Men's Soccer | 10/30/2025 3:49:00 PM
He did it again.
York University Lions men's soccer player Chrstian Zepperi has won the OUA West MVP for a third consecutive year, becoming the first player in OUA history to ever win the award three times, let alone three consecutive years. It also makes it five consecutive years a Lion has won the award.
Zeppieri, a third-year accounting major, was once again an integral piece for the Lions, finishing second on the team in goals with eight. The Maple, Ont., native, who was also named an OUA first team all-star, scored goals in five consecutive games in which he played from Sept. 5-26 (excluding the Lions Sept. 22 game which he missed), scoring a total of six times and adding an assist. His most impactful game of the season came against the Brock Badgers when he scored once and had two assists, factoring in on all three York goals in a 3-0 win. He then scored the winning goal in the OUA quarter-final against the McMaster Marauders and potted the opening goal of penalties in York's semi-final win over the Carleton Ravens.
Zeppieri was only one of three Lions to take home major awards. Marco Sciortino, a first-year midfielder also from Maple, takes home the OUA West Rookie of the Year award, becoming the second consecutive York player to earn that award after Luca Acettola did so in 2024, and the 13th all-time. Sciortino's season was highlighted by a hat trick on Sept. 12 against the Windsor Lancers in a 4-0 York win. Overall, the commerce – finance student posted five goals and four assists while appearing in all 12 games, and starting 11 of them. The former member of Vaughan SC was also named a first team all-star as a rookie.
The Lions third major award winner is second-year forward Yigal Bruk, who was named the OUA West Community Service Award winner. A Vancouver, B.C., native, Bruk has made a tremendous impact on seniors in both Ontario and B.C. He founded a non-profit, Generations Assisting Loved-Ones (GAL) Senior Care Foundation, dedicated to combating fraud against seniors, in March 2024. The foundation became the leading non-profit in Vancouver after three months with 50 volunteers, and after only six months was awarded registered charitable status by the CRA. It has since expanded its reach to Ontario since Bruk's arrival at York, and the charity estimates it has saved a combined $4 million from being fraudulently obtained from the pockets of seniors in both provinces.
In addition to Zeppieri and Sciortino, the Lions had three other OUA West first team all-stars, including goalkeeper Michael Williams, defender Matthew Medeiros and forward Anthony Morano. Williams, a rookie from Kingston, Ont., was fantastic in his first season in the OUA after spending the 2024 season at Utah Tech University in the NCAA. The business & society student played in nine games, going 7-0-2 in those games. Among those seven wins were four clean sheets. Williams becomes the first Lions keeper since George Tzimas in 2021 to be named an OUA all-star.
Medeiros, a second-year from Vaughan, Ont., was an important piece on the back line for the Lions. In his second year at York, Medeiros continued his consistent run of play, appearing and starting in all twelve regular season games for the Lions. He posted his lone point of the season, an assist, on Sept. 19 in a 2-2 draw against the Waterloo Warriors. In his first two years as a Lion, the commerce – accounting major has started 23 of a possible 24 regular season games.
Morano, a first-year from Woodbridge, Ont., made his presence felt and played at an MVP-caliber level in his first season at York after transferring from Rutgers prior to the season. He led the OUA with nine goals, including a hat trick on Sept. 29 against the Western Mustangs in a 5-1 Lions win. His first OUA goal was a big one – an insurance marker in the 68th minute of the Lions 2-0 season-opening win over the Laurier Golden Hawks. The forward and english major scored goals in seven of the 12 games in which he appeared, exhibiting a consistency not unlike the Lions have seen from Zeppieri over his time in a Lions uniform.
York's lone second team all-star is first-year midfielder Anthony Aromatario. The former Woodbridge Striker (League1 Ontario) has been a composed presence in the Lions midfield in his first OUA season, entrentching himself in the starting lineup from the opening game on, starting in all 12 games during the regular season. He registered his first OUA point on Oct. 3, assisting on a Zeppieri tally – York's only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory over the Brock Badgers.
The Lions have punched their ticket to the U SPORTS championships for a third straight year and are looking for their first OUA title in seven years on Saturday when they travel to Varsity Stadium for the OUA championship against the Toronto Varsity Blues. Game time is 4:00 pm
