The York University Lions men's hockey team started a two-game road trip Friday night in London, facing off against the Western Mustangs for the second time this season. The Lions were looking avenge a 7-3 loss against the Mustangs earlier in the year.
An early scuffle with less than a minute gone in the first led to 4-on-4 hockey, The Mustangs took advantage of the open ice, as Christiano Aiello handled a soft pass on the right wing and fired a low wrist shot under the glove of Lions goalie Dawson Smith, putting the Mustangs up 1-0 early at the 1:18 mark. The Lions went on their first power play off the game just past the midway point of the period, but nothing came of it. Off the rush, York's Jayden McCarthy nearly tied it up, but his shot clanged off the post and out. Two more power plays were granted to the Lions in the last four minutes of the period, but they failed to convert on either, as the Mustangs continued to nurse their 1-0 lead by the end of one.
The Lions killed off a Western power play early in the second but, shortly after, Owen MacNeil was able to weave through two Lions defenders and snap a point-blank shot right past Smith, his unassisted goal putting the Mustangs up 2-0. Just under thirty seconds later, Aiello added his second of the game off a shot from the point that the screened Smith could not get to. Now down 3-0, urgency was key for the Lions, needing a spark to get back into the game. However, the Mustangs went on another power play, where they made it a 4-0 game on a Nicholas Yearwood tap-in goal off a feed from Zach Power. Western maintained its 4-0 lead through 40.
Jacob Santerre extended the lead to 5-0 for the Mustangs after sending a one-timer past Smith. York finally broke the shutout bid off a backhand shot from Mason Svarich to get York on the board. However, the Lions were unable to draw any closer, and dropped this one by a 5-1 final.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions will close out the road trip against the Brock Badgers on Saturday afternoon. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00pm, with coverage on OUA TV.
Greybrook. Exclusive Sponsor of the York Men's Hockey Program. greybrook.com
