Two late goals just two minutes apart from Caitlin Miller and Amber Sandhu brought the No. 5 nationally ranked York University Lions field hockey team back into the fold and earned them a draw against the No. 2 nationally ranked Toronto Varsity Blues on Alumni Field Wednesday night.
 
The goals, in the 55^th and 57^th minutes respectively, gave the Lions a crucial point in the OUA playoff picture as the Lions and Blues head toward a potential showdown in the OUA semifinal. Toronto, which leads the division, has yet to lose this regular season and has registered 20 points in the standings with their 6-0-2 record. The Lions, sitting at 2-2-2, are second in the three-team division.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• York's graduating players were honoured with plaques and gifts before the game, showered with the praise of their teammates and coaches before a boisterous crowd at Alumni Field.
• Toronto opened the scoring on the final play of the first half, with Sam McCrory, the reigning U SPORTS female athlete of the week, being awarded a penalty. She made no mistake, driving it past York keeper Jade Lew for the game's opening goal.
• Toronto then added to their lead, with McCrory scoring on a penalty corner in the 20^th minute of play, increasing the visitors' lead to two.
• The Lions answered back after a penalty corner of their own. Prava Sandhu directed her shot to the net, and Miller dove forward at the loose ball to redirect it into the goal. That cut the lead in half late in the third quarter.
• Just two minutes later, riding a huge wave of Lions momentum, Amber Sandhu tied the game with a rocketed shot that beat Deepi Gil in the Blues goal, and the score would stay 2-2 until the final whistle.

LOOKING AHEAD
 
York has now completed their four-game stretch against Toronto, and will finish off their 2021 campaign with two more road games against the Queen's Gaels. The games are both scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23, and will be played in a doubleheader format on the campus of Queen's University.