The York University Lions women's soccer team scored two goals in the first two matches of the postseason, but that was enough to squeak out a pair of heart-stopping 1-0 wins – the latest one a shocking upset over previously unbeaten Western in the quarters – and advance to the OUA semi-final.

That semi-final went Sunday afternoon in a blustery North Bay – with flurries falling from the sky for the majority of the match – against the Nipissing Lakers. The Lakers earned the No. 2 seed in the OUA East and a first-round bye with a 9-3 regular season record, behind only the 11-1 Ottawa Gee-Gees.

As fate would have it, the winner of this game would travel to Ottawa to take on the aforementioned Garnet & Grey in the OUA championship and, in so doing, simultaneously qualify for the U SPORTS championships next month in Halifax.

The match – unlike Nipissing's 6-4 quarter-final win over Queen's – was played as you would expect a playoff match to be played: with defence at the forefront. Both teams had looks, but it was the Lakers getting on the board first.

In the waning minutes of the half, Nipissing's Rylee Traicoff came down the near side with speed, crossed it into the box and found the head of Bella Nolte, who beat Phillips to put the home side on the board first in the 42nd minute and give Nipissing a 1-0 lead heading into the break.

The Lions, however, as they have done all postseason, showed they would not go down without a fight. In the 48th minute, the Lions drew back level courtesy of none other than Sabrina Fabiano. The hero from Wednesday's extra-time quarter-final win over Western, Fabiano took a cross from Amelia Joseph and pounded it past Nipissing keeper Hayden Hanley – who came in to replace an injured Madison Heeley late in the first half after a collision with Nia Fleming-Thompson – to tie it at 1-1.

The defensive theme that had dominated most of the day, returned for the remainder of the second half. That was, until the early moments of second-half added time. A beautiful ball through from the midfield up the far side was crossed into the box by Traicoff, where it missed Cassidy Brooks in the middle and went off the fingertips of Lions keeper Charlotte Phillips. However, Jessica Emerton, who was alone on the near side post, sent it back in front for Brooks, and she was all alone to bury what would be the winning goal, sending the Lakers to the OUA championship and sending the Lions home heartbroken, defeated 2-1.

LOOKING AHEAD 

After a strong playoff run on the heels of missing the postseason for the first time since 2013 last year, the Lions look ahead to what should be a bright 2025 as one of the top contenders in the OUA West.