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Lions down Ravens, claim fourth OUA banner in five years

The York University Lions men’s soccer team won their fourth Ontario University Athletics (OUA) banner in five seasons on Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 victory over the Carleton Ravens at Alumni Field.

Playing in their fifth straight final and looking to be crowned champions again after a silver medal result last year, the Lions played a solid game from beginning to end to reclaim the Blackwood Cup. It is their sixth in program history, while the Ravens’ second-place finish is their best since also winning silver in 2012.

The Lions men’s soccer team claimed their fourth OUA banner in five years

Both teams had scoring chances in the first half, but none of them were particularly dangerous until just seconds before the end of the first 45 minutes. With time ticking down and the Lions in Carleton’s end, Joey Cicchillo made a great one-on-one play to take possession of the ball. He passed it to Jonathan Lao in the middle of the field, who turned and passed it to a streaking Dylan Carreiro coming up the left wing. Carreiro made a nifty move and then fired the ball into the bottom right corner of the net to give the Lions a 1-0 lead at the half.

The Lions came out of the break flying and forced Carleton goalkeeper Nick Jeffs to make a pair of saves in the first 10 minutes.

In the 71st minute, the Lions finally got the insurance marker they were seeking thanks to Cicchillo. He got the ball near midfield and went in on net with just one defender near him. Jeffs came out to the top of the box to try and stop the breakaway, but Cicchillo tapped the ball around him and then fired it into a wide-open net for the second goal.

As time wound down, the Ravens pressed for a goal, but the Lions’ stout defence cleared numerous shots from the box and goalkeeper Quillan Roberts was forced to make just one save in the second half. He made five total for the game, while Jeffs stopped four.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Ryerson Rams defeated the McMaster Marauders by a 3-0 score in the battle for the OUA bronze medal.

Arya Hemati opened the scoring just 12 minutes into the game, and three minutes later Nick Lambis added to Ryerson’s lead with his second of the playoffs to give the Rams a 2-0 advantage at the half.

McMaster’s starting goalkeeper, Jesse Di Domenico, came out of the game at the half with an injury, and then in the 65th minute back-up Tristan Joyce also got hurt, forcing the Marauders to put a bench player, Alex Matsubara, in net. He played the final 25 minutes and made one save, but in the 90th minute Daniel Merean put the ball behind him to round out the scoring for the Rams.

Both the Lions and Ravens had already qualified for the U SPORTS championships taking place next week at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. The full tournament seeding and schedule will be announced on Sunday after the final qualifying teams are determined.

Host Lions to battle for fourth OUA title in five years this weekend

It has been an impressive reign amidst the soccer elite for the York University Lions men’s squad, and despite falling last year in the gold medal game, the host Lions will be looking to regain top spot at the 2017 Men’s Soccer Final Four Championships this weekend amidst a loaded field.

The four-team event will take place at Alumni Field, with the semifinals scheduled for Friday and the gold- and bronze-medal games to be played on Saturday. All four games can be seen live online on OUA.tv.

This year’s championship promises to be a thriller as all four teams are ranked among the top 10 in the U SPORTS national rankings. The No. 5 Lions (13-2-1) will battle their cross-town rivals, the No. 10 Ryerson Rams (9-6-1), in the first semifinal at 3pm, while the No. 4 Carleton Ravens (13-1-2) will follow against the No. 8 McMaster Marauders (12-3-1) at 6pm. There will be a new champion crowned after the Guelph Gryphons were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

The last meeting between the Lions and Rams came in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) final in 2013, a match the Lions won 1-0 to claim their first of three conference banners. The Marauders last met the Ravens in 2012 when the two teams battled for the OUA championship and again in the U SPORTS fifth-place game.

The Lions have won five OUA titles in program history, including three in a row from 2013-15 and four total since 2007 under head coach Carmine Isacco. The Marauders have also won three recent conference banners, in 2009 and back-to-back in 2011-12, as part of six total for the program. The Ravens are looking to win their third Blackwood Cup and first since 2005, while the Rams have never won the OUA championship but were silver medallists in 2013.

Continuing their impressive streak of success, the Lions finished this season atop the West Division for the 11th straight year and are appearing in the Final Four for the eighth consecutive time and 10th in the last 11 seasons. After an uncharacteristically slow start to the year in which they lost two of their first three contests, the Lions have gone unbeaten in 14 contests, including 13 victories, while once again dominating their opponents. For the fourth year in a row they allowed the fewest goals in the OUA West, giving up just 11 in 16 regular-season games, and they also scored more goals than the rest of the teams with 50.

York’s leading scorer this season was Cristian Cavallini with 15 goals in only 12 games, one of four Lions in the conference’s top 15. Milan Beader finished tied for ninth with eight goals, while Dylan Carreiro and Steve Kloutsouniotis were tied for 11th with seven each.

The Rams come into the tournament as the third seeds from the OUA East after an ineligible player early in the season cost them wins. They bounced back and are making their fifth straight appearance in the semifinals. They have struggled in recent years to live up to their usual top-seeded billing, failing to qualify for the national championships in three straight seasons, and will look to turn that around against the Lions this year.

Like the Lions, the Rams are a strong defensive team and allowed only 13 goals this season. They were also the lowest scoring team of the four, putting up only 27. They earned their spot in the semis with a thrilling penalty kicks win over the Toronto Varsity Blues, while the Lions got past the Western Mustangs 2-1.

Ryerson’s top scorer was Nick Lambis, who ranked eighth in the OUA with nine goals.

The Marauders and Ravens will do battle in the other semifinal. Similar to the Lions, the Ravens led the OUA East in goals for (57) and goals against (seven) and will look to continue to dominate when they come up against a McMaster squad that plays a tough, physical style. The Marauders are no strangers to scoring as they were second in the West with 42 goals, while their 20 goals allowed was the most of all four teams remaining.

McMaster reached the semis with a 1-0 victory over the Gryphons, while the Ravens crushed the UOIT Ridgebacks 7-0 in their quarter-final match.

Carleton boasts the OUA leading scorer in rookie Gabriel Bitar, who tallied 16 goals in 15 games, as well as fellow rookie Stefan Karajovanovic, who was tied for second with 15 tallies. The Marauders’ top scorer was Dusan Kovacevic with 11 goals, good for the fifth-best total in the OUA.

In addition to the OUA title, the four teams are also competing for a berth at the U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship, which will be hosted by Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C., Nov. 9-12, and the winners from the two semifinals on Friday will represent the OUA.io

Lions take down Gryphons, win first OUA title since 1996

OUA field hockey York U lions

The York University Lions field hockey team won the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship for the first time since 1996 with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.

OUA field hockey York U lions
The York University Lions field hockey team won the Ontario University Athletics championship for the first time since 1996

With the win, their eighth in program history, the Lions have also advanced to the U SPORTS championships next weekend against the Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver.

The Gryphons finished with the silver medal for the fourth straight year.

The first half was a high-scoring affair in which the two teams traded goals, with the Lions taking the lead on two different occasions only to see the Gryphons equalize both times.

Standout rookie Jaslan Stirling, who was named the OUA’s rookie of the year and co-MVP earlier this week, started things off just over four minutes into the match with a great individual effort, bringing the ball into the circle on her own and firing it home. The lead didn’t last long, however, as fellow co-MVP Rebecca Plouffe levelled the game at 1-1 seven minutes later.

The scoring continued in the 15th minute when OUA all-star Sydney McFaul scored off a short corner to give the Lions the 2-1 advantage. She sent the ball into the circle initially, and then redirected it past the goalkeeper when it came back to her near the corner of the net.

Once again the Gryphons responded, this time from Kayla Magarelli also off a short corner. The score was tied 2-2 at the half.

The game settled down in the second and it wasn’t until the 43rd minute that Stirling scored again, her fourth of the tournament. The referees initially ruled it a no goal, but after conferring changed the call.

The Gryphons dominated play for the majority of the second half but the Lions made the defensive stops when they needed them to keep the ball out of the net. Guelph was awarded a short corner right at the final horn, but Sara Vollmerhausen cleared the ball out of bounds to secure the win.

She was named York’s player of the game, while Lauren Dewar earned the honour for the Gryphons.

After three years as gold medallists, the Toronto Varsity Blues were forced to settle for bronze after falling to the Gryphons in the semifinals on Saturday. They remained on the podium, however, with a 3-2 win over the Queen’s Gaels in an earlier match on Sunday afternoon.

Anna Costanzo opened the scoring in the eighth minute, giving the Blues a 1-0 lead. Eight minutes later, however, it was tied at 1-1 thanks to a goal by Ciara Morrison. The Varsity Blues took the lead again just minutes before the end of the first half with Emily Ziraldo’s third score of the tournament, and Toronto led 2-1 after 35 minutes of play.

The Blues wasted little time stretching their lead to two, with Nicole Spring scoring less than two minutes into the second half for a 3-1 advantage. Queen’s made things interesting in the 62nd minute with a snipe by Nicole Gaul on a penalty stroke, but they could not find the equalizer before the final horn sounded.

Toronto’s player of the game was Nicole Spring and the Gaels’s was goalkeeper Amanda Thoo.

The Western Mustangs finished in fifth place with a 1-0 win over the Waterloo Warriors thanks to a goal by Payten Lang in the 30th minute. Goalkeeper Marielle Fernback, the OUA goalkeeper of the year this season, was named Western’s player of the game. Miranda Hunter received the honour for the Warriors.

In the first match of the day, the McGill Martlets rolled to a 4-0 victory over the McMaster Marauders courtesy of a hat trick by Kasey Boyle. She scored in the fourth, eighth and 70th minutes to give her team the win and earn player of the game honours. Also scoring for the Martlets was Pria Flanagan.

McMaster’s player of the game was goalkeeper Jessica Kostuch.

Weekend wrap: Women’s soccer Lions claw their way into playoffs after draw with Lancers

York University Lions women’s soccer team faced off with the visiting University of Windsor Lancers Saturday in their last regular season game. Pictured here is Tomika McIntosh (image: Anton Mak)

The York University Lions women’s soccer team faced off with the visiting University of Windsor Lancers Saturday in their last regular season game. The Lions had a four-game winning streak heading into this match and needed a point to secure a playoff spot, and they got it with a 1-1 draw.

The first half remained scoreless until the last two minutes of play, when Cassie Chretien of the Lancers scored a goal on a shot that went well above the head of Lions’ goalkeeper Taylor Grant.

York University Lions women’s soccer team faced off with the visiting University of Windsor Lancers Saturday in their last regular season game. Pictured above: Tomika McIntosh. Image by Anton Mak

The Lions stepped up their offensive game in the second half, and it paid off. They were awarded a free kick in the 62nd minute that was taken by Ashley Nater, and she easily sent it to the lower left corner of Windsor’s net. Nater has been the Lions’ top scorer this season with five goals. More details on the York Lions website.

Men’s soccer Lions hit 13-game unbeaten streak to end regular season

The York University Lions men’s soccer team entered their regular-season finale riding a 12-game unbeaten streak and extended it to 13 with a 2-1 win over the University of Windsor Lancers at Alumni Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions conclude their regular season with a 13-2-1 record and had already clinched first place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West standings before the match-up with the Lancers, more than making up for their uncharacteristic slow start.

The Lions faced a challenging start to the game as the Lancers showed an incredibly strong defensive effort, foiling all of the Lions’ attempts to score. That all came to an end with a goal by Jonathan Lao in the 34th minute. Three minutes later, Sergiu Anton completed a play beautifully set up by Joey Cicchillo to make it 2-0. More details.

Vannucci scores twice in men’s hockey Lions’ victory over Paladins

Colton Vannucci scored a pair of goals to lead the York University Lions men’s hockey team to a 4-1 victory over the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins in their Saturday night affair at Canlan Ice Sports.

The fourth-year forward netted the first two goals of the game, the opening tally at 12:47 of the first period and the next at 6:22 of the second. His two goals were the only two tallies of the opening 40 minutes of play. More details.

One night earlier, the Lions defeated the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks 3-1. The Lions opened the scoring at 12:30 of the first period with a power play goal by Josh LaFrance, and they added to their lead less than five minutes later when Kyle Campbell scored his second of the season. The score sat at 2-0 after the opening 20 minutes. More details.

Women’s rugby Lions finish fourth after loss to Marauders in OUA bronze medal match

The York University Lions women’s rugby team finished the playoffs in fourth place after a 36-19 loss to the No. 8 nationally ranked McMaster University Marauders in their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) bronze medal match on Friday night at Ron Joyce Stadium.

The result is York’s best in program history and comes on the heels of the team’s first-ever semifinal appearance.

The Lions got on the board first with a try by Michela Stratton in the 13th minute, but the Marauders quickly responded with a try of their own. The Lions once again took the lead on a try by Tobi Owotomo to make the score 10-5 half way through the opening half and picked up the additional two points on the conversion kick, but it wasn’t long before McMaster pulled ahead by five at 17-12, the score at the half. More details.

Field hockey Lions sweep final games, finish first in OUA standings

The York University Lions field hockey team hosted its first and only regular season home games Sunday at Alumni Field. Their morning match against the Western University Mustangs saw a 4-1 win for the Lions, and their afternoon match against the University of Waterloo Warriors ended in a stunning 10-0 victory for the Lions.

The Lions head into the OUA playoffs in first place in the standings, with an 11-1 season record and 33 points.

Goals for the Lions in their morning contest were scored courtesy of Sara Vollmerhausen, Montana Merante, Frankie St. Louis and Jaslan Stirling.

The afternoon match saw a whopping 10-0 victory over the Warriors. Stirling scored five of the Lions’ 10 goals in this match, putting her total goals for the season up to 19, which led the OUA in scoring. More details.

Football Lions close season with loss to Lancers

The York University Lions football team was defeated by a score of 43-27 by the University of Windsor Lancers in the regular-season finale for both teams at Alumni Field in Windsor, Ont., on Saturday afternoon.

The two teams combined for more than 1,400 yards of offence in a game that went up and down the field from start to finish.

The Lions looked like they had scored first, but the touchdown was negated by a penalty and they failed to put any points on the board on their opening drive. Instead, it was the Lancers who opened the scoring on a touchdown by Marvin Gaynor and a field goal by Clark Green on the following possession.

On York’s first play after the field goal, quarterback Brett Hunchak and receiver Kadeem Hemmings hooked up for a 75-yard touchdown that made the score 10-7. More details.

Weekend wrap: Women’s soccer Lions win fourth straight, move into fifth in standings

Stephanie Lamanna of the York University Lions women’s soccer team (image: Anton Mak)

The York University Lions women’s soccer team has the longest current winning streak in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) at four matches after Sunday’s 2-0 victory over the Algoma University Thunderbirds at Alumni Field.

The run has vaulted the Lions into fifth place in the OUA West Division standings with a 5-6-4 record for 19 points. They sit three clear of the University of Windsor Lancers with one game remaining.

Stephanie Lamanna of the York University Lions women’s soccer team (image: Anton Mak)

The Lions fired 14 shots at the Thunderbirds in the first half alone but it took until the 38th minute for them to take the lead. More details on the York Lions website.

One day earlier the Lions earned a 3-0 triumph over the Thunderbirds. Christina Morelli kicked off the scoring for the Lions with a goal in the 14th minute of play, assisted by Stephanie Lamanna. The remainder of the first half remained quiet, though many attempts were made by both teams to score some goals. More details. 

Men’s soccer Lions clinch OUA West with dominant win over Thunderbirds

The No. 5 nationally ranked York University Lions men’s soccer team secured its 11th straight OUA West Division title with a dominant 8-0 victory over the Algoma University Thunderbirds at Alumni Field on Sunday afternoon.

The Lions are unbeaten in their last 12 contests and have a 12-2-1 record on the season for 37 points. Regardless of what happens in the final week of the regular season the Lions have clinched the top seed as they hold the tiebreaker over both the McMaster University Marauders and University of Guelph Gryphons.

Sunday’s game was never in doubt as the Lions finished with 34 shots compared to just four for the Thunderbirds. More details.

On Saturday the Lions also had a lopsided win, defeating the Thunderbirds 6-0 thanks to a hat trick by Milan Beader. After a few attempts to locate an opening in the Thunderbirds’ defensive line, Beader was able to find an opening and scored the first goal for the Lions. Cristian Cavallini found his 12th goal of the season in the 19th minute of play. More details.

Men’s hockey Lions erase two-goal deficit in shootout win over Badgers

The York University Lions men’s hockey team won its second straight game to start the 2017-18 season on Saturday and came back from a two-goal deficit with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Brock University Badgers.

The Lions trailed 1-0 after the first period, 2-1 after the second and fell behind by two goals 38 seconds into the third period on Sammy Banga’s tally. But the Lions came roaring back two minutes later when Derek Sheppard scored his first of the season to cut the deficit to one again. Less than five minutes after that, Trevor Petersen scored his second power play goal of the season to tie the game. More details.

On Friday night, the Lions opened the season with a 3-2 win over the University of Windsor Lancers on home ice. In a rematch of last year’s conference final, which the Lions won in three games, they were again the better team but had to work for it down the stretch after a dominant first period.

Just over 10 minutes into the first period the Lions already led 3-0 after goals by Kegan Blasby, Petersen and Reid Jackman. Jackman’s goal chased Windsor starting goaltender Blake Richard after he allowed three goals on 11 shots, and Jonathan Reinhart came into the game in relief. More details.

Big fourth quarter not enough in football Lions’ loss to Gaels

The offence for the York University Lions football team came alive in the fourth quarter but it was not enough to catch the Queen’s University Gaels in a 52-34 loss at Richardson Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Third-year receiver Colton Hunchak caught three touchdown passes in the final frame, all from back-up quarterback Matt Krason, as the Lions outscored the Gaels 21-0 in the last 15 minutes of play. But before that, multiple defensive breakdowns and a strong Queen’s offence led the way to the Gaels’ third straight victory.

The Lions got on the board first with a pair of singles from rookie kicker Dante Mastrogiuseppe, but Queen’s took the lead at 9:14 of the opening quarter and added to it as the game went on. They were up 19-2 after the first quarter and 40-13 at the half. More details.

Women’s rugby Lions fall to No. 2 Gryphons in first ever OUA semifinal

The York University Lions women’s rugby team played in its first ever OUA semifinal match Saturday at the University of Guelph Gryphons Varsity Field and were defeated 55-0 by the defending champion and No. 2 nationally ranked squad.

This was a monumental occasion for the program, overseen by head coach Jenn Russell, as they have never made it to this point in OUA playoffs before but they were taken down by a talented opponent.

The loss ended the Lions’ winning streak at two after beating both the Western University Mustangs and the Brock Badgers. The Lions knew today’s match-up was going to be tough as the Gryphons are undefeated on the season and finished first in the Shiels Division. More details.

Women’s hockey Lions bow to Rams in season opener

The York University Lions women’s hockey team suffered a tough 7-2 loss in their season-opening game Sunday to the visiting Ryerson University Rams at Canlan Ice Sports.

The Rams’ defender Melanie Camacho scored the first goal of the game. Teammates Keelin Farren and Kryshanda Green had the assists on that goal. The Rams continued the scoring with another on a power play by second-year Lauren Nicholson, assisted by Madison Lalonde. The score was 2-0 for the Rams at the end of the first period. More details.

Weekend wrap: Women’s tennis Lions win silver at OUA championships, men finish fourth

The York University Lions women’s tennis team won the silver medal at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships for the third straight year on Sunday, Oct. 8 with a 4-3 loss to the Western University Mustangs in the tournament final at the Mayfair Parkway Tennis Club.

The Lions men’s team also had the same finish as last year, ending the tournament in fourth place with a 7-0 loss to the Mustangs in the bronze-medal match. The Universite de Montreal Carabins won the gold medal and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues captured the silver.

In the women’s tournament, the top-seeded Lions earned a bye through the first round and then defeated the Carabins 6-1 in the semifinals to reach their fourth straight OUA final. More details on the York Lions website.

York University Lions women’s tennis team won the silver medal at the OUA championships (Image: Martin Bazyl, University of Toronto)

Women’s rugby Lions advance to OUA semis for first time in program history

The York University Lions women’s rugby team advanced to the OUA semifinals for the first time in program history on Friday night (Oct. 6), with a 34-24 victory over the Brock University Badgers in their conference quarter-final game.

The game was a back-and-forth affair in which the Lions finally exploded for three straight tries in the second half to pull ahead en route to the victory. After playing in 10 quarter-final matches since 1994, including in each of the last five years, the Lions finally got over the hump and will make their first semifinal appearance next weekend.

The Lions had five players score a try in the game, with Cheyenne Legerton doing so twice, and Natasha Naismith kicked a pair of conversions. More details.

Offence comes alive in football Lions’ loss to defending champion Hawks

The York University Lions football team had top receiver Colton Hunchak in the lineup for the first time this season and his presence sparked the offence in a 53-31 loss to the No. 5 nationally ranked Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks in their home season finale on Thursday night (Oct. 5) at Alumni Field.

Hunchak suffered an injury in the team’s pre-season game against Sherbrooke in mid-August and returned on Thursday night to catch 14 balls for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Both of the scoring passes came from his older brother Brett Hunchak, who had his best game of the season going 34-of-49 for 388 yards and one interception. He also added another 50 yards on the ground on five carries and scored a rushing touchdown.

The Lions moved the ball all night, picking up 519 total yards on 75 offensive plays. The Golden Hawks, meanwhile, ran only 56 plays but averaged more than a first down per snap thanks to a number of big plays. More details.

Men’s soccer Lions continue unbeaten streak with victory over Badgers

The No. 8 nationally ranked York University Lions men’s soccer team travelled to St. Catharines, Ont., on Thanksgiving Sunday (Oct. 8) to take on the Brock University Badgers. The Lions came out with a 3-0 win over the Badgers and extended their unbeaten streak to 10 matches.

Scorers for the Lions were Milan Beader in the first half, and Cristian Cavallini and Joey Cicchillo in the second half. Goalkeeper Quillan Roberts finished with his second clean sheet of the season, blocking the Badgers’ three attempts to score. More details.

On Friday night (Oct. 6), the Lions blanked the McMaster University Marauders 3-0 at Ron Joyce Stadium. Cavallini got the ball rolling in the first half with a goal in the 15th minute of play that came after some confusion on the pitch whereby the free kick was never whistled in. The Lions played on and were rewarded with Cavallini’s goal uncontested.

Just seven minutes later, the Lions added to their lead, this time off the foot of Eddie Lay when he took a crossing pass and fired it into the bottom corner of the net. The Lions held the 2-0 advantage into the halftime break. More details.

Women’s soccer Lions grateful for Thanksgiving win, their second in a row

The York University Lions women’s soccer team faced the Brock University Badgers in St. Catharines, Ont., for a Thanksgiving Sunday (Oct. 8) match-up and won 3-0 for their second victory in a row.

Fifth-year midfielder Ashley Nater scored one goal in both the first and second halves, with second-year midfielder Kendra Saxton also scoring in the second half. Goalkeeper Tamara Orlando successfully blocked all three of the Badgers’ shots in net to finish the game with a clean sheet and her first victory of the year. More details.

The Lions began the weekend with a 2-1 victory over the McMaster University Marauders on Friday night (Oct. 6).

It didn’t take long for the Lions to get on the board as Farkhunda Muhtaj scored a beauty just five minutes in, when she looped the ball over the head of McMaster goalkeeper Deanna Persico and tucked it inside the far post for a 1-0 lead. The Lions controlled possession for most of the half but couldn’t generate many scoring chances and they carried the 1-0 advantage into the half. More details.

Lions welcome defending champs for regular season finale

Grad Night Football lions sports York U

The York University Lions football team welcomes the defending Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champions, the Laurier Golden Hawks, to Alumni Field Oct. 5 for the team’s regular season finale presented by MBNA.

Kickoff will take place under the lights at 7pm and the game can also be seen live online on OUA.tv. Prior to kickoff, York will honour its six graduating student-athletes with a pre-game ceremony.

Ad links to YU Lions site with details about Oct. 5 grad football game at the Alumni FieldThe Lions will face a nationally ranked opponent for the fourth time this season and second game in a row following last week’s matchup with the No. 9 McMaster Marauders. After a slow start to the season, largely due to a number of key injuries, the Lions have found their groove in recent weeks. They defeated the Toronto Varsity Blues in a big way the last time they were at home, reclaiming the Argo Cup with a 41-16 victory in the 48th annual Red & Blue Bowl.

Prior to that game, the Lions led the then-No. 9 Ottawa Gee-Gees in the fourth quarter before falling 26-17, and last week they hung with a tough Marauders squad in an eventual 32-2 defeat.

The Golden Hawks also enter the contest following a loss, their first in 10 games dating back to the 2016 regular season. Last week they hosted the Western Mustangs in a rematch of last year’s thrilling Yates Cup championship and could not rekindle the same magic, going down by a score of 29-13. Prior to that, the Hawks won their first four matchups of the season by an average of 28 points, including a shutout of the Varsity Blues and a 71-24 triumph over their city rivals, the Waterloo Warriors.

The Golden Hawks have been cruising on offence and defence, ranking second and third in the OUA, respectively, on each side of the ball. They have the top-ranked quarterback in the conference in Mike Knevel, who leads the OUA with 346.2 yards per game and has thrown 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. The Lions are also strong under centre with Brett Hunchak, who is sixth with 210 yards per game and has five touchdowns and seven interceptions, including no picks in the last two weeks.

The Lions are looking for their first win over the Golden Hawks since a 33-20 victory in 2013, the team’s first contest on their new turf field.

Following the Oct. 5 game, the Lions will head out on the road for the final two weeks of the regular season. They will travel to Kingston, Ont., on Saturday, Oct. 14 for the Queen’s Homecoming game and will wrap up the season in Windsor, Ont., on Saturday, Oct. 21 against the winless Lancers.

Weekend wrap: Women’s rugby Lions take down Mustangs in crucial game for playoff seeding

York U Lions women's rugby

The York University Lions women’s rugby team won its first game of the season on Friday night with a 33-20 victory over the Western University Mustangs in London, Ont.

The two squads faced off in a crucial game for playoff seeding in the Shiels Division, which has a new structure this year and features the top five teams in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) from last season. As the winners, the Lions are guaranteed to finish in fourth place and will have a chance to play for the medals in the playoffs.

It was actually the Mustangs that got on the board first, with Nikki Case opening the scoring in the second minute of play on a long run that found the end zone. More details on the York Lions website.

No. 9 Marauders use strong defence to defeat football Lions

The York University Lions football team faced a defensively tough opponent in the No. 9 nationally ranked McMaster University Marauders on Saturday afternoon and were defeated by a score of 32-2 at Ron Joyce Stadium.

The Marauders have one of the top defences in the OUA this season and the unit caused problems for the Lions offence throughout the game. At the other end of the field, the Lions played their own strong defence for much of the contest, holding the Marauders to just three points in the first quarter and 14 at the half. They also forced McMaster to kick four field goals inside the 20-yard line.

McMaster drove the field on its opening drive but the Lions stood tall in the red zone to hold the Marauders to just a field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Lions earned their lone point of the quarter on a punt into the end zone by Dante Mastrogiuseppe. More details.

Field hockey Lions continue undefeated season with another two wins

The York University Lions field hockey team continued its undefeated season with a pair of victories over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and Queen’s University Gaels on Sunday.

Coming off their first win over the three-time defending OUA champion Varsity Blues since 1999 last weekend, the Lions again proved they are the better team this season with a 3-1 victory over their city rivals.

The Lions have pounced on teams early all season and did so again against the Blues, with rookie Madison Mitchell scoring in the second minute of play for an early 1-0 lead. Fellow rookies Frankie St. Louis and Amira Brar added to the score in the second half to lead the Lions to the victory. More details.

Women’s tennis Lions finish season undefeated for fourth straight year

The York University Lions women’s tennis team earned a pair of wins over the Universite de Montreal Carabins and University of Waterloo Warriors on the final weekend of the regular season to finish undefeated for the fourth straight year.

The Lions have now won 26 straight regular-season matches after defeating Montreal 4-1 on Friday afternoon and Waterloo 6-1 on Saturday.

Against the reigning national silver-medal winning Carabins, Eugenie Lim Ah Tock, Isabella Baston, Sara Krupica and Randa Hassan all won their singles matches in straight sets to earn the four points the team needed to take the tie. More details.

Men’s soccer Lions hang on to defeat Warriors

The No. 9 nationally ranked York University Lions men’s soccer team took on the University of Waterloo Warriors Saturday at Alumni Field. After an intense second half in which they nearly gave up the lead, the Lions hung on to beat the Warriors 4-3.

Second-year midfielder Steve Kloutsouniotis scored the first goal for the Lions seven minutes into the playing time. Fellow midfielder Eddie Lay continued the scoring with a pair of goals in the 24th and 31st minutes. Rounding out scoring for the first half was Dylan Carreiro, who scored seconds before the referee whistled for halftime. The Lions led the Warriors 4-0 at halftime. More details.

The Lions also picked up a point against the Western University Mustangs on Sunday in a 1-1 draw after the Mustangs scored in the final minutes. The two squads always play a tough match against each other and this game was no different, with six yellow cards handed out before there was a goal scored.

The Lions outshot the Mustangs 8-3 in the first half and 8-5 in the second, and Western goalkeeper Kody Thomson had to make three saves in the opening 45 minutes, but the game remained scoreless at the half. More details.

Women’s soccer Lions tie Warriors for second time this season

The York University Lions women’s soccer team took on the University of Waterloo Warriors at home this Saturday and ended with a 0-0 draw.

They returned home to Alumni Field after visiting Guelph, Ont., and Waterloo, Ont. The Lions and Warriors met last weekend, where that game also ended in tie, by a score of 1-1. More details.

Also this weekend, the Lions were blanked by a score of 2-0 by the No. 4 nationally ranked Western University Mustangs. It didn’t take long for the Mustangs to get on the scoreboard, as Giulia Geraci and Julia Crnjac both found the back of the net before the game was 10 minutes old to give their team a 2-0 advantage they would not relinquish. More details.

Cross country Lions run personal bests at Don Mills Open in Waterloo

The York University Lions cross country team was in Waterloo, Ont., for the Don Mills Open this past weekend. They put up a number of strong performances, including two personal bests on the men’s team.

Ali Ghadghoni and Sam Agnew both put up personal-best times in the 8km race, with Ghadghoni recording York’s first top-five finish of the season in fifth place in a time of 26:12. Agnew finished exactly one minute later in 28th place.

In the women’s race, the Lions had four runners entered in the 6km event and were led by Vaishnavy Yogarajah in 44th place with a time of 25:56. Just behind her was Katrianna Pisani, running in her first ever race and finishing 46th with a time of 26:18. More details.

Weekend wrap: Football Lions claim Argo Cup with dominant win over rival Blues

The York University Lions football team claimed its first Argo Cup since 2012 on Saturday afternoon with a dominant 41-16 victory over the rival University of Toronto Varsity Blues in the 48th annual Red & Blue Bowl at Alumni Field.

York University Lions Football
The York U Lions defeated the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at the 48th Red & Blue Bowl

The game did not begin the way the Lions would have hoped. On the first drive, a long return was negated by penalty and they started on their own six-yard line, going 2-and-out and ultimately conceding a safety. But it was all York after that.

The Lions stuffed the Blues on a third-down attempt on Toronto’s first drive and then rookie kicker Dante Mastrogiuseppe nailed a 34-yard field goal for York’s first points of the game. Toronto’s next drive ended with a 43-yard interception return by rookie defensive back Talik Ehouman, and two drives later the Lions scored their first touchdown of the afternoon, an eight-yard catch by Alex Daley to make it 10-2, the score after the first quarter. More details on the York Lions website.

Men’s soccer Lions upset No. 5 Guelph on Cavallini’s sixth goal

The York University Lions men’s soccer team avenged its loss to the No. 5 University of Guelph Gryphons from earlier this season on Wednesday afternoon with a 1-0 victory over their division rivals in Guelph, Ont.

The lone goal in the game came in the 35th minute off the foot of Cristian Cavallini, who netted his team-leading sixth tally and is now tied for fourth in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) goals. Steve Kloutsouniotis earned the assist on the play, his third assist and seventh point on the season. More details.

Cavallini continued his big week with another three goals against the University of Waterloo Warriors two days later, giving the Lions a 4-0 victory and extending their winning streak to six games.

In their usual fashion, the Lions began scoring shortly after the game started. Second-year midfielder Dylan Carreiro scored in the eighth minute of play for an early 1-0 lead they would not relinquish. More details.

Field hockey Lions stay perfect with three big weekend wins

The York University Lions field hockey team is a perfect 5-0 to start the season after a trio of wins over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, McGill University Martlets and University of Guelph Gryphons in Kingston, Ont., this past weekend.

The squad can thank rookie forward Jaslan Stirling for the success as the Mississauga, Ont., native scored six goals, including two game winners, to lead her team to the three wins.

The Lions opened the action with a huge 3-0 victory over the three-time reigning OUA champion Varsity Blues, their first win over their city rivals since 1999. Stirling opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a goal that stood as the game winner. More details.

Women’s soccer Lions draw with Warriors in second consecutive road game

The York University Lions women’s soccer team paid a visit to the University of Waterloo Warriors at Warrior Field on Friday. Both teams settled for a 1-1 draw.

After a scoreless first half, fourth-year midfielder Christina Morelli scored the Lions’ only goal of the game in the 48th minute. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Warriors evened the game again in the 56th minute with a goal by Ainsleigh Sedore.

York goalkeeper Tamara Orlando was tremendous to keep her team in the game, making nine saves and allowing just the one goal. Her Waterloo counterpart, Madison McDonald, only faced three shots and made two saves. More details.

Earlier in the week, the Lions suffered a 2-0 defeat to the University of Guelph Gryphons. The Gryphons opened the scoring in the 18th minute on a goal by Sydney Johnson for an early 1-0 lead. Later in the first half the Lions had a chance to equal the score but Michaela Krampert’s shot was saved by Guelph goalkeeper Libby Brenneman. More details.

Tennis Lions pick up three wins in weekend action

The York University Lions women’s tennis team extended its OUA regular-season winning streak to 24 matches this weekend with a 5-2 victory over the McGill University Martlets and a 7-0 default win over the McMaster University Marauders.

The Lions men’s team also picked up its first victory of the season with a narrow 4-3 triumph over McMaster. They were also defeated by the same score by the Redmen. More details.

York Homecoming game highlighted by 48th Red & Blue Bowl

York Lions football homecoming

It’s the biggest game of the year for the York University Lions football team as the squad hosts the rival University of Toronto Varsity Blues in both the 48th annual Red & Blue Bowl and the annual Homecoming game, presented by MBNA, at Alumni Field.

Kick-off is set for 1pm on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 23) and the game can also be seen live online on OUA.tv. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate on game day.

York Lions homecoming footballThere’s more on the line than just a win in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) standings as football supremacy in the City of Toronto is also up for grabs. The Lions are looking to reclaim the Argo Cup for the first time since 2012, when they upended the Varsity Blues 36-24 at Varsity Centre. Toronto holds a 30-17 head-to-head record over their uptown counterparts since the first meeting in 1970, and has won eight of the last nine since York won 12 in a row from 1996-07. The Blues won by a score of 45-18 at Varsity Centre last year.

“It’s always exciting to have your city rival come and play you, especially at home. I’m excited to have our guys go out there and make something happen,” said Head Coach Warren Craney. “We used our bye week to get healthy after having several starters on offence out of the line-up previously. We thought we deserved a better fate against Ottawa in our last game and this group is angry. We are going to channel that anger and focus it on Toronto.”

The Lions will also be honouring alumni at their annual Homecoming game in a special season, as 2017 represents the 50th year of football at York.

They will be looking to build on a strong showing in their most recent contest before last week’s bye, when they took the No. 9 nationally ranked University of Ottawa Gee-Gees to the wire before a 26-17 loss. They are 0-3 on the season, just behind the 1-3 Varsity Blues. Toronto is coming off a 43-6 loss to the Guelph University Gryphons last week and earned its lone win over the University of Windsor Lancers in Week 2.

The Lions will look to use their running game to punish the Varsity Blues. Third-year rusher Jesse Amankwaa, the OUA rookie of the year in 2015, is coming off a tremendous showing against the Gee-Gees in which he amassed 159 yards on 23 carries and added another 22 yards and a touchdown on two receptions. Fellow rusher Kayden Johnson set a Red & Blue Bowl record last year with 32 carries and, along with Amankwaa, represents a strong ground attack.

Quarterback Brett Hunchak is ranked seventh in the OUA with 224 yards per game and has thrown a pair of touchdowns on the season, both against Ottawa. His counterpart on the other side of the field, Toronto’s Connor Ennis, sits 10th with 97 yards per game.

After Saturday’s game, the Lions will be on the road in Hamilton, Ont., next weekend to face the nationally ranked McMaster University Marauders and then will host their final home game of the season on Thursday, Oct. 5 against the reigning OUA champion the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks at Alumni Field.