The York University Lions men's soccer team faced off against the Laurier Golden Hawks In a thrilling season opener on Friday night in Waterloo. The 2022 OUA West division winners overcame an early deficit with a late equalizer from the spot, earning a 1-1 draw in the front half of a home-and-home with the Hawks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Laurier heavily outplayed York early, controlling the tempo of the game and outshooting York 11-3 in the first half. However, solid defense from York thwarted several scoring attempts.
• Laurier was able to eventually locate the back of Alessio Carbone's net in the 11th minute, when Sam Ghouli managed to break through the Lions' defence and secure his team's first tally of the season on a well-executed play that gave the Golden Hawks a 1-0 lead.
• The decisive moment of the match unfolded late in the contest for the Lions, with an opportunity to change the course of the game. A critical penalty kick was awarded to York in the 75th minute, giving them a chance to level the score. York midfielder Christian Zeppieri stepped up and made no mistake at the line to secure a 1-1 draw.  

LOOKING AHEAD

The Lions will look for their first win of the 2023 season when they will host these very same Golden Hawks on Sunday, September 3 in their home opener at York Lions Stadium. Kick-off is slated for 3:15pm.