The No. 5 nationally-ranked York University Lions men's soccer team will play at home for the first time in more than a month on Thursday night in a game against the Laurier Golden Hawks, and they will wrap up the weekend against the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday.
 
The Match-up: No. 5 York (7-1-2) vs. Laurier (4-3-4) and Waterloo (3-8-0)
 
Game Details
Laurier – Thursday, Oct. 8 @ 8:15pm, OUA.tv (York Lions Stadium)
Waterloo – Saturday, Oct. 10 @ 3:15pm, OUA.tv
 
Special Promotions
Thursday – Rock Your Red, and prizes from McDonalds, Qoola and Great Canadian Bagel
 
Home/Away Records
York – 3-0-1 at home
Laurier – 1-3-1 on the road
Waterloo – 2-5-0 on the road
 
Current Streak
York – Won 1
Laurier – Tied 2
Waterloo – Won 1
 
Last Meetings
The Golden Hawks finally earned a point against the Lions in their most recent meeting last week, securing a 1-1 draw with an early goal. The Lions have eliminated the Golden Hawks from the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and last year won both regular-season meetings as well, by a combined score of 7-0.
 
The Lions won both meetings against the Warriors in convincing fashion last year, claiming the first 4-0 and the second 4-1. Waterloo last defeated York in 2010, by a score of 2-1, and since then the Warriors have been outscored by the Lions 38-2 in nine games.
 
QUICK FACTS
 
York

• The Lions have played in five road games over four weeks since last playing at home on Sept. 13. They went 3-1-1 in that stretch and are currently third in the OUA West standings, with a game in hand over the two teams they are chasing.
• Their 1-0 loss to the nationally-ranked Windsor Lancers was their first loss to an OUA opponent in nearly two years.
• The Lions have slipped to No. 5 in the CIS rankings but have still been nationally ranked in 47 straight polls dating back to Week 6 in 2010.
• The Lions have won the OUA West Division eight straight times and have won medals at the OUA championships in seven of the last eight seasons.

 
 Laurier

• The Golden Hawks earned the final playoff spot in the OUA West Division last year and are in position to claim a post-season berth once again, currently sitting fifth in the standings with a four-point lead over Western.
• The Golden Hawks have earned at least one point in five of their last six matches dating back to mid September. They are 3-1-2 in that stretch and, most recently, posted a pair of draws with York and Western last weekend.
• Laurier has a tough schedule to close the regular season with games against all four teams ahead of them in the standings. After Thursday, they will face Windsor and McMaster in the same weekend after Thanksgiving before closing with Guelph and Brock.

 
Waterloo

• The Warriors are much improved and have already equaled last year's win total (three) with six games still remaining on the schedule. They finished eighth in the division last season and are currently seventh, three points out of the final playoff spot but with a game in hand.
• The Warriors won their last contest by a 2-0 score over Algoma. However, the day before they dropped a 1-0 decision to the same team, what was the Thunderbirds' first ever win since joining the OUA.
• The schedule is a challenging one to end the year as the Warriors still have to face York a second time this season, as well as the first-place Windsor Lancers.

 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
 
York
 
F Michael Cox – The team's leading scorer with six goals in 10 games, including two game winners. He is tied for fifth in OUA scoring.
 
M Jonathan Lao – An OUA all-star and CIS all-Canadian in each of his first two seasons. He is tied for second on the team this year with two goals in 10 games.
 
Laurier
 
GK Stephan Brudiu – The current OUA and CIS male athlete of the week after allowing just one goal in two games and backstopping the Golden Hawks to the draw against the Lions.
 
F Niklas Bauer – Leads the Golden Hawks and ranks second in the OUA with nine goals in 10 games.
 
Waterloo
 
Jae Jin Lee – The rookie striker leads the team and is tied for 10^th in the OUA with five goals in 10 games.
 
M Nicholas Karavanas – Last year's team leader with five goals on the season. He has played in four games and started three so far this year.