After an 0-4-1 start to the 2024-25 season, the York University Lions men's hockey team faced off against the Windsor Lancers at Canlan Ice Sports on Saturday evening, seeking their first win of the year.

The Lions went to two power playys in quick succession midway through the first on interference and tripping penalties, respectively, against the visitors, but were unable to convert. However, with two minutes left in the period, York drew first blood, as forward Harry Clark put home a rebound, as the Lions all-rookie line along with Mason Svarich and Chase Sandhu gave them a 1-0 lead after one.

The Lions killed off two Lancer power plays early in the second, but they found the back of the net shortly after, off an open-ice wrist shot flicked home by forward Cayden Faust to tie it up at 1-1 with 9:10 to go in the second. The Lions restored the lead in the dying seconds of the middle stanza to put them back up 2-1, as Keeton Oakley buried a rebound right in front of the goal from an Hunter Brown shot, and the Lions took a one-goal lead to the final frame.

Five minutes into the third period, Windsor evened it back up at 2-2, after forward Kirk Mullen snuck a shot past goalie Matt Tavell. Mere seconds later, however, the Lions struck back to reclaim a 3-2 lead. Hunter Brown took a pass from Oakley and stormed past two Lancers defencemen down the middle, broke in alone and made no mistake on a great individual effort. The Lions defence took care of the rest to close out the game, including late with a sixth attacker for Windsor, as the Lions held on to claim a strong 3-2 win.

LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions will look to win back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 6-7, 2023 as they host the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks for the second time this season on Friday night, with puck drop scheduled for 7:15 pm.