From bad life decisions to bad grades, we all have that one thing we want to leave behind in 2024. This January marks not only a new month, but more importantly, a new year. Many people use January 1st to change their lives, which sometimes works very well. At York, the “New Year, New Me” trend means the Tait McKenzie Centre’s gym is full at the beginning of the year; however, few students actually end up sticking to their New Year’s resolutions (myself included). Here are some resolutions Excalibur has put together for the Lions.
Men’s volleyball: Win the OUA Championships and qualify for Nationals
The men’s volleyball phenomenally ended the year, heading into 2025 with a record of 8-2. They currently sit number 2 in the OUA and 8 nationally. They also have the second-best defense in Canada, trailing behind UofT. Dennis Cota, Robert Kemp and Matin Prinsloo have been killing it this season, ranking 1st, 5th, and 2nd in blocks per set, digs, and service aces per set respectively. In the words of former college football coach Bear Bryant: “Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.” The Lions have proven that they have one of the best defenses in the country, so what’s stopping them from winning a championship? The signs are already pointing toward victory through the fantastic start they had this season.
Women’s volleyball: Make the playoffs
The women’s volleyball team is currently 4-6 and ranks 9th in the OUA standings, but making the playoffs is not impossible. Some of their upcoming games are ones they have a chance at winning. They will be facing Nipissing, Lakehead, RMC, Brock, and TMU. While the Nipissing Lakers have accumulated 553.0 points, the Lions are not too far behind with 527.5 points. This also places York ahead of RMC (374.0 points) and Lakehead (498.0 points) in terms of record, so here’s hoping that York can easily take wins from these three schools. Brock currently sits at 8-2, but there’s nothing the power of friendship and magic can’t handle. Making the playoffs is a realistic resolution; as for a deep run into the playoffs, we leave that in the hands of the universe.
Football: Perform surgery on the offensive department
Earlier, I quoted that “offense sells tickets and defense wins championships.” In this situation, we might need to forget this famous saying. York’s football team has struggled to make the playoffs; Oasis disbanded and got back together, but still no playoff appearances for the Lions.
This past season, things seemed to be turning around for the better under the leadership of Coach Dexter Janke and his exceptional coordinators Greg Knox and Rick Walters. York’s defense was outstanding, with linebackers Brody Clark and Peyton Ryder making all-stars during their first season as Lions. However, if the defense is good and the offense is mediocre, how can you win games, let alone talk about the championship?
You need to score to win games, as you can only hold off the opposition’s attack for a limited time. It’s like going to war with armour and no sword. How are you going to slay your opponent? That is the unfortunate situation the Lions find themselves in: they just can’t seem to score with the ball.
The engine of a football team’s offense is the quarterback. If the quarterback is not at their best, it’s likely the team will lose, and unfortunately, York’s quarterbacks have not been at their best this past season. Matt Linn struggled last season, throwing one passing touchdown and zero rushing touchdowns. The second quarterback, Shawn Lal has shown promise of his offensive brilliance since he was moved to starting quarterback. However, Lal is currently in his fourth year, and although he plans to return for another year, the quarterback department still lacks depth, and they cannot rely solely on Lal.
Despite the struggles at the quarterback department, it’s unfair to single out that department alone. The O-line has struggled to provide adequate protection, leaving the quarterbacks vulnerable to sacks and unable to make effective throws or rushing attempts. The wide receivers and running backs will remain unproductive unless the O-line and quarterback departments improve and make changes. Making the playoffs will be a tough nut to crack, and the offense needs to bring their A-game.
Men’s and Women’s soccer: Cross the finish line
It’s a mystery to no one that York has one of the most talented rosters in the country when it comes to soccer. The roster comprises so many all-stars, including two-time OUA MVP Christian Zeppieri — who happens to also be the reigning U Sports MVP — as well as the greatest female talent not on television, Nia Flemming-Thompson. However, with all these weapons, the Lions cannot seem to get over the hurdle of winning the OUA. Last season, both teams made impressive playoff runs: the women’s team made it to the semi-finals, narrowly missing out on Nationals, and the men’s team got medals but neither were gold. They finished second and third place in the OUA and Nationals, respectively. Hopefully both teams come home with gold this year.
Women’s basketball: Also make the playoffs
The York women’s basketball team currently sits at 4-8 in the OUA, but they can run and make it to the playoffs with a ton of perseverance. Their remaining games are tough as they take on some of the top teams in the country, but in the words of Kevin Garnett: “Anything’s possible!”
Men’s basketball: Put the fries in the bag and don’t finish bottom of the OUA
Have you ever been in a situation where you and your best friend both fail an exam, but you get some sense of joy when your best friend finishes below you? That’s the same situation the Lions find themselves in. The only position they can compete for right now is anything that isn’t last place. Sadly, there is no hope left for playoff basketball as the team has tough games ahead. And amongst their remaining games, only two of the seven teams are below .500; York is currently 3-9 and sits 5th in the OUA Central rankings. The only team worse than them is McMaster, who are 1-11. Hopefully, the Lions don’t finish last and come back stronger to compete for the playoffs next season.
Women’s hockey: Have another Hail Mary
The women’s hockey team is currently 5th place in the OUA West standings with a record of 7-10. A playoff run is very realistic as the gap between them and their opponents ahead is very small. They made a “Hail Mary” run to the playoffs last season and even ended up making it to the semi-finals of the OUA; history can repeat itself.
Men’s hockey: Finish with a better record than last season
The men’s hockey team finds itself in a sticky situation yet again. Currently with a record of 3-12, it looks like they have nothing to fight for but to have more wins than they did last season, which is not impossible given the fact that they had 3 wins last season. There are many games to play this season, and hopefully they get at least one more to beat last season’s record. It’s only up from here!
Swimming: More dubs and records
The swimming team had a fantastic 2024. Eric Ginzburg participated in Olympic trials, Mariam Farid broke records, and the team as a whole had fantastic performances at various invitationals. If the team showed they were able to do this in 2024, what’s stopping them from doing it again and even more in 2025? As Anthony Joshua said, “The first time was so nice, I had to do it twice.”
