Matt Dionne | Sports and Health Editor
Featured image: The Lions were unable to beat the Alberta keeper in the first round of the 2016 CIS national championship playoffs, ending their season with a 2-0 loss. | Courtesy of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS)
The Lions men’s soccer team was looking to win their third-straight Canadian Interuniversity Sport, or CIS, national championship, but history wasn’t on their side.
Since the CIS began awarding the Sam Davidson Memorial Trophy to the national champion team in 1972, only one team has won more than twice in a row: the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds won the trophy from 1984 to 1986, and then again from 1989 to 1992.
The 2016 national championship tournament was held in Guelph this past weekend, with the defending champions York playing the University of Alberta Golden Bears on Thursday in the first round.
The first half, though filled with chances for both sides, ended in a draw. In the second half, Alberta opened the scoring on a free kick from the Golden Bears’ Niko Saler in the 53rd minute.
York, upon conceding the opening goal, immediately put the pressure on, and less than 10 minutes later, fifth-year midfielder Dena Iezady was taken down in the 18-yard box. Despite York’s protests, the referee refused to award the Lions a penalty.
In the 65th minute, the Lions managed to get ahead on a corner kick, but were unable to put the ball in the net, as it sailed harmlessly over the bar and out of play. York continued to pressure the Golden Bears, as Kyle Crichton found Steve Kloutsouniotis with a beautiful through-ball that split the defense, but Kloutsouniotis was unable to hit the net to even the score.
Despite the Lions’ best effort, it was Alberta who would score the second goal of the match, as the Golden Bears were awarded another free kick near the York goal. Saler took the set piece again, and for the second time he beat the York wall and keeper Daniel Gosciniak to add to Alberta’s lead in the 77th minute.
The game ended with a score of 2-0, and for the first time in three years, the Lions would not be the CIS national champions.
“Obviously, it’s hard to maintain such a high level of success year after year, but I expected they would at least win the [Ontario University Athletics] championship and have a better showing at nationals,” says Mike Tatarski, fourth-year political science student.
“Based on the success the team has had over the last two seasons, I was expecting a deeper run from them at nationals. Winning three-straight national championships isn’t easy, but I definitely thought they would at least get out of the first round,” says Tevin Shadd, fourth-year psychology student.
“I had no problem with the officiating. Did the calls [the referee] made have a direct impact on the goals? Yes. But, looking back, separate from my emotions, we need to still deal with those situations,” says York head coach Carmine Isacco.
“At this level, the refereeing has to be better in the final third of the field. I think it was inconsistent, but I don’t think it was the reason we lost. We just needed to be better as individuals.
“I thought this year would be a growing year for us and competition would be tougher, but I still thought we had enough pieces to win the title. We always expect to win—that’s the culture we’ve built here—so I think this year we underachieved,” he adds.
Despite the overall outcome, it was still a historic year for the Lions, who didn’t lose a single game in the regular season.
Until next year, boys.
