Zain Rashid | Staff Writer
Featured Image: Men win their two weekend games while women lose theirs. | Courtesy of YorkU Lions
It was a weekend of contrasting fortunes for the Lions hockey teams, as the men’s team defeated Laurentian twice, and the women’s team lost both of their games to Queen’s and UOIT
The women’s team visited the Queen’s Gaels on Friday in Kingston. The game was a display of defensive deftness, as the only goal came in the first period courtesy of Queen’s’ Katrina Manoukarakis.
The women played their second game of the weekend in Oshawa against UOIT.
Avery Reeves’ first-period goal drew first blood for the Lions, who rode a 1-0 lead into the third, after a scoreless second.
Unfortunately for York, they were unable to contain UOIT’s offence in the third, as the Ridgebacks’ Megan Johnston evened the score under five minutes into the final frame.
Then, with less than a minute to play in regulation, Kassidy Nauboris scored the game-winner for UOIT.
The men’s team, on the other hand, won two back to back home games against Laurentian on Friday and Saturday, at Canlan Ice Sports.
Justin Maiolino drew first blood for the Lions 14 minutes into the first period, the only goal in the opening 20 minutes.
The second period featured a goal from Dexter Bricker assisted by Josh LaFrance less than five minutes in, extending the Lions’ lead to 2-0.
In the final period, the Lions scored on the power play courtesy of Reid Jackman in the 3rd minute. However, York was unable to complete the shutout, as UOIT scored on the powerplay in the 15th minute—but, it was too little too late, as York would go on to win 3-1.
In the rematch on Saturday, the Lions defeated their opponents in a more decisive manner. York came out of the gate firing, and were rewarded in the dying minutes of the first, courtesy of Jackman and Sal Filice.
Not content with just a two-goal lead, the Lions continued to pressure the Voyageurs goalie, and the second period also saw two more Lions’ goals, again from Jackman and Filice in the 1st and 9th minutes. Then, In the 12th minute, Jackman scored his third goal of the game—his first hattrick of the season—this one coming on the power play, extending the Lions’ lead to 5-0.
In the third period the Lions added two more goals for good measure, courtesy of Josh Harris and Stefano Pezzetta, in the 9th and 18th minutes, to complete the victory.
The women host the Guelph Gryphons today at 7 p.m., while the men’s next game is also at home against the Ryerson Rams on Friday at 7 p.m.
