feser added a goal for the Lions and two assists to jump into fifth place in the OUA with nine assists this season.

The Lions managed to get 25 shots on goal and capitalize on five, while the Thunderwolves doubled the Lions with 51 shots on goal, but only got two of them passed Mack Shields. More details.

Lions foiled by Citadins in consolation finals of U SPORTS championships

The York Lions men’s soccer team played their last game of the 2018 season on Saturday in the consolation finals of the U SPORTS national championships against the UQAM Citadins and fell by a score of 1-0.

On a gorgeous fall day on the University of British Columbia campus, the Lions played the possession game early on as the game started slowly with neither side registering a shot in the first 12 minutes. Lions goaltender Shyon Gaeeni easily made the first save of the match in the 13th minute off of a strike from the Citadins’ Oussama Kounna from the right corner of the box. More details.

To start the tournament on Thursday, the Lions battled back from a two-goal deficit against the Trinity Western University Spartans in the second half, but fell 4-2 in penalty kicks in the U SPORTS quarterfinals on Thursday at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The loss marked the second year in a row the Lions lost in the U SPORTS quarterfinal match and meant they would play the remainder of the tournament in the consolation side of the bracket.

Trinity Western opened the game strong, keeping the Lions pinned in their own end in the first five minutes, and had an early corner kick but couldn’t capitalize. A few minutes later, Lions midfielder Dylan Carreiro had the first chance for the Lions as he broke down the left side of the field and worked his way around a Spartans defender, but fired a shot wide left of the Spartans’ goal. More details.

In the consolation semifinals, the Lions battled the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds on Friday afternoon and advanced to the consolation finals after a hard fought 1-0 victory. Despite their loss in the quarterfinal round, the Lions came out aggressive against the Varsity Reds and played with intensity throughout all 90 minutes of the match. More details.

Lions dig deep for overtime win over Thunderbirds

The York University Lions men’s basketball team beat the visiting Algoma University Thunderbirds 85-81 in overtime on home court at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Friday night. The game was a back and forth contest that went into extra time after the Lions led in points in the first two quarters, and the Thunderbirds were able to make a comeback and tie up against the Lions in the second half.

In the first quarter of the game, the Lions led with 18 points as the Thunderbirds were behind the Lions by six points. York’s Chevon Brown’s had four points in the quarter, while fellow guard DeAndrae Pierre also scored four points, the last two being a jump shot with just 13 seconds remaining in the quarter. More details.

The next day the Lions fought hard, but were ultimately defeated by the University of Guelph Gryphons 105-92 on Saturday evening at the Tait Mackenzie Centre.

Prince Kamunga opened the first quarter by scoring a two-point jump shot for the Lions, followed by a three-pointer. The rest of the quarter, however, was all Gryphons as they were in control for most of the opening stanza and led the Lions 31-14 by the end of the quarter. More details.

Lions score six goals in win over Lancers

The York University women’s hockey team put an end to their four-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory against the University of Windsor Lancers on Friday evening at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Lions opened up the first period and outplayed the Lancers, taking 12 shots on goal compared to Windsor’s two. York’s Christina Chin, who was assisted by Chelsea Tucker, gave the Lions an early lead at 5:01 when she placed the puck perfectly in the bottom right corner through a crowded Lancers net. Later in the period at 14:49, Lions captain Jenna Gray intercepted a puck in the Lancers’ end zone, which led her to score her first goal of the season. More details.

The following night, the York Lions lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Nipissing University Lakers on Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Lions’ home rink.

The Lions were the only team to secure a goal in the first period of the game as the Lions’ offense was able to fire 10 shots at the Lakers’ net, one of them resulting in the first goal of the game from Kelsey McHolm, which was assisted by Brooke Anderson. The Lakers attempted to score on York’s net eight times; however, none of the shots were able to reach the back of York’s net and the Lions led 1-0 after the first period against the visiting team. More details.

Lions move to 4-0 with win over Thunderwolves

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team beat the Lakehead University Thunderwolves in a 3-0 sweep on Remembrance Day, Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Tait McKenzie Centre, adding a fourth win to their current undefeated season.

The Lions dominated each set of the game, refusing to let the visiting team get much momentum going in any of the three sets. The Lions, who have been having an impressive season under new head coach Jennifer Neilson, took the first set with a 25-9 victory over the Thunderwolves, winning by a large 16-point gap.

In the second set, it was all Lions once again, even though the Thunderwolves were able to lessen the scoring gap between the two teams. The Lions took the set with a 25-16 win, and in the third set of the game the Thunderwolves played hard to try and win, but the Lions came out on top again by a score of 25-18. More details.

Agard and Nguyen golden at Ryerson Open

It was a successful day for the York University Lions wrestling teams, as Bailey Agard and Paul Nguyen came away on top, capturing gold medals at the Ryerson Open this past Saturday.

Competing in the men’s 54kg category, Nguyen was able to defeat Dip Lad of Team Xtreme and Lakehead University’s Hasan Ercan on his way to the top of the podium. The second-year wrestler was flawless in his quest for gold, not giving up a single point in any of his rounds.

Not to be outdone, Agard was dominant in her four matches in the women’s 51kg category, going undefeated in the process. This is her second gold and third medal overall this season, highlighting and already impressive rookie campaign. More details.