The York University Lions men's soccer team hit the pitch on Friday evening in London against the Western Mustangs, looking to extend their unbeaten streak to six after Monday's hard-fought victory over Guelph. With playoff positioning tightening in the OUA West, stacking wins is paramount.
Heading into the weekend, York sat third in the OUA West, just three points back of Brock and Waterloo, who entered play tied for top spot. With five games remaining (including this two-game set against Western), every point was critical in keeping their bid for an 18th straight division title alive.
The Mustangs, meanwhile, had struggled to a 1-4-2 record entering Friday, with their lone victory coming over Algoma. Still, Western posed a test, as York looked to continue their push up the table. A win in this one plus a Waterloo loss to the Gryphons would put the Lions into a three-way tie for first in the West.
The Lions also welcomed back Christian Zeppieri, the two-time reigning OUA West MVP, after he served a one-game suspension. His return added firepower to a York attack that had already scored eight goals in its last three matches.
Zeppieri wasted no time making an impact, scoring his sixth of the season in the 13th minute to give York the early lead. That opened the floodgates, as Gianluca Condello notched his first OUA goal minutes later, followed by a third tally in the 26th minute on an own goal by Western to send the Lions into halftime up 3-0.
Western pulled one back in the 74th minute through Connor Curado, but the visitors put it to bed when Wally Burfield scored his first career OUA goal in the 89th minute, set up by Luca Priolo.
Statistically, the Lions were efficient in front of goal, putting eight of their 10 shots on target. Defensively, they limited Western to just one shot on goal out of 15 attempts, showcasing the balance that has carried them through their current unbeaten run.
LOOKING AHEAD
With this win and Waterloo's 4-0 loss to Guelph, York has moved into a tie for first in OUA West. York and Western will face off again on Monday night at York Lions Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8:15 pm; tickets are available here, or you can stream the game live and free of charge on OUA.tv.
