The York University Lions men's and women's soccer teams have both qualified for the postseason after winning their final games of the regular season on Sunday, Oct. 31.
 
However, the road to the OUA championship varies for the two squads. For the No. 1 nationally ranked men's squad, the new OUA East champions, they slot in as the No. 2 seed in the OUA and will host the No. 7 Toronto Varsity Blues.
 
As for the women's team, they are also playing in a 2-vs.-7 match-up – but as the lower seed. After defeating the No. 9 nationally ranked Queen's Gaels in the final game of the regular season Sunday, they hammered down their position as the seventh-place team, booking a date with another nationally ranked opponent, the No. 8 Nipissing Lakers, who finished second in the OUA.
 
ISACCO'S GROUP HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE
 
Men's soccer will be aiming for continuity. In their case, that means a high degree of success. Their division title is the 14^th straight for the team, and it's happened every single year since Carmine Isacco's takeover of the program in 2007.
 
This season has featured an array of scoring from the top of the team's leadership group. Dieu Merci Yuma battled for the OUA scoring lead all season long, and ultimately took the points title (17) while tying for the goal lead (12) with McMaster's Dusan Kovacevic. Yuma built on his team-leading eight goals from 2019 and doubled it in four fewer contests due to the COVID-shortened season.
 
Omar Marzouk and Soji Olatoye rounded out the offence for York in 2021, scoring seven and five goals respectively. Marzouk ranked sixth in OUA scoring and third in shots, while Olatoye slotted in at eighth in the conference scoring lead.
 
But offence is only part of the story for the Lions. In goal, George Tzimas led the OUA in saves with 33, only allowing four goals against and mustering five shutouts. In a span from Sept. 23 to Oct. 25, Tzimas didn't allow a single goal.
 
Their opponents from Toronto have a different makeup, scoring by committee. Four of their players have four goals or more, led by Kingsley Belele who has five.
 
LIONS HEAD INTO NORTH BAY AS UNDERDOGS
 
The women's team got into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season. They had to beat the Gaels to qualify, and they did, after Kalifornia Mitchell earned herself York female athlete of the week honours by scoring two goals in a span of five minutes to catapult York into a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
 
The two goals were Mitchell's fourth and fifth goals of the season, cementing her status the bona fide scoring threat for this team. Marissa Castellano, Bianca Jack, Maia Torelli and Sabrina Fabiano all have two goals each and have been crucial additions to the squad.
 
Nipissing provides a tough test for the red and white. Until their most recent home-and-home with the Blues, the Lakers hadn't conceded a goal all year. The Lakers have a three-headed monster statistically – Ashley Mlinaric (12), Jennifer Milligan (9) and Jessica Emmerton (7) are far and away the most prolific scoring forwards amongst that group.
 
The men's team will host Toronto at home, with the game set for York Lions Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 8pm. The women's team travels to North Bay, Ont., to face Nippising on the same day, with their game kicking off at 5pm.