The York University Lions football team earned its first win of the season after taking down the University of Waterloo Warriors by a score of 23-14 on a very wet Saturday afternoon at Warrior Field in Waterloo, Ont.
Rookie running back Jesse Amankwaa was tremendous throughout the contest, finishing with a game-high 131 yards on 24 carries and a pair of touchdowns. He scored the first major of the game on a nine-yard run to the corner of the end zone midway through the opening quarter, the first touchdown of his Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) career, and added another at 8:30 in the second on a four-yard rush straight up the middle.
Despite driving rain and windy conditions, Amankwaa’s two touchdowns, as well as a 33-yard field goal by Nick Naylor and a conceded safety by the Warriors, gave the Lions an 18-0 lead into the half. They added another two points on another conceded safety at 5:58 in the third quarter before the Warriors finally got on the board on the last play of the third frame, scoring on a 93-yard touchdown catch by Mitch Kernick. More details on York Lions website.
Women’s rugby Lions crush Varsity Blues for second straight win
The York University Lions women’s rugby team came away with an 80-0 win against the cross-town rival University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday evening at the Varsity Centre.
Seven members of the York squad scored against the Blues. Leading the way in tries was current Lions female athlete of the week Cheyenne Legerton, who saw the try zone four times during the match and now has six on the season in just two contests.
The match began with a well-balanced attack by both the Blues and Lions, and the two sides traded multiple well-executed scrums until the flood gates of Lions scoring power broke open. Bethany Pilkington began the scoring 11 minutes in that broke the scoreless game. More details.
Men’s soccer Lions remain unbeaten with win over Badgers
Rookie Stefan Popovic’s lone goal in the 22nd minute was all the York University Lions men’s team needed to seal a 1-0 victory over the Brock University Badgers in St. Catharines, Ont., on Saturday.
The No. 1 nationally ranked Lions started the game off strong, finding a lot of success in the final third, but had some trouble putting the ball in the back of the net.
In the 22nd minute however, Popovic executed off of a corner kick whipped in by fellow rookie Owen Pearce. After making a darting run to meet the ball at the near post, Popovic grabbed his first goal as a Lion and put the team up 1-0 to close off the first half. More details.
Women’s soccer Lions defeat Badgers to take over first in OUA West
Picking up another win to add to its perfect record of six consecutive wins, the York University Lions women’s soccer team defeated the Brock University Badgers 1-0 on Saturday off of a late goal by fourth-year striker Francesca Pedulla.
The first half saw the No. 8 nationally ranked Lions control the majority of possession as the team tried to break down the lines of the Badgers’ defence. The half remained goalless despite many chances in front of net, including a powerful header by striker Nour Ghoneim that rang the near post midway through the half.
The Lions were able to create more chances as the second half began, and finally in the 79th minute Pedulla opened the scoring off of a clinical pass given from fifth-year defender Taylor Lyons. Pedulla displayed incredible technical ability to beat Brock goalkeeper Larissa Aiken off the dribble and calmly placed the ball in the back of the net. More details.
Field hockey Lions open season with win over Mustangs
The York University Lions field hockey team split two games against the Western University Mustangs and Waterloo Warriors on Saturday in Guelph, Ont., as part of its season-opening weekend.
The Lions started their 2015 season with a commanding victory over the Mustangs by a score of 3-1. After a scoreless first half, the Lions got on the board five minutes into the second on a goal by Michelle Per, last year’s team-leading scorer.
Seven minutes later the Lions doubled their lead when rookie Jade Robertson scored the first goal of her career for a 2-0 York advantage. More details.
Tennis Lions begin title defence with wins over UOIT and Western
The York University Lions women’s tennis team began its Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship defence with a pair of convincing wins over the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks and Western University Mustangs on the road this weekend.
The Lions swept the Ridgebacks by earning all seven points in their season opener in Oshawa, Ont., on Saturday afternoon and returned to the courts the following day, this time in London, Ont., to post a 5-2 victory over the Mustangs.
The men’s team also had a strong showing against UOIT, winning by the same 7-0 score. They were less successful against the two-time defending OUA champion Mustangs, however, falling by a score of 6-1. More details.