MIXED RESULTS FOR LIONS IN WEEKEND DOUBLEHEADER
The York University Lions soccer teams were in Hamilton this Sunday (Oct. 3) for a double-header against the McMaster Marauders. The men’s team was victorious in a 3-0 rout of the defending OUA champions, while the women’s team suffered a 2-0 loss.
In the men’s match, the Lions scored all three of their goals in the first half and played shutdown defence for the remainder of the match. Goalkeeper Sotiri Varlokostas (Toronto) was unbeatable, stopping all five shots against for his sixth shutout of the season.
Rookie forward Alon Badat (Thornhill, Ont.) and third-year striker Adrian Pena (Woodbridge, Ont.) continued their impressive seasons, scoring one and two goals, respectively. Their combined three goals were all the Lions needed as they cruised to the win.
Pena and Badat sit second and third in OUA league scoring with nine and six goals, respectively. Pena trails scoring leader Niko Mavrikos (Victoria, B.C.) of the Western Mustangs by a single goal.
With the win, the Lions improve to 7-2-1 on the season and sit second in the OUA West with 22 points, nine points behind the leading Mustangs, who are undefeated this season. The Lions continue to lead the OUA in scoring with 29 goals.
In the women’s match, a strong Marauders squad held the Lions off the scoresheet for a well-deserved win. Marauders goalkeeper Jocelyn Wilkins (London, Ont.) stood tall in the match, stopping all four Lions shots fired her way.
Karli Swatridge (Kitchener, Ont.) and Tara Dawdy (Burlington, Ont.) were the goal scorers in the match. Dawdy leads the Marauders in scoring this season with five goals.
Lions’ second-year goalkeeper Sarah Fiorini (Newmarket, Ont.) made six saves in the match.
With the loss, the Lions fall to 3-6-0 on the season and sit sixth in the OUA West with nine points.
Both teams will be back in action on the road this weekend. The men’s team will face-off against the UOIT Ridgebacks on Friday (Oct. 8) and the Brock Badgers on Saturday (Oct. 9), while the women’s team will also meet the Badgers on Saturday (Oct. 9) in their lone weekend match.
By Cody Powell, sport writing assistant
