This past weekend, Ryerson University hosted the Carleton Ravens, Windsor Lancers, and York Lions at Birchmount Stadium to decide the Ontario University Athletics men’s soccer final four.
Finishing as the top seeded school in the East division, Ryerson earned the right to host the OUA soccer championship after York played host last season.
However, as York learned, playing host does not mean an automatic win, losing to Carleton in the semi-finals last season, forcing them to compete for the bronze medal instead of gold.
Entering this season, a major question surrounding the Lions was how they would fare without team leader and top scorer Adrian Pena for the first time in five years.
Despite the doubts, they proved once again why they are one of the strongest soccer programs in Canada, waltzing through the regular season with a league-high of 53 goals while allowing just 12.
York managed only two losses throughout the regular season, both at the hands of the defending OUA champion McMaster Marauders.
McMaster, however, was noticeably absent from the final four teams at Birchmount Stadium after a shocking quarterfinals lost to the Windsor Lancers. Although York was excited about a third match-up, the final four went on.
In their semi-final match-up, the Lions came face-to-face with their nemesis from last season, the Carleton Ravens.
After a very disappointing loss in the same game last year, the Lions came out with revenge on their mind as they looked to pave their way to the gold medal game. Despite controlling the pace for much of the match, the Lions once again came up against a tough Ravens squad who likes to grind down their opponents with aggressive defence and timely goals.
In an otherwise defensive battle, it took just 10 minutes of offense to decide the game. Using his speed to get ahead of the defender, first-year striker Dylan Sacramento streaked deep into Ravens territory and booted a beauty past the keeper to give the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 61st minute.
Beaming with confidence after their goal, the Ravens took advantage of York’s complacency getting some of their only offensive chances of the match. A free kick was converted into a goal after Andrew Latty headed the ball away, tying the game up just four minutes after York’s goal.
Another first-year player would save the day, however, as Jonathan Lao caught Carleton’s goalkeeper in an awkward position in the 71st minute. As York pressed harder after the Raven’s tying goal, Lao was able to score on the overcommitted keeper to put his team ahead 2-1 and ultimately lifting his team to victory.
After getting the Ravens out of the way, the Lions then turned their attention to host team the Ryerson Rams for an all Toronto showdown for the OUA gold medal. Without meeting eachother during the season, both teams spent the majority of the first half feeling each other out.
Much like the Lions, Ryerson powered their way through the the East division not losing a single game all season. The Rams were second-best only to York in goals scored with 34, but it would take just a single goal between the two teams to decide the game.
With only extra time remaining in the first half, the Lions refused to take their foot off the pedal until the final whistle blew. After securing the ball deep in Rams territory, Lions’ forward Mark Anthony-Kaye pressed to get shot on net. Luckily for Anthony-Kaye, his shot would deflect off of a Rams’ defender and in to give York a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half.
With the home town crowd behind them, Ryerson made multiple last-minute grasps at a tying goal, but to no avail. The York Lions walked away with a 1-0 victory and their third OUA title in school history.
The win caps off an incredible OUA season for the Lions who now have an even bigger task at hand with the Canadian Interuniversity Sport gold medal in mind. The last time the Lions’ won a OUA gold medal was during the 2007-2008 season — a year in which the Lions were also crowned national champions.
The Lions hope a repeat of this situation unfolds as they head to New Brunswick to compete for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport gold medal this weekend against eight other teams from around the country. Check out yorkulions.ca to keep up with all the action throughout the tournament.
Ryan McCabe
Sports and Health Editor
