September is now in the past. Most students at York had a demanding month getting used to the pressures of starting a new semester. It could have been difficult to follow the York Lions’ athletic teams through their trials and tribulations in September. In case you have not been keeping up with varsity teams, here is everything you need to know about the past month in the world of York sports.
Men’s Soccer
With a record of 8–1–0 in September, they have secured the top spot in the Ontario University Athletics’ West division standings. Having lost only to the McMaster Marauders, the men’s team showed dominance throughout the month with five out of the seven wins being clean sheets. They were particularly dominant against the Brock Badgers and the Western Mustangs with scores of 8-0 and 7-0 respectively. First-year Jonathan Lao is the team’s leading scorer so far in the season. With eight goals to his name in just nine games, he is shaping up to be one of the team’s top players for years to come.
Women’s Soccer
September was a month full of tie games for the women’s team. Out of the eight games played last month, five resulted in ties. Their record for the month was 2-2-5. York’s two wins came against the Waterloo Warriors and UOIT Ridgebacks. The highlight of the two being the 5-0 performance against the Warriors, a game where second-year leading scorer Nour Ghoneim netted two goals. The Lions are currently sixth in the OUA West division. They are looking to climb up the ladder and have more success in October.
Football
Average is a word that first comes to mind when reflecting on the month the Lions football team has had. In what is shaping up to be an exceptionally close race for the playoffs, the Lions have defeated Laurier and Carleton while losing to McMaster and Ottawa resulting in a record of 2-2 for the month. Lions’ running back Errol Brooks had an exceptional month and is leading all OUA running backs in average rushing yards per game with 114.80. York is now deadlocked in a three-way tie for the final playoff spot, with a meaningful Red and Blue Bowl against U of T under the lights at York Stadium on October 10.
Women’s Field Hockey
The women’s field hockey team did not have a great September. The Lions team lost six games and tied one of their games last month. The team’s leading scorer Anna Easty has netted three goals this season, while Ravneet Kalkat, and Morgan Surajram have added the Lions’ only other goals. With an uphill battle and long season ahead of them, the team will be searching for their first win against the Waterloo Warriors on October 5.
Women’s Rugby
Aisan Fazeli and Zoe Smith have led the Lions’ rugby team to a 2-2 record in September. With four tries a piece, they have helped York climb to third in the Russell Division. Their most commanding win was against the U of T Varsity Blues, ending the Blues’ misery with a final tally of 38 – 0. With only one game left before the playoffs begin, the Lions are looking to finish their regular season in a spectacular fashion and carry a winning attitude with them into the playoffs.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis
The Lions tennis teams had two busy weekends in September. Unfortunately, the men only won one match-up last month, winning 6 – 1 against the UOIT Ridgebacks. The women had much greater success winning against the Waterloo Warriors and the Université de Montréal Carabins. Team captain David Kishlyansky has been stellar all season, notably going 3 – 0 in singles the weekend of September 13 – 15.
Men’s Hockey
The season has started on a good note for the men’s hockey team. The men pulled off a close 4-3 win against the RMC Paladins to start the season on a positive note. In the last weekend of September, the Lions split their games, defeating the Ryerson Rams 4-3 while losing to the Nipissing Lakers 2-3 in the final of the annual York Tournament. The Lions’ Mark Cross and Mike Lombardi are leading the team in goals with two apiece in two exhibition games played.
Women’s Hockey
While the women’s hockey team won their first exhibition game to start off their season, they continued to lose three in a row after that. Their 4-2 win against the Nipissing Lakers displayed the level of play that the Lions are capable of. They went into the Ottawa Tournament (September 27 – 29) with an exhibition record of 1 – 3. Be sure to check the York Lions athletics website for the results of the Ottawa tournament.
Cross Country
The men’s and women’s cross country teams pulled off a strong second-place finish at the Queen’s Invitational meet in Kingston, Ontario. Harishan Karunenthiran led the Lions men’s team with a 12th place finish, while Maria Markova placed 11th for the women’s team. With three meets in the sack for the Lions, they will have two more in the month of October before the OUA. Championships start on October 25.
Amjed Al Salman
Contributor
Fall sports synopsis
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