In an exhilarating Saturday afternoon, the York Lions field hockey team triumphed over their division rivals as they beat the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 2-1 to clinch the OUA championship.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Toronto opened the scoring by intercepting the ball from York in the middle of the pitch followed by a quick break which led to a penalty corner. Sam McCrory converted her shot successfully into the bottom right corner of York's goal to make it 1-0.
- In the dying moments of the third quarter, Natalie Brown equalized for York to send them to the final period with their heads held high. The goal came from a penalty corner played into the middle of the box with Frankie St. Louis providing the crucial assist.
- Midway through the fourth quarter, Sam McCrory fired one into the top corner of York's goal but Serena Vilde was there to deny Toronto the lead
- With just six minutes remaining on the clock, the Lions took the lead in a spectacular fashion with Caitlin Miller's powerful shot getting deflected into the net from the sticks of a Toronto defender. The goal came following a well-executed counterattack from York after intercepting the ball from the Varsity Blues in the middle of the pitch
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"I am beyond proud of my athletes! They played their hearts out. They executed the game plan perfectly. It was a collective team win." – head coach
Zeeshan Minhas
This victory propels the York Lions to the U SPORTS championship, set for Victoria, B.C. as they are awarded the OUA field hockey championship trophy for the first time since 2017. The national tournament will begin Friday, Nov. 4.
