The York University Lions men’s soccer team is the new top team in the country after rising to No. 1 in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) league on Tuesday, Oct. 2.
The Lions had been No. 2 in each of the last two weeks but moved into the top spot this week after former No. 1 ranked University of Alberta lost its first of the season on the weekend.
The Lions have been nationally-ranked in each of the first four polls, starting at No. 9 in Week 1 and moving to No. 7 in Week 2.
The Lions continued their unbeaten season this past weekend with a pair of victories at home, by a 2-0 score over the Western University Mustangs and 3-1 over the University of Windsor Lancers. Four undefeated teams remain in the CIS, including the Lions and their stellar 9-0-1 mark. Also unbeaten on the year are No. 2 University of British Columbia, No. 3 Saint Mary’s University and No. 5 Trinity Western University.
The Lions are one of four Ontario University Athletics (OUA) teams in the CIS’s Top 10 this week. Their OUA West division rivals, the McMaster University Marauders, are ranked No. 6 while the OUA East’s Queen’s University and Carleton University are ranked No. 7 and No. 10, respectively.
They are in familiar territory at the top of the rankings as the Lions, who won CIS titles in 2008 and 2010, led eight of nine coaches’ polls a year ago.
The top-ranked squad will put its undefeated mark on the line this Friday night with a game against the University of Guelph Gryphons beginning at 5:30pm in Guelph, Ont. That contest is their only one of the weekend.
Men's soccer
(regular season record) / votes / (previous rankings)
1. York (9-0-1) / 59 points / (2)
2. UBC (6-0-0) / 52 / (3)
3. Saint Mary’s (5-0-2) / 45 / (4)
4. Alberta (5-1-1) / 39 / (1)
5. Trinity Western (6-0-2) / 34 / (7)
6. McMaster (8-1-0) / 33 / (6)
7. Queen’s (7-1-1) / 28 / (5)
8. Laval (4-1-1) / 14 / (NR)
9. Sherbrooke (4-2-1) / 9 / (8)
10. Carleton (7-2-1) / 6 / (10)