You win, or you learn.
 
That's a phrase York University Lions women's hockey head coach Dan Church loves to use with his team, and it's one that will be at the forefront again this season.
 
The Lions are still a young team that was impacted perhaps more than most due to the COVID-cancelled season after their run to the McCaw Cup in 2020. The bench boss does think the Lions have a good leadership corps, headed up by captain Brooke Anderson. So, while it will be another year of building for the red & white, they will hopefully, be playing meaningful hockey come February.
 
After qualifying for the U SPORTS championship in 2020, the Lions entered rebuild mode in 2021-22, graduating many of their high-impact student-athletes into their careers – some as professional athletes, others are working professionals outside of hockey.
 
But for Church, this is all part of the plan.  
"This has happened in the past with our program – we've had to build up and develop and then we get to a place where we went to the national championship. A lot of people thought that was out of nowhere, but it was small incremental gains over time. We're now having to build that back up again over COVID."
 
Church hopes to see the team take the next step this year, saying he's optimistic about the players who have made the jump into leadership roles. That said, things aren't going to come easily. And the 16-year head coach has attempted to mould that into his team's identity.
 
"We're going to have to scratch and claw for every inch we get," he said, citing the ultracompetitive nature of their OUA opponents. "We'll have to have sandpaper and skill. We have to possess grit and determination with how we play the game and how we approach the game."
 
That also extends to school and life, says the coach. And if the Lions can impart that wisdom into their play over the OUA regular season, results will come with time.
 
Those results will have to be generated by some of the key returning veterans, starting from the net and building from there. Julia McLennan, Ava Ricker-Singh and Ilena Ricker-Singh check in as some of the most impactful players on the blueline, and according to their coach, will shoulder a majority of the minutes for the upcoming year.
 
Fifth-year forward Brooke Anderson, who has both York goals from two wins over Brock in this pre-season, will be relied upon to lead the forward group as team captain, with second-years Julia Cuccia and Sydney Paulson entering more prominent offensive roles.
 
The Lions square off with the Nipissing Lakers at their home opener this Friday, Oct. 21, with puck drop scheduled for 7:15 pm. Tickets are available on yorkulions.ca, and all 2022-23 Lions home and road games will be streamed live on OUA.tv.