ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
MALE - Dontae Richards-Kwok, Track and
Field
Richards-Kwok, from Mississauga, Ont., capped a strong season with
a stellar performance at the CIS championships, earning the most
outstanding athlete award at the meet. He won two individual gold
medals at the national event, in the 60m and 300m, while also
running the opening leg for the silver-medal winning 4 x 200m relay
and the third leg for the 4 x 400m relay that finished fourth. His
showing also earned him CIS first-team all-Canadian honours, and he
contributed 33 of the team’s 72 points in the team standings
to help the Lions finish in fourth place. At the OUA championships,
Richards-Kwok won silver medals in the 60m and 300m and a bronze in
the 4 x 400m relay to receive OUA all-star honours, and earlier in
the year he was named the athlete of the meet at the Windsor Team
Challenge. Richards-Kwok was also the OUA and CIS athlete of the
week following the national championships.
FEMALE - Melissa Humana-Paredes, Volleyball
Humana-Paredes, of Toronto, transitioned to left side for her
second season with the Lions after playing libero last year and had
a tremendous year for the squad. She proved to be one of the most
versatile athletes in the league, ranking in the OUA top 10 in both
scoring (seventh in points per game) and defence (fourth in digs
per set), and she also ranked in the CIS top 10 in three
statistical categories (service aces, service aces per set, digs
per set). Humana-Paredes was named an OUA first-team all-star and
CIS second-team all-Canadian at the end of the season, earned York
athlete of the week honours on two occasions, and helped the Lions
to a 16-2 record and first place in the OUA standings. The Lions
also climbed as high as No. 8 in the CIS rankings and were the only
OUA team to be ranked nationally at any point this season.
2011-2012 ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
For the week of Mar. 12
Dontae Richards-Kwok, Track and Field
York track and field athlete Dontae Richards-Kwok was named the
most outstanding male athlete of the CIS championships after
winning two gold medals and one silver medal at the University of
Manitoba this past weekend. The fourth-year sprinter staked his
claim as the fastest man in the CIS by winning both the 60m and
300m races at the meet. In the 60m he crossed the finish line in a
time of 6.73 seconds, setting a new personal best and winning the
event for this first time this year. The following day in the 300m,
he led from start to finish and ended in a time of 33.74 seconds to
defend his title in the event. He started Day 3 by running the
opening leg of the silver-medal winning 4 x 200m relay team, and
closed the competition with a monstrous 47.5-second leg in the 4 x
400m relay, which finished fourth. Richards-Kwok, who was named an
all-Canadian three times at the meet, contributed 33 of
York’s 72 points at the meet to lead the Lions to a
fourth-place finish in the team standings.
Kristin Obrochta, Track and Field
York track and field athlete Kristin Obrochta won the gold medal
in the weight throw at the CIS championships at the University of
Manitoba this past weekend. The fourth-year thrower recorded her
best distance of 17.83 metres on her fifth attempt to win her
second gold medal in the event, after also winning gold in 2010,
and earn CIS first-team all-Canadian honours. She returned the
following day to finish seventh in the shot put, up one spot from
her seeding, with a throw of 12.95 metres. Obrochta contributed 12
of York’s 35 points to lead the Lions to an eighth-place
finish in the team standings.
For the week of Feb. 27
David McKay, Track and Field
York track and field athlete David McKay won the gold medal in the
pole vault at the OUA championships on Saturday by clearing a
height of 5.00 metres, which surpassed his previous personal best
by 25 centimetres. He came into the meet seeded third in the OUA by
won the event by 19 centimetres over the second-place finisher.
McKay is now ranked No. 3 in the CIS.
Elizabeth Petrov, Track and Field
York track and field athlete Elizabeth Petrov won gold and silver
medals at the OUA championships this past weekend. The fourth-year
thrower from Richmond Hill, Ont., won the gold medal in the shot
put with a throw of 14.83 metres on the first day of competition,
and wrapped up the meet with a second-place finish in the weight
throw with a toss of 17.29 metres. Both distances were new personal
bests, and she contributed 18 of the Lions’ 53 points in the
team standings. Petrov is now ranked No. 1 in the CIS in the shot
put and No. 3 in the weight throw.
For the week of Feb. 20
Richard Iheadindu, Basketball
York basketball player Richard Iheadindu tallied 40
points, nine rebounds and seven assists this weekend as the Lions
defeated Queen’s and RMC to clinch the sixth and final
playoff spot in the OUA East standings. In an 89-82 win over the
Gaels on Friday night that secured the post-season berth, the
rookie guard scored 14 points on an impressive 6-of-9 shooting from
the floor and added two rebounds and four assists. He was even
better the following night, going 10-of-16 from the floor,
including 5-of-8 from behind the arc, to score 26 points in a 94-49
victory over the Paladins. He also added seven rebounds and three
assists in the win. Iheadindu finished his rookie season second in
team scoring with 9.6 points per game.
Chloe Milano, Hockey
York hockey player Chloe Milano recorded four points,
including the series-clinching goal in double overtime, as the
Lions upset the defending OUA champion and No. 10 nationally-ranked
Queen’s Gaels in their OUA quarter-final series last week. In
the deciding third game of the series the team captain scored her
third goal of the post-season 6:41 into the second extra frame to
move the Lions into the OUA semifinals for the first time under
head coach Dan Church. She also scored the game’s first goal
3:01 into the first period to give the Lions an early 1-0 lead.
Four days earlier, she recorded a goal – again the first of
the game at the 6:18 mark of the first period on a power play
– and an assist in a 4-3 series-opening win over
Queen’s. Milano finished the regular season fourth in team
scoring and among the OUA’s top 50 with 15 points.
For the week of Feb.
13
Dontae Richards-Kwok, Track and Field
Dontae Richards-Kwok was named male athlete of the meet at the
Windsor Team Challenge after winning three medals on the track. The
fourth-year sprinter from Mississauga, Ont., won the gold medal in
the 300m with a season-best time of 33.99 seconds, which also
qualified him for the CIS championships later this season. He also
earned a pair of silver medals, in the 60m and 4 x 200m relay,
where he ran the second leg. Richards-Kwok, the reigning OUA track
athlete of the year, is ranked second in the CIS in the 60m and
third in the 300m.
Melissa Humana-Paredes, Volleyball
Melissa Humana-Paredes recorded 30 points and 26 digs in two
matches this weekend as the Lions finished the regular season
unbeaten at home and in first place in the OUA standings with a
16-2 record. In a 3-1 win over the Ryerson Rams she had a game-high
19 points, on 11 kills, seven service aces and one block, and added
13 digs. The following day she scored 11 points, all on kills, and
added another 13 digs as the Lions shut out the McMaster Marauders
and snap their eight-game winning streak. Humana-Paredes finished
the regular season eighth in OUA scoring and fourth in digs per
set.
For the week of Feb. 6
Ray Szeto, Volleyball
Ray Szeto had 36 points in two matches this weekend as the Lions
went 1-1 against Guelph and Waterloo on the road. The second-year
outside hitter had a monster game against the Gryphons on Saturday,
recording a game-high 25 points, including 23 kills, two block
assists and one service ace, as the Lions rallied to defeat the
Gryphons 3-2 and clinch their first playoff berth since 2006. The
previous night he led all Lions with 11 points, on 10 kills and two
block assists, and added three digs in a 3-0 loss to the Warriors.
Szeto is now ranked 16th in OUA scoring with 3.1 points
per game, and is 13th in kills per game with 2.60.
Cynthia Appiah, Track and Field
Cynthia Appiah won two gold medals at the 41st annual
York Open, in the shot put and weight throw, and qualified for the
CIS championships in both events. The fourth-year thrower recorded
a new personal best in the shot put with a toss of 14.75 metres,
and had her best result of the season in the weight throw with a
distance of 17.38 metres. Appiah is now ranked No. 1 in the CIS in
both events and her distance in the shot put is nearly one metre
better than any other throw in the CIS this season.
For the week of Jan. 30
Daniel Novia, Track and Field
Daniel Novia won two medals, one gold and one silver, and set two
records at the McGill Team Challenge in Montreal this past weekend.
The second-year thrower from Mississauga, Ont., finished first in
the weight throw with a personal-best distance of 20.26 metres,
which set a new York record and a new meet record. He also finished
second in the shot put with a season’s best throw of 16.03
metres. His performances helped the Lions finish first in the
men’s standings and second overall in the team competition.
Novia is ranked No. 1 in the CIS in the weight throw and his best
distance of the year is nearly a metre and a half better than the
rest of the field. He is also ranked No. 7 in the shot put.
Jessalyn Bogacki, Hockey
Jessalyn Bogacki stopped 38 of the 39 shots she faced this weekend
and earned her first shutout of the season as the Lions went 1-1
against Laurier and Waterloo on the road. The second-year
goaltender was perfect in a 4-0 victory over the Warriors, stopping
all 20 shots she faced between the pipes. She was also stellar the
previous day, coming in to the game in relief of starting netminder
Sydney McMurter after just seven minutes of play and allowing the
Golden Hawks just one goal on 19 shots as the Lions nearly erased a
three-goal deficit before going down 5-3 to the No. 1-ranked team
in the CIS. Bogacki is fifth in the OUA in goals against average
(2.12) and seventh in save percentage (.915), and Sunday’s
win vaulted the Lions into a three-way tie for third place in the
OUA standings with four games remaining.
For the week of Jan. 23
David Tyndale, Basketball
David Tyndale recorded 39 points, seven rebounds, three assists
and three steals in two games this weekend as the Lions went 1-1
against their cross-town rivals. In a huge 79-65 upset victory over
the Toronto Varsity Blues he led all players with 23 points,
including eight from the free throw line where he was perfect on
the night, and added five rebounds and three assists. The win was
the team’s third of the season and further cemented its place
in the playoff picture. He also scored a team-high 16 points and
added three steals and two rebounds in an 86-71 loss to Ryerson on
Friday night. Tyndale is 12th in OUA scoring with 15.2
points per game.
Cynthia Appiah, Track and Field
Cynthia Appiah won gold and silver medals at the Don Wright Team
Challenge in London, Ont., this past weekend as part of a 17-medal
haul for the Lions. She finished first in the shot put with a CIS
qualifying distance of 13.97 metres, which was 36 centimetres
better than the rest of the field. She followed that up with a
silver-medal showing in the weight throw, where her toss of 16.58
metres was just eight centimetres behind first place. Appiah is
currently ranked No. 1 in the CIS in the shot put and is No. 4 in
the weight throw.
For the week of Jan.
16
Ryan Charlton, Track and Field
Ryan Charlton won two medals, one gold and one bronze, at the Can
Am Meet in Windsor this past weekend, part of an 11-medal haul for
the Lions. A third-year middle distance runner for the team, he won
the 600m race for the second straight week, setting a new
personal-best time of 1:21.43 to finish at the top of the 22-man
field. He also ran the anchor leg for the bronze-medal winning 4 x
400m relay team and was the first runner on the 4 x 400m relay team
that finished eighth. Charlton’s time in the 600m was also
good enough to qualify him for the OUA championships at the end of
February.
Brandie Wilkerson, Volleyball
Brandie Wilkerson recorded 31 points in two matches this past
weekend as the Lions went 2-0 with wins over two of the OUA’s
top four teams. In a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the
second-year outside hitter tallied 14 points on 13 kills and 1.5
blocks and added seven digs, and she was even better two days later
in a 3-1 win over the Queen’s Gaels, scoring a game-high 17
points on 14 kills and three blocks while adding two digs.
Wilkerson, the reigning OUA rookie of the year, is the
league’s leading scorer with 4.55 points per set, and the No.
10 Lions are in first place in the OUA standings with an 11-1
record.
For the week of Jan. 9
Tyler McGee, Hockey
Tyler McGee recorded four points in two games this weekend as the
Lions went 1-1 against Guelph and Western. In a 6-2 victory over
the Gryphons in their first game of 2012, the rookie forward scored
the second goal of the game less than four minutes into the first
period and added his second mid-way through the third, the
team’s fifth of the contest. He also assisted on the fourth
goal. Two days later, he contributed an assist on the Lions’
last goal of the game late in the final period in a 4-2 loss to the
Mustangs. McGee is now the OUA leader in overall rookie scoring (21
points) and assists (15).
Sydney McMurter, Hockey
Sydney McMurter earned her first shutout of the season in a 2-0
victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday. The fifth-year
goalkeeper from Orillia, Ont., made 22 saves in the game to give
the Lions two important points in the standings and moved them into
a tie with Toronto for fifth place in the OUA standings. McMurter,
who has started eight of the team’s 16 games this season, has
a 2.70 goals against average and .904 save percentage, ranking
11th in the OUA in both categories.
For the week of Dec. 5
Jordan Forfar, Hockey
Jordan Forfar scored four goals in two games as the Lions went 2-0
on the weekend with wins over Ryerson and Laurier. In a 7-1 blowout
over the Rams, the rookie forward tallied a pair of goals,
including one on the power play, and he turned the same trick in a
4-1 victory over the Golden Hawks on the road two days later. In
that contest he netted the game’s first two goals in a
three-minute stretch in the first period, with the first coming on
a power play and the second standing up as the game winner. Forfar
now has 12 goals on the season, the third best total in the OUA,
and is seventh overall in league rookie scoring with 15 points.
Nadia Qahwash, Basketball
Nadia Qahwash recorded a total of 29 points, eight rebounds, six
assists and five steals in two games this weekend as the Lions went
1-1 against Lakehead and Guelph. In a 69-64 victory over the
Thunderwolves, the third-year guard tallied 13 points and four
rebounds, and added game highs of four assists and five steals
while also going 5-6 from the free throw line. The following night,
she led all Lions with 16 points, including 8-8 from the free throw
line, and added four rebounds and two assists in a 73-65 loss to
the Gryphons.
For the week of Nov. 28
Nikola Sandic, Volleyball
Nikola Sandic recorded a game-high 10 points in a 3-0 (25-18,
25-15, 25-16) rout of the Ryerson Rams on Saturday. The second-year
outside hitter earned his points on nine kills, which was also a
game high, and one service ace. He also chipped in on defence with
four digs. Sandic is tied for second on the team in scoring with an
average of 2.6 points per set, and also in kills (63) and total
digs (49).
Brittany Szockyj, Basketball
Brittany Szockyj recorded a total of 33 points, 11 rebounds, three
assists and six steals in two games this weekend as the Lions
defeated both Waterloo and Laurier on the road. In a 63-49 win over
the Warriors on Friday night, the fifth-year guard tallied 20
points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals, and the
following day she had 13 points, three rebounds, one assist and
four steals in a thrilling 52-51 win over the Golden Hawks.
Szockyj, an OUA all-star for the first time last year, is
13th in league scoring with 13.2 points per game.
For the week of Nov.
21
Gregory Ivan, Volleyball
Gregory Ivan recorded a game-high 17 points in a 3-0 victory
(25-16, 25-20, 25-22) over the RMC Paladins on Saturday afternoon.
The third-year middle earned his 17 points on 13 kills, four blocks
and one service ace, and also contributed three digs in the win.
Ivan is third in the OUA with 24 blocks and ranked 17th
in league scoring with 2.85 points per set. The Lions improved to
3-4 with the win and are currently tied for fifth in the OUA
standings with six points.
Chloe Milano, Hockey
Chloe Milano scored three of the team’s four goals this
weekend, including both game winners, as the Lions earned an
important four points in the OUA standings with a pair of 2-1
victories over Windsor and Western. On Saturday against the Lancers
she scored both Lions goals in a three-minute stretch early in the
second period. Her first was unassisted at 2:08 and her second came
on a power play at 5:02 and stood up as the winner. The next day
against the Mustangs she tallied the team’s second goal early
in the third period to give the Lions a comeback win after they
were down 1-0. Milano, the team captain, now has eight points on
the season (four goals, four assists) and the Lions are fifth in
the OUA standings with a 7-6 record.
For the week of Nov. 14
Matt Thomson, Hockey
Matt Thomson scored the game winner in overtime to give the Lions
a big 3-2 victory over the Brock Badgers on the road in St.
Catharines on Friday. The defender from Kitchener, Ont., won
the game just 1:43 into the extra frame when he put the puck past
Brock goaltender Adrian Volpe. It was his second goal of the season
and sixth point and gave the Lions an important two points in the
standings, which tied them with the Badgers for fifth in the OUA
West standings with 11 points.
Kristen Barbara, Hockey
Kristen Barbara tallied three points in two games as the Lions
went 1-1 this past weekend. She scored her first career goal on the
power play midway through the third period, and added an assist on
the game-winning goal, in a 4-1 victory over the visiting Ryerson
Rams on Friday night, and had another assist on Saturday in a 6-3
loss to the No. 5 nationally-ranked Guelph Gryphons. The
defender from Mount Hope, Ont., has eight points on the season (one
goal, seven assists) and is ranked third in OUA rookie scoring and
third in scoring by defenders.
For the week of Nov. 7
Jesse Messier, Hockey
Jesse Messier recorded seven points in two games as the Lions went
1-1 this past weekend with a win over UOIT and a loss to Brock. He
had a hand in all seven goals scored by the team this weekend,
notching three goals and four assists overall. He had one goal and
two assists in a 4-3 loss to the Badgers on Friday night, scoring
the team’s second goal and assisting on the other two, as the
Lions erased a three-goal deficit before taking the loss. In a 4-3
win over the Ridgebacks the following day he scored the
team’s first two goals and assisted on the last two,
including the game winner. Messier is now the Lions’ leading
scorer with 13 points (four goals, nine assists) and is tied for
ninth overall in the OUA.
Thinesa Sriskandarajah, Volleyball
Thinesa Sriskandarajah recorded 12 points and 11 digs as the Lions
swept the previously undefeated Waterloo Warriors 3-0 on Friday
night to extend their winning streak to four games. She earned her
12 points with seven kills and a game-high five service aces, while
also contributing on defence with the 11 digs. Sriskandarajah is
currently the team leader in scoring and ranked ninth in the OUA
with 3.69 points per set and is tied for sixth in service aces with
nine.
For the week of Oct.
31
Alon Badat, Soccer
Alon Badat scored two goals, including the game winner, and
assisted on two others to lead the Lions to a 5-2 OUA quarter-final
victory over the Windsor Lancers on Sunday. The second-year
forward, who was also named an OUA West first-team all-star last
week, assisted on the game’s first goal, scored by Adrian
Pena, in the 16th minute. Thirty minutes later, and
after a second York goal, Badat netted what turned out to be the
game winner when he crashed Windsor’s goal off a Pena free
kick and slid a rebound into the bottom right corner. He also
assisted on York’s fourth goal of the game and scored the
final tally in extra time on a penalty kick. Badat finished the
regular season in second place in OUA scoring with 14
goals.
Tisha Rouse, Volleyball
Tisha Rouse was named the player of the match on Sunday in a
dominating 3-0 victory over the Brock Badgers. The third-year
setter recorded 36 assists, for an average of 12.0 per set, in the
win and also tallied four digs and one kill. Rouse is currently
tied for third in the OUA with 10.0 assists per game.
For the week of Oct.
24
Riser Markell, Football
Riser Markell had a career day in the Lions’ season finale
on Saturday. The rookie running back rushed for 100 yards on the
day, his highest total of the season, and also recorded his first
touchdown at the end of the first half. He finished the season as
the team’s leading rusher and had a 3.8 yards per carry
average.
Melissa Humana-Paredes, Volleyball
Melissa Humana-Paredes recorded 25 points, 32 digs and 10 service
aces in two matches this weekend to help the Lions to a 2-0 start
to the year. In a 3-1 victory over the defending OUA champion
Western Mustangs, Humana-Paredes had 15 points, 15 digs and six
service aces, and the following day in a 3-0 win over the Windsor
Lancers she totaled 10 points, 17 digs and four service aces.
For the week of Oct. 17
Alon Badat, Soccer
Alon Badat scored a hat trick in a 6-0 victory over the Windsor
Lancers on Saturday as part of a 2-0 weekend for the Lions that
kept them in first place in the OUA West standings. The second-year
forward scored the game’s first three goals to give the Lions
a 3-0 lead before teammates took over for the rest of the scoring
in the blowout win. Badat leads all Lions with 14 goals this
season, five more than he scored in his rookie campaign that earned
him the OUA West rookie of the year award, and is second in the
OUA.
Katrina Tollis, Hockey
Katrina Tollis recorded two points, including the game-winning
goal, in a 2-1 victory over the UOIT Ridgebacks on Friday that
extended the Lions’ winning streak to three games. The
third-year forward assisted on the game’s first goal, scored
by Stephanie Dovaston on the power play mid-way through the first
period, and then notched the game winner at 16:46 of the second.
Tollis leads all players in the OUA with five goals this season and
is tied for the league lead in overall scoring with seven
points.
For the week of Oct. 10
Evan Gravenor, Hockey
Evan Gravenor scored three goals in two games as the Lions went
1-0-1 in their first two contests of the season. The first-year
forward was strong in the opener on Thursday night, scoring
York’s first two goals of the game, both on the power play,
to give the Lions a 2-1 advantage in a game they eventually lost by
a 5-4 score in a shootout to the Toronto Varsity Blues. Two nights
later, he scored York’s first goal in a 5-2 victory over the
UOIT Ridgebacks, again on the power play. Gravenor is fourth in
rookie scoring after opening weekend with three points and leads
all players in the CIS with three power play goals.
Kristie Wilson, Hockey
York hockey player Kristie Wilson tallied six points in two games
to lead the Lions to a pair of opening weekend wins over Ryerson
and Toronto. The fourth-year forward scored a hat trick in a 6-5
come-from-behind win over the Varsity Blues, including the
game-winner with just five seconds remaining on the clock. Her
first goal in the game was also the team’s first and started
the scoring for the Lions after they fell behind by three goals,
and her second was the team’s fourth that tied the game for
the first time. She also had a goal and two assists in a 6-3
victory over the Rams the previous night. Wilson leads the OUA in
scoring with six points (four goals, two assists) and the Lions are
one of only two undefeated teams after the first weekend of
play.
For the week of Oct. 3
Adrian Pena, Soccer
Adrian Pena scored a hat trick on Saturday to lead the Lions to a
4-0 victory over the Waterloo Warriors. He scored the first goal of
the game in the 23rd minute and in the second half he
single-handedly took control of the game. He scored his second of
the game in the 57th minute on a beautiful chip shot
over the head of the goalkeeper and in the 64th minute
he completed the hat trick on a great individual effort that saw
him break into the Warriors’ zone all alone, chip a pass to
himself around the charging goalkeeper and bury the shot into the
open cage. Pena now has 10 goals in nine games this season to tie
for the league lead.
Tiera Thomas-Reynolds, Rugby
Tiera Thomas-Reynolds scored two tries on Friday night in the
Lions’ 17-12 loss to the Trent Excalibur in Peterborough.
Down 17-0 to the Excalibur in the second half, Thomas-Reynolds
turned up her game and scored both of her team’s tries in the
final 15 minutes to get the Lions back into the game, contributing
10 of the team’s 12 points in the contest. The two-time OUA
all-star now has four tries and 20 points on the season, putting
her in a tie for 11th place on the OUA scoring list.
For the week of Sept.
26
Nir Shimony, Tennis
Nir Shimony went 4-0 in singles and doubles this past weekend as
the Lions continued their undefeated season with wins over Waterloo
and Montreal. In his first road matches of the season against the
Warriors, he and partner Lorent Kryeziu won their doubles match 8-4
and then he cruised in his singles match, knocking off Zuban Vujic
6-1, 6-2. Shimony was equally impressive against the defending OUA
champion Carabins the following day, winning his doubles match 8-4
along with Stan Faynberg and then taking his singles 6-2, 6-1 over
Augustin Lazarus. The Lions have won all five of their ties so far
this season.
Sarah Fiorini, Soccer
Sarah Fiorini recorded back-to-back shutouts in two games last
weekend as the Lions stretched their unbeaten streak to six games.
In a 1-0 victory over the Western Mustangs she made four saves and
the following day was even more impressive with nine saves in a
scoreless draw with the Windsor Lancers. The two-time OUA all-star
has not allowed a goal in three straight games and has five
shutouts in seven games this season to backstop the Lions to a
3-1-3 record and 12 points, good for third in the OUA West
standings.
For the week of Sept. 19
Heneri Dervishi, Football
Heneri Dervishi kicked the winning field goal in overtime to give
the Lions a 20-18 comeback victory over the Waterloo Warriors and
their first win since 2007. Needing to score in the extra frame
after Waterloo missed its field goal attempt but earned a rouge,
Dervishi nailed an 18-yarder for the win. It was his second field
goal of the game as he also made one from 43 yards out at the end
of the third quarter to cut Waterloo’s lead to 17-10.
Dervishi had eight points in the game, hitting two extra points to
go along with the two field goals.
Kelsi Smith, Tennis
Kelsi Smith went 6-0 in singles and doubles this weekend as the
Lions went 2-1 in their first three match-ups of the year. On
opening day last Friday she won her singles match 6-1, 6-3 over
McGill’s Jenny Kern and also paired with teammate Julia
Khalilova in doubles to win 8-2, giving the Lions a 6-1 victory
over the Martlets. She had similar results on Saturday, winning her
singles match 7-5, 6-3 over UOIT’s Astrid de Souza and
teaming with Khalilova again to win their doubles match 8-5, as the
Lions defeated the Ridgebacks 7-0. On Sunday, Smith defeated
Toronto’s Daria Zakharchenko 6-4, 6-4 and won the doubles 8-1
in a tight tie that resulted in a Varsity Blues’ 4-3 win.
For the week of Sept. 12
Sotiri Varlokostas, Soccer
Sotiri Varlokostas earned two shutouts in two games last week to
lead the Lions to a pair of victories over McMaster and Brock. He
made three saves in a 1-0 win over McMaster, including a huge stop
late in the second half to preserve the win. He was also strong in
net in a 2-0 victory against the Badgers two days later.
Varlokostas has recorded three shutouts in four games this season
and has allowed just one goal, putting his goals against average at
0.27, tops among all OUA goalkeepers with at least three games
played thus far.
Nicole Markowitz, Soccer
Nicole Markowitz scored two goals in as many games last week to
help the Lions go 1-0-1 against McMaster and Brock. In a 2-0 win
over the Marauders she scored the insurance marker in the
90th minute, ensuring the Lions’ first victory of
the season. Two days later she scored the tying goal two minutes
after the Badgers took the lead, giving the Lions one point in a
1-1 draw. The goals were Markowitz’s first two of the season
and she is currently tied with several other players for eighth
place in league scoring.
For the week of Sept. 5
Alon Badat, Soccer
Alon Badat scored two goals during opening weekend as the Lions
went 1-0-1 to start the 2011 season. The reigning OUA West rookie
of the year netted the team’s lone goal in a 1-1 tie with the
Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday he scored
what turned out to be the winning goal, burying the game’s
opener in the 30th minute as part of a 3-0 victory over
the Waterloo Warriors. Badat is one of three players tied for the
OUA scoring lead with two goals on the season.
