The York University Lions men's hockey team made its second trip of the season to the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex on Saturday night to face the Laurier Golden Hawks. The first meeting between the two teams was a 4-2 Laurier win back on Oct. 9, the Lions second game of the season.

While the Hawks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first meeting, the Lions got on the board first in this one. Just a second beyond the halfway mark of the opening period, Ethan Strik potted his second of the year on the power play to make it 1-0 Lions. Then, just 2:46 later, Keeton Oakley doubled the lead moments after York killed off a penalty, finishing off a pretty give-and-go with Olivier Lamothe on a 2-on-1, making it 2-0 York. Despite Laurier outshooting the Lions 14-9 in the first, that's how it would remain after one.

The Golden Hawks cut the Lions lead in half off a turnover just inside the Laurier zone that sprang Tyler Hunt on a partial break. His first shot was stopped, but he stayed with it and put the rebound past Dawson Smith to make it 2-1. The Lions managed to hold that lead through 40 minutes, but 8:33 into the third, the Hawks tied it right off a faceoff as Hunt ripped a shot past Smith for his second of the night to tie things at 2-2 with 11:27 to play.

Then, with just over five minutes left in a period controlled by the home side, they finally paid it off. Travis Verbeek got a step on the Lions defender at centre after a clearing attempt from Lucas Chard, and broke in alone on Smith, sliding it underneath the outstretched Lions netminder to give Laurier its first lead of the night. They would add an empty netter courtesy of Max-Antoine Melancon, and score four unanswered goals to down the Lions 4-2, just as they did back in October.

LOOKING AHEAD: 

The Lions will conclude their five-game road trip Friday night back in Waterloo, this time against the Waterloo Warriors. Puck drop from Columbia Icefield Arena is slated for 7:00 pm.