The No. 3 nationally-ranked York University Lions men's soccer team defeated the Algoma Thunderbirds on Sunday (Oct. 25) by a score of 8-0 at York Stadium.   
 
With the victory, the Lions clinched first place in the OUA West standings for a remarkable ninth straight year.
 
Sunday afternoon was all about Michael Cox (Calgary) and Domenic Gullo (Newmarket, Ont.), as both members of the Lions filled the stat sheet.
 
The game began with both sides sharing equal possession in each other's territory, but with little to no offensive push. It wasn't until the 33^rd minute when the deadlock was broken as Cox headed a world-class cross from Jarek Whiteman (Brampton, Ont.) that gave the Lions the lead.
 
The Cox tally seemed to spark the Lions attack as they marched down the field and added to their lead. Dena Iezady (Richmond Hill, Ont.) launched a strike from the right of the net that beat Thunderbird goalkeeper Nicholas Palazzi and put the Lions up by two.
 
 The Thunderbirds began to apply pressure near the end of the first half but it was nullified by a penalty in the box at the 42^nd minute, which saw Cox step up and pound the left corner pocket of the net, putting the Lions up 3-0. Cox wasn't finished scoring in the first half, however, as No. 9 tip-toed around multiple Thunderbirds and went bar down in extra time giving Cox the hat trick, and the Lions went into halftime with a commanding 4-0 lead.
 
In the 62^nd minute Gullo and Eddie Lay (Courtice, Ont.) broke in on a two-on-zero breakaway and Lay fired a shot that Palazzi initially saved, but the rebound popped out and on to the boot of Gullo and he finished off the play with the fifth Lions goal of the match.  
 
Three minutes after the Lions took a five-goal advantage, Joey Cicchillo (North York, Ont.) got behind the Thunderbird defence and beat the stranded Palazzi, adding to the Lions dominant second half.
 
A Gullo header in the box that was crossed in from Whiteman, and a Whiteman strike late in the match sealed the 8-0 victory over the Thunderbirds.
 
Gullo recorded two goals on Sunday and finished the season with a total of three and Whiteman capped of his 2015 campaign with eight. Cox ended the year as the OUA's leading scorer with 16 goals in as many games.
 
After Sunday's victory, the Lions will now move on to the OUA playoffs where they will look to defend their OUA championship beginning with a quarter-final game on Sunday (Nov. 1) at 4pm at York Stadium. Their opponent will be determined after the first round on Wednesday.