The York University Lions men's soccer team made it to Sunday at the U SPORTS championships for the first time since winning it all in 2015. Though they were playing one game earlier than they'd hoped – in the bronze medal match against the McGill Redbirds – the Lions were looking to bring home their first medal since that championship run. They were also trying to win York's second national medal in as many weeks, after field hockey took home silver on home soil at the Field Hockey Canada U SPORTS Invitational Championship on Nov. 3. 

However, the Redbirds, who were looking for their ninth U SPORTS medal (second bronze), had other ideas. They opened the scoring in the seventh minute on a long ball headed down to the top of the box and played through by Mujtaba Mirhasan onto the foot of Nathan Yee. He was able to poke it past Lions keeper Alessio Carbone to make it 1-0 Redbirds. 

After a couple near misses that would have tied things up, the Lions found the equalizer and, eventually, the go-ahead goal, on a pair of set pieces. First, a corner by Ryan Robinson was buried by Yigal Bruk for his second of the championships to square things at 1-1 in the 29th minute. 

Then, seven minutes later, Gianluca Condello converted another corner, this one by Luca Accettola. The ball into the box ended up on the near side to Christian Zeppieri. He sent it back into the middle for Condello, who chested it down and put it home to give the Lions their first lead of the day. York would carry that lead into halftime. 

McGill nearly managed to draw level in the 52nd minute on a shot from Yee that banged the bar and rolled just wide of the far post. Minutes after that near miss, the Lions added to their advantage. 

They extended their lead on a beautiful passing play between Accettola, Bruk and Zeppieri. Accettola weaved through the McGill defence and laid one down for Bruk, who played it over to Zeppieri, and the defending U SPORTS Player of the Year made no mistake to give his side some insurance in the 58th minute, putting them up 3-1. 

The Redbirds nearly narrowed the Lion lead in the 63rd minute on a ball into the box and onto the foot of Kyle Azuma, but he sent it just high over the bar. Then, just over a minute later, McGill's Stuart Klenner had a chance on the near side, but Carbone came over to challenge and make the save, keeping the Lions up a pair. 

Those would be the last chances McGill would muster, as the Lions play a quality final quarter of the match to preserve the lead and earn their first medal since 2015 and their first bronze medal since 1996. 

LOOKING AHEAD: 

The Lions will now prepare for the 2025 season in hopes of once again reaching the national championships, which will be hosted by the Toronto Varsity Blues.