The York University Lions field hockey team finished as the U SPORTS silver medallists after a 2-0 loss to the champion UBC Thunderbirds in Game 2 of their best-of-three series at Wright Field in Vancouver on Saturday.
 
The Thunderbirds, who captured their seventh straight McCrae Cup and 19^th overall in program history with the win, were also victorious by the same 2-0 score in Game 1 on Friday night.
 
For the Lions, the silver-medal result was their best since also finishing second in 1994.
 
The Thunderbirds benefited from a penalty corner goal from Sophie Jones in the 33^rd minute just before halftime. Jones executed a straight sweep shot, with a perfect lift, to find the backboard for the championship-winning goal. Sarah Keglowitsch showed her speed and skills in the 49^th minute as she doubled the lead with some expert individual skills, burying a quick backhand shot in the far corner. U SPORTS player of the year Rowan Harris picked up both shutouts in the championship.
 
Despite shutout losses in two games, it was still a historic season for the Lions, who hit impressive records in their program's history with an 11-1 regular season and an OUA championship banner and U SPORTS championship appearance. The future is bright for the Lions, who did not make it easy for UBC. Fourth-year defender Sara Vollmerhausen and third-year Sydney McFaul anchored a gritty defence unit that held UBC mostly to the perimeter of the circle. Third-year midfielder Montana Merante was a work horse up front for York, forcing several UBC turnovers, while rookie midfielder Frankie St. Louis had a breakout performance, showcasing her skills through a notable 70-minute performance.
 
"They had an awesome game, much better than yesterday, a lot of fight and there were moments that we almost had (UBC), but I'm very proud of my girls today," said Zeeshan Minhas, head coach of York. "It's good for the program. This season has been great in York history for a long time. I think all these girls now know how it feels to be a champion and I'm pretty sure they are all going to still keep putting the work in and the program is only going to continue to get better."
 
The Lions will see the departure of just two fifth-year players from their 2017 championship roster as midfielder and captain Rebecca Titus and defender Cassidy Nicholls leave the Lions with the program's seventh U SPORTS silver medal.