They say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but the York Lions women’s hockey team put that theory to rest as they claimed a playoff berth. At the beginning of this year, York had a record of 7-10. Although it was not impossible to make the playoffs, it was a very difficult task given the fact that York was moved to the Western Conference, where three of the last five OUA champions had played, including defending champions Waterloo. Additionally, four teams in the Western Conference had a winning record, compared to the Eastern Conference, which had only three.
York eventually had a decent second half of the season, finishing 11-15 and managing to clinch a spot in the OUA West Play-In, where they travelled to face the Windsor Lancers, the team with a record of 14-12. They had even upset defending champions Waterloo and first seed Guelph in January.
The Lancers were the heavy favourites heading into this game. They came in as the hunters, but the Lions proved once again that they remain the kings and queens of the jungle. York ended up beating the Lancers 5-3, courtesy of goals by Natalie Mamone, Mikayla Totten, Alexa Giantsopoulos, Isabela Huculak, and Ava Ricker-Singh.
Unfortunately, the Lions women’s hockey team’s season came to an end as they lost 2-1 to the Guelph Gryphons this past weekend. Despite the tough ending, the Lions showcased resilience throughout the season and will look to build on their progress next year.
