SOCCER LIONS OPEN SEASON IN CIS TOP 10

The York University Lions soccer teams will take to the pitch to open the 2010 regular season already with a national ranking as both teams were placed among Canadian Interuniversity Sports’ Top 10 in the first rankings polls to come out this season.

The women are ranked No. 6 and the men No. 10 heading into their first games next week. Last year’s Lions women’s team won the OUA championship on home soil and finished seventh at the CIS championships in November.

On the women’s side, the Lions are one of three OUA teams among the nation’s top 10 as the Queen’s Gaels and Toronto Varsity Blues are ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. Both Queen’s and Toronto play in the OUA East division while the Lions are in the west.

There are also three OUA teams in the men’s rankings. Toronto is No. 4 and the McMaster Marauders are No. 8.

The reigning national champion Trinity Western Spartans (women) and Laval Rouge et Or (men) top the first set of rankings.

The Lions will begin the regular season next week. The men kick things off with a home game against the UOIT Ridgebacks – the newest squad in the OUA – on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 5) at 1pm at York Stadium, and then both teams will travel to London on Wednesday to take on the Western Mustangs.

Women’s Soccer
1. Trinity Western
2. Montreal
3. UBC
4. Queen’s
5. Toronto
6. York
7. StFX
8. UPEI
9. Victoria
10. Dalhousie

Men’s Soccer
1. Laval
2. McGill
3. Trinity Western
4. Toronto
5. Victoria
6. Cape Breton
7. UPEI
8. McMaster
9. UBC
10. York