The York University Lions women's rugby team put on a power-packed performance in front of their home crowd at Alumni Field, as they defeated the Waterloo Warriors 31-12 on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions were led by an outstanding outing from Maiyah Samson, who scored back-to-back tries within a 10-minute span. With the win, the Lions improve to 1-1 on the season.   

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Lions got off to an electrifying start, as Esther Sivalingam put the Lions on the board first, blazing past the black and yellow jerseys with her first try of the season in the opening minute of action. 
• Samson followed suit midway through the first half, breaking past the Warrior line to score her first try of the year and extend the margin to 12-0. 
• Ten minutes later, Samson struck once again, followed by a conversion from Natashia Start, making it a 19-0 lead for the Lions.  
• Later, the Warriors Natasha Brooks responded with a 10-yard sprint into Lions territory, cutting the Lions lead 19-5 minutes before halftime.
• After the break, both teams traded possessions, but Lynelle Vassell was finally able to capitalize for York with their fourth try of the match to make it a 24-7 game. 
• Five minutes later, Selena McCuaig earned her first try of the season to wrap up the scoring for the Lions in the 74th minute. 
• Seconds before the final whistle, Eryn Bonney-Brookman finds the end zone for the Warriors to cap the score at 31-12.  

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Lions will play their first road game of the season against the Guelph Gryphons, looking to earn a second straight win. The game is slated to start at 1 pm on Saturday, Sept. 17.