2013-14 Athletes of the Week

2014-15 Athletes of the Week

2015-16 Athletes of the Week

2016-17 Athletes of the week

2017-18 LIONS OF THE WEEK presented by MUSCLE MLK

Mar. 12

Holly Pitters, Track & Field
Pitters, a kinesiology and health science student from Mississauga, Ont., won gold and silver medals at the U SPORTS championships.

On Day 2 of the meet, the fifth-year athlete entered the long jump competition as the defending champion and top seed but was just eclipsed for the title, settling for the silver medal with a best jump of 5.85m. She came back the following day in impressive fashion, however, winning the gold medal in the triple jump in her final event with the Lions, jumping 12.33m to finish three centimetres ahead of the silver medallist.

Pitters, who earned U SPORTS first- and second-team all-Canadian honours for her efforts, contributed 18 of the team's 42 points to help the Lions finish in sixth place, seven spots higher than last year.

Kayden Johnson, Track & Field
Johnson, a theatre student from Kerrobert, Sask., won the gold medal in the 60m hurdles at this past weekend's U SPORTS championships in Windsor, Ont.

The third-year standout, who was ranked No. 1 in the event in the country all season long, lived up to his top-seeded billing by clocking a 7.97-second time in the final, 0.14 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. He also ran an even faster time of 7.90 seconds in the semis and was the only athlete to record a time below eight seconds this year.

Johnson, who is also a member of the Lions football team, was named a U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian and contributed 10 of the team's 43 points as part of their sixth-place finish, nine spots better than their finish last year.


Mar. 5

Heather Setka, Volleyball
Setka, a criminology and marketing student from Winnipeg, led the Lions in scoring with 13 points in the team's OUA quarter-final loss to the McMaster Marauders on Saturday night.
 
The fourth-year outside hitter led the Lions with four service aces and was also second in kills and digs (nine apiece) against the No. 7 nationally-ranked Marauders.
 
The performance by Setka, who played in her final game for the Lions as she will graduate at the end of the season, capped a tremendous year in which she set career highs in nearly every statistical category and was named an OUA East second-team all-star for the first time.

Colton Vannucci, Hockey
Vannucci, a commerce student from High River, Alta., recorded three points in as many games as the Lions were edged by the Brock Badgers in their best-of-three OUA semifinal series last week.
 
The fourth-year forward scored the second goal of the game in the deciding contest that gave the Lions a 2-0 advantage in the first period that eventually became a 3-2 defeat. He also assisted on the team's opening goal in Game 2's 4-3 overtime victory, and had another assist on the first goal in Game 1.
 
Vannucci is tied for second in team scoring in the playoffs with eight points (four goals, four assists) in as many games, and he was also tied for second in the regular season with a career-high 10 goals and 20 points.
 

Feb. 26


Alex Town, Wrestling
York wrestler Alexandria Town won the silver medal in the 59kg weight class at the U SPORTS championships, the best ever result for a York women’s wrestler in program history. The third-year athlete, who returned in impressive fashion after missing all of last season with an injury, had a bye in the first round and then won both of her round-robin matches by tech fall, including registering the fastest tech fall of the entire competition in just 36 seconds. Matched up against her closest rival, Brock’s Hannah Taylor, in the final, the two wrestlers battled hard and she ultimately came up just short, falling by a 7-4 decision. Town earned U SPORTS second-team all-Canadian honours for her efforts, also becoming York’s first women’s wrestler to receive the award.

Nick Fyffe, Track & Field
York track and field athlete Nicholas Fyffe won two medals at the OUA championships and set a new OUA record in the triple jump to lead the Lions to a fourth-place finish in the team standings. The fifth-year athlete recorded a personal-best distance of 15.17m in the triple jump to win his fourth straight OUA title in the event and surpass the previous best distance at the championships by four centimetres, a mark that was set by former York great Marlon Nangle in 2007. He also won the bronze medal in the long jump with a distance of 7.04m, which he achieved on his final attempt. Fyffe earned OUA first-team all-star honours for his efforts and is ranked No. 2 in U SPORTS in the triple jump and No. 5 in the long jump heading into the national championships.


Feb. 20

Erin Locke, Hockey
Locke, a kinesiology and health science student from Toronto, recorded three points in two games last week as the Lions wrapped up their season with a pair of 3-1 victories over Toronto and Brock.
 
In the season finale, the third-year forward scored two goals, the opening tally on a power play late in the first period that tied the game, and an unassisted marker in the middle of the third that gave the Lions the insurance goal they needed. She also earned an assist on the winning goal on Friday night against the Varsity Blues.
 
Locke finished as the team's leading scorer this season with 12 points (five goals, seven assists).

Morgan Messenger, Hockey
Messenger, a business and society student from Cape Sable Island, N.S., recorded three points in the first round of the OUA playoffs last week, including the series clinching goal in Game 3, as the Lions eliminated the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
 
In the deciding game, the rookie forward scored York's second goal of the game in a 5-1 victory and also added an assist on a power play tally in the second that gave the Lions a 3-1 lead. He also scored in Game 2, the opening goal of the contest that set the tone for the Lions.
 
Messenger was the Lions' leading rookie scorer in the regular season with 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) in 27 games.


Feb. 12


Daniel Nikandrov, Hockey
Nikandrov, an economics student from Richmond Hill, Ont., recorded five points in two games to help the Lions go 1-1 on the final weekend of the regular season and move up to a second-place finish in the OUA West Division. 

The second-year forward tallied four points (two goals, two assists), including the game winner on a shorthanded tally, in a big 6-1 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday night. He also scored one goal in a road loss to the first-place Guelph Gryphons on Thursday. 

Nikandrov, who rejoined the team in December, finished the regular season with six points (three goals, three assists) in 13 games. Thanks to the win, the defending OUA champion Lions caught Ryerson on the final day of the season to finish in second place for the second straight year.

Christy Ihunaegbo, Track & Field
Ihunaegbo, a kinesiology and health science student from East York, Ont., was part of two school record-breaking performances at the SPIRE Division I Indoor Invitational in Geneva, Ohio, this past weekend. 

The fourth-year sprinter won the silver medal in the 300m with a time of 38.21, breaking the York school record that was previously established by Canadian Olympian Khamica Bingham in 2014. She also ran the second leg of the 4x400m relay team that crossed the line in fourth place in a time of 3:43.88, the fastest time in U SPORTS this season that also broke a York record that had stood since 1984. She wrapped up her weekend by finishing in seventh place in the 200m in a personal-best time of 24.69. 

Ihunaegbo is currently ranked second in U SPORTS in the 300m heading into the OUA championships in two weeks.

Alex Town, Wrestling
Town, also a kinesiology and health science student from Scarborough, Ont., won the silver medal in the 59kg weight class at the OUA championships, equalling the best ever finish by a York women's wrestler at the conference meet. 

The third-year athlete won her three round-robin matches convincingly, by scores of 10-0, 12-0 and 12-0, to set up a final against Brock's Hannah Taylor. The two wrestlers traded points, with Taylor ultimately coming out on top 15-10. 

Town, who returned to action this year after missing all of last season with an injury, has now won three OUA medals in her career, tied for the most in York wrestling history, and qualified for the U SPORTS championships in two weeks.

Feb. 5


Women's 4x200m Relay
The 4x200m relay team won the gold medal in the event on its home track at the York Open this past weekend. The team of Ihunaegbo, Dwyer, Payne and Agbonwaneten, raced to first place in the seven-team field with a time of 1:42.09, which ranks them fifth in the OUA and eighth nationally with just a few weeks remaining before the OUA and U SPORTS championships.
 
The track and field team will be at two meets this coming weekend, with some athletes heading back to Windsor, Ont., for the Windsor Team Challenge and others heading south of the border for the SPIRE NCAA Division I Indoor Invitational in Geneva, Ohio.

Levar Russell, Track & Field
Russell, a kinesiology and health science student from Ajax, Ont., won gold and silver medals at the York Open this past weekend.
 
In the 600m, the third-year runner posted a personal-best time of 1:21.47 to finish in first place in the field of 35 athletes, and he also auto qualified for the upcoming OUA championships later this month. He also ran the second leg for the Lions 4x200m relay team that won the silver medal with a time of 1:29.68, the team's best time of the season.
 
Russell is ranked 10^th in the OUA in the 600m at this point in the season.

Jan. 29

Megan MacLeod, Basketball
MacLeod, a psychology student from Niagara Falls, Ont., had two strong games to help the Lions win both contests against Nipissing and Laurentian this past weekend.
 
The second-year forward posted a double-double on Friday night, putting up 11 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and one assist in a 66-48 win over the Lakers. One night later, she was an efficient 6-of-8 from the floor for 12 points and added four rebounds in a dominant 80-54 victory over the Voyageurs.
 
MacLeod's 9.3 points per game are two more than her average from last year and she is third in team scoring. The Lions have won four straight games, have already doubled last year's win total and have already clinched a playoff spot in the OUA East standings, where they are tied for fourth place.

Shayne Rover, Hockey
Rover, an education student from Newmarket, Ont., recorded four points in two games, including an overtime winner, to lead the Lions to a pair of victories over Lakehead on the road this past weekend.
 
The fifth-year defenceman and team captain was the hero on Friday night, scoring his first goal of the season with 38 seconds remaining in the extra frame to give the Lions a 5-4 win after twice going down by two goals. He also assisted on York's second goal earlier in the night. One day later, he had a pair of assists in a 4-0 win over the Thunderwolves.
 
Rover's 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) have tied a career high and he is in the OUA's top 20 in scoring by blueliners. The Lions have won four straight and moved into sole possession of second place in the OUA West standings.

Jan. 22


Katrina Collins-Samuels, Basketball
Collins-Samuels, a psychology student from Hamilton, Ont., had her best weekend of the season, putting up 40 points in a pair of big wins over Ryerson and Toronto.
 
The third-year guard led the team with 19 points and added two rebounds, two assists and one steal as the Lions took down the Rams 89-78, their first victory over their city rivals since 2014. Two nights later she was again the team's leading scorer, this time putting up 21 points as well as five rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 71-66 win.
 
Collins-Samuels is averaging 9.8 points per game this season and the Lions are fifth in the OUA East standings with an 8-8 record, already three more wins than they had all of last year.

Mack Shields, Hockey
Shields, a commerce student from Saskatoon, stopped 55 of the 57 shots he faced this past weekend to lead the Lions to a pair of big victories over Ryerson and Brock.
 
In a 3-2 road win over the Rams on Friday night, the second-year goaltender made 28 saves, including 11 in the third period alone while his team was outshot 12-6, and the following night he stopped all 27 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Badgers. The four points were crucial to the Lions in the OUA West standings, where only five points separate first from fourth and the Lions moved up from fourth place to second.
 
Shields, the reigning OUA West rookie of the year and a U SPORTS all-Canadian, is fourth in the OUA in goals against average (2.33) and save percentage (.925).

Jan. 15


Melissa Smillie, Volleyball
York volleyball player Melissa Smillie scored 30 points and added 22 digs to lead the Lions to victories over Queen’s and RMC this past weekend. The fifth-year outside hitter had a monster game against the Gaels, scoring a game-high 20.5 points on 19 kills, one service ace and one assisted block, and added 10 digs, as the Lions came all the way back from two sets down to win in five. One day later, she scored 9.5 points on nine kills and one assisted block and led all Lions with 12 digs in a four-set win over the Paladins. Smillie is averaging 2.6 points per set, the third-best mark on the team, and 2.3 digs per set, and her play helped the Lions move into second place in the tight OUA East standings.

Andrew Shotbolt, Volleyball
York volleyball player Andrew Shotbolt had a career weekend, putting up 40.5 points over two matches to lead the Lions to a pair of wins over Queen’s and RMC. In Saturday’s thrilling five-set victory over the Gaels, the third-year outside hitter led all players with 22 points, on 20 kills, one service ace and two assisted blocks, and on Sunday he had 18.5 points on 18 kills and one assisted block in a straight-sets win over the Paladins. Both point totals were career highs for Shotbolt, who now leads the Lions with 3.7 points per set, nearly two points better than his previous season best. The two wins also moved the Lions into sole possession of first place in the OUA East standings, where they now have a four-point advantage.


Jan. 8



Lindsay Shotbolt, Basketball
York basketball player Lindsay Shotbolt recorded back-to-back double-doubles and averaged 13.5 points and 19.5 rebounds to lead the Lions to a pair of wins over Laurentian and Nipissing this past weekend. In a 65-40 win over the Voyageurs, the fifth-year forward led the Lions in points (13), rebounds (14) and blocks (five). She was even more impressive the following night against the Lakers, again leading the Lions in points (14) and rebounds (25) and adding three assists, one steal and one block as the team cruised to a 71-50 victory. Shotbolt is one of only two players in the OUA averaging a double-double this season, ranking second in the conference in rebounds (11.3) and fifth in scoring (16.5 points), and she is a big reason why the Lions have already surpassed last year’s win total with 11 games still remaining on the schedule.


Xavier Jehovah, Track & Field
York track and field athlete Xavier Jehovah won the bronze medal in the men’s 60m race at the Sharon Anderson Memorial Meet with a season-best time of 7.14 seconds. The third-year sprinter finished fifth in the heats and then improved his time in the final to find a place on the podium. The time was also good enough to qualify Jehovah for the OUA championships later this season. The result was a big one for the former OUA and U SPORTS gold medallist, who raced for this first time this year after missing all of last season with an injury.

Nov. 27


Lauren Dubie, Hockey
York hockey player Lauren Dubie made 54 saves over two games and earned her second shutout of the season this past weekend against Nipissing and Laurentian. On Sunday afternoon against the Voyageurs, the second-year goaltender made 14 saves and kept the puck out of the net to lead the Lions to their biggest win of the season, a 4-0 result. One day earlier, she faced 44 shots and made 40 saves, including 17 in the second period and 15 in the third as the Lions were outshot 32-8 over the final two periods, in a 4-2 loss to the reigning OUA finalist Lakers. Dubie ranks fifth in the OUA in minutes played (545:06) and sixth in total saves (192) this season.

Kristina Steins, Swimming
York swimmer Kristina Steins won three medals, set two division records and three school records this past weekend at the deBray Divisional Championships in St. Catharines, Ont. The third-year swimmer, in her first season with the Lions, won gold medals in the 50m and 100m backstroke events in times of 28.62 and 1:01.2, respectively, and claimed silver in the 200m backstroke in a time of 2:18.2. She also qualified for the U SPORTS championships in each of the three backstroke events.
 
Alex Fotinos, Hockey
York hockey player Alex Fotinos made 88 saves over two games to help the Lions claim three of a possible four points in Ottawa this past weekend. On Friday night against the Carleton Ravens, the second-year goaltender stopped 33 shots and made a pair of saves in the shootout as the Lions came back from two goals down to win 3-2. The following night against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, he faced 58 shots and stopped 55 of them, allowing his team to come back from a three-goal deficit and force a shootout. He stopped two shots in the shootout in the 4-3 loss. Fotinos, a back-up last year who played both games in one weekend for the first time this week, is tied for fourth in the OUA in save percentage (.930) and is 10^th in goals against average (2.44). 
 


Nov. 20



Alex  Town, Wrestling
York wrestler Alexandria Town made a triumphant return to her home meet this past weekend, winning the gold medal in the 59kg weight class at the annual York Open meet. After missing all of last season with an injury, the third-year standout won her division in impressive fashion, defeating defending OUA champion and U SPORTS silver medallist Hannah Taylor from the Brock Badgers by a score of 12-2 in the final. She also earned 10-0 wins over Sam Squires and Daina Armstrong in the quarter-finals and semis, respectively. Town has now won medals at all four meets she has competed at this year, including a gold at the Concordia Open in Montreal, a silver at the Simon Fraser International and a bronze at the Commonwealth Games trials.


Logan Mend, Volleyball
York volleyball player Logan Mend filled the stats sheet this weekend, totaling 79 assists, 14.5 points and 15 digs in the Lions’ victories over Guelph and Waterloo. The fourth-year setter was tremendous in a straight-sets win over the Gryphons, putting up game-highs of 29 assists and eight digs and adding 8.5 points (five kills, 3.5 blocks). He was equally as impressive the following day in a five-set victory over the Warriors, leading all players with 50 assists and contributing six points (four service aces, one kill, one block) and five digs. Mend, an OUA East first-team all-star last year, ranks third in the OUA with 9.65 assists per set and is averaging 1.5 points per set, the most among all setters in the conference.


Nov. 13



Haley Bowie, Basketball
York basketball player Haley Bowie had the best week of her career last week, averaging 14.5 points as well as 2.5 rebounds, assists and steals to help the Lions to a 1-1 record against Algoma and Guelph. In Saturday’s big 40-point win over the Thunderbirds, the fourth-year guard had a career-high 16 points, including shooting 4-of-7 from behind the arc, and added two rebounds, two assists and three steals. Earlier in the week, she recorded 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in a loss to the Gryphons. Through five games, Bowie is averaging a career-best 8.4 points per game to rank third in team scoring.


Derek Sheppard, Hockey
York hockey player Derek Sheppard recorded a goal and two assists and added a shootout winner to lead the Lions to a pair of victories last weekend against Western and Lakehead. The fourth-year defenceman tallied the shootout winner in the third round as part of a 5-4 win over the host Mustangs on Friday night. He also assisted on York’s opening goal and scored the team’s fourth early in the third period. One night later, he assisted on the final goal of the game in a 4-2 victory over the Thunderwolves, helping the Lions maintain their place atop the OUA West standings. Sheppard is the team’s leading scorer with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in as many games, putting him 17^th in OUA scoring and second among defencemen.


Nov. 6


Lindsay Shotbolt, women's basketball
York basketball player Lindsay Shotbolt averaged 20 points and seven rebounds while shooting 68.1% from the floor to lead the Lions to a 1-1 record this past weekend. On Friday night, the fifth-year forward scored 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting and added seven rebounds, four steals, two blocks and one assist in York’s first win of the season over Brock. The following night, she had 17 points while going 6-of-11 from the floor and also added seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in a loss to No. 5 McMaster. She was also a perfect 10-for-10 on free throws over the two games. After two weeks of the season, Shotbolt is tied for third in OUA scoring with 18.3 points per game.

Dylan Carreiro, men's soccer
York soccer player Dylan Carreiro scored the winning goal in the semifinals and the gold-medal game to lead the Lions to their fourth OUA championship in the last five years. Against the Ryerson Rams on Friday, the second-year striker, in his debut season with the Lions, converted the final penalty kick to send the Lions to the final and the U SPORTS championships for the fifth straight year. The following day against the Carleton Ravens, he scored a beautiful goal off his left foot just seconds before the halftime whistle to give the Lions a 1-0 lead in an eventual 2-0 victory. Carreiro also earned OUA West second-team all-star honours last week after finishing the regular season 11^th in conference scoring with seven goals. 


Oct. 30


Sara Vollerhausen, Field Hockey
York field hockey player Sara Vollmerhausen was named the Lions’ player of the game in the OUA final after her strong defensive play helped the team win their first OUA banner since 1996. In the team’s 3-2 win over the Guelph Gryphons, the fourth-year defender made a number of key plays, including clearing the ball out of the circle on the final play of the game, a short corner for the Gryphons, to preserve the victory. She also scored the winning goal in the Lions’ 4-0 semifinal victory over the Queen’s Gaels in the semifinals. Vollmerhausen had the best season of her career this year, starting all 12 games and scoring four goals.
 
Joey Cicchillo, Men's Soccer
York soccer player Joey Cicchillo scored the winning goal in the 86^th minute to lead the Lions to a 2-1 victory over the Western Mustangs in their OUA quarter-final match. The fifth-year striker was subbed into the game in the 78^th minute, and eight minutes later he became the hero when he redirected a pass from Cristian Cavallini behind Western goalkeeper Kody Thomson. Cicchillo, a former three-time OUA West all-star, returned to the line-up this season after missing all of last year with a knee injury and had three goals and three assists in the regular season. He will now join his teammates in the OUA Final Four Championships this weekend for the fifth time in his career.



Oct. 23


Ashley Nater, Women's Soccer
York soccer player Ashley Nater scored the lone goal against the Windsor Lancers to clinch a playoff spot for the Lions in the OUA West Division. The fifth-year striker, playing in her final regular-season game, found the back of the net in the 62^nd minute to erase a one-goal deficit and give the Lions a draw, which was enough to secure fifth place in the standings. Nater finished the regular season with a team-leading five goals, putting her 18^th in OUA scoring.

Kyle Campbell, Men's Hockey
York hockey player Kyle Campbell recorded three points (two goals, one assist) in two games to lead the Lions to a pair of wins over UOIT and RMC this past weekend. The fourth-year forward scored the winning goal against the Ridgebacks late in the first period and also assisted on the team’s opening goal as part of a 3-1 win. The following night, he scored an empty-netter late in the third period to ice a 4-1 victory over the Paladins. Through two weeks of the season, Campbell is the team’s leading scorer with five points (three goals, two assists), ranking him 14^th in the OUA.




Oct. 16



Name: Milan Beader
Sport: Soccer
Position: Striker
Program: Business & Society 
Hometown: Oakville, Ont.
Year: 2
 
York soccer player Milan Beader scored four goals, including two game winners, and added an assist in a pair of lopsided wins over Algoma this past weekend. The second-year striker netted a hat trick, including the opening goal for the winner, in a 6-0 victory on Saturday afternoon and the following day, again scored the game’s first goal and assisted on the second as part of an 8-0 triumph. Beader has scored three straight game-winning goals and ranks seventh in OUA scoring with eight goals this season.
 
 
Name: Christina Morelli
Sport: Soccer
Position: Midfielder
Program: Kinesiology & Health Science
Hometown: Markham, Ont.
Year: 4
 
York soccer player Christina Morelli scored a game-winning goal and assisted on another as the Lions extended their winning streak to four games with two wins over Algoma this weekend. On Saturday, the fourth-year midfielder found the back of the net 14 minutes in for her third goal of the season, and the next day she assisted Ola Olatoye’s winning tally in the 38^th minute. She also led all Lions with 10 shots and six shots on goal over the two contests. Morelli is tied for the team lead with four points and ranks second with three goals.


Oct. 9



Colton Hunchak, Football
 
York football player Colton Hunchak had an impressive return to the field on Thursday night against the defending champion Laurier Golden Hawks. In his first game of the season after missing the first five with an injury, the third-year receiver made an immediate difference for the Lions, catching 14 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns in a 53-31 defeat. His number of receptions equaled the team’s highest single-game total of the season and his yardage was the second highest. Hunchak was an OUA all-star for the first time last season.
 
Eugenie Lim Ah Tock, Women's tennis

York tennis player Eugenie Lim Ah Tock went 3-1 at the OUA championships this past weekend to help the Lions win the silver medal for the third straight year. Playing out of the third spot, the fourth-year player won both of her singles matches in straight sets – against Montreal in the semis and Western in the final – and was 1-1 in doubles alongside Sara Krupica at the tournament. The result capped off a successful season in which she went undefeated in singles and doubles to help the Lions finish 6-0 and earn the top seed at the championships. Lim Ah Tock, a former OUA rookie of the year, was named an OUA all-star for the first time at the conclusion of the tournament.


Oct. 2



Ali Ghadghoni, Cross Country
 
Ghadghoni, a health and society student from Richmond Hill, Ont., finished in fifth place in the 8km race at the Don Mills Open in Waterloo, Ont., this past weekend.

The third-year runner, in his first season with the Lions, recorded a time of 26:12 for a new personal best at the distance. It is York's first top-five finish since Suraj Sharma accomplished the feat twice in 2016.
 
Ghadghoni and his teammates have one more race this season, on Saturday, Oct. 14, in preparation for the OUA championships, which will take place at the end of the month in Windsor, Ont.
 
Megan Pakulis, Women's Rugby

Pakulis, a kinesiology and health science student from Scarborough, Ont., scored the Lions' opening try against the Western Mustangs as part of a big 33-20 victory over their Shiels Division rivals on Friday night.
 
The third-year centre touched the ball down in the end zone in the seventh minute to level the scoring at 5-5, and the Lions rolled from there to win their first game of the season and advance to the OUA quarter-finals next week.
 
Pakulis scored tries in three straight games and finished the regular season third in team scoring with 15 points. The Lions will host an OUA quarter-final game on Friday night against the Brock Badgers beginning at 7pm.


Sept. 25



Name: Adam Adeboboye
Position: Receiver
Program: Kinesiology & Health Science
Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.
Year: 5
 
York receiver Adam Adeboboye set a new Red & Blue Bowl record with 14 receptions to lead the Lions to a 41-16 victory over the rival Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday afternoon. The fifth-year receiver amassed 140 yards and two touchdowns in the game and was responsible for 50 per cent of the team’s 28 total receptions, catching nine balls from Brett Hunchak and five from Matt Krason. He scored both of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach, the first a 17-yard catch and the second a 10-yard score. Through four games, Adeboboye ranks third in the OUA in receptions per game (six) and ninth in yards per game (80.3).
 
Name: Cristian Cavallini
Sport: Soccer
Position: Striker
Program: Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Hometown: Woodbridge, Ont.
Year: 2
 
York soccer player Cristian Cavallini scored four goals in two games, including a game winner and a hat trick, to lead the Lions to a pair of wins last week. The second-year striker had the lone goal in a big 1-0 upset victory over the No. 5 nationally-ranked and defending OUA champion Guelph Gryphons on Wednesday evening. Two nights later, he scored three times in the 10^th, 22^nd and 59^th minutes to lead the Lions to a 4-0 triumph over the Waterloo Warriors. Cavallini, the reigning OUA West rookie of the year, has three multi-goal games in seven contests and ranks third in OUA scoring with nine goals.
 
Female
 
Name: Jaslan Stirling
Sport: Field Hockey
Position: Forward
Program: Disaster & Emergency Management
Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.
Year: 1
 
York field hockey player Jaslan Stirling scored six goals in three games, including two game-winners and a hat trick, to lead the Lions to a perfect 3-0 record this past weekend. In the first game on Saturday, the rookie forward scored the opening goal in the seventh minute, what stood as the game winner, as the Lions defeated the three-time reigning OUA champion Toronto Varsity Blues for the first time since 1999. Against McGill on Sunday she again scored early, in the fourth minute, and added another two before the end of the first half as part of a 6-1 victory. Later that same day, she found the back of the net in the fifth minute to equal the game against the Gryphons and added an insurance goal in the 67^th minute in a contest the Lions won 3-1. Stirling leads the OUA with nine goals in five games, six more than any other player in the conference, and the Lions are undefeated at 5-0 and sit in first place in the OUA standings.

Sept. 18


Name: Jaslan Stirling
Sport: Field Hockey
Position: Forward
Program: Disaster & Emergency Management
Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.
Year: 1
 
York field hockey player Jaslan Stirling scored a hat trick, including the game winner, to lead the Lions to an 8-0 win over the Waterloo Warriors in their season opener on Saturday. The rookie forward began her career with a bang, scoring just five minutes into her first ever game with a goal that stood as the winning tally. She added her second goal in the 37^th minute and her third in the 59^th. She also started the team’s second game against the Western Mustangs later that afternoon and was a force on offence in a 5-0 victory. After one weekend of play, Stirling is the early OUA scoring leader as the only player with three goals.

Name: Jonathan Lao
Sport: Soccer
Position: Midfielder
Program: Economics
Hometown: Unionville, Ont.
Year: 5
 
York soccer player Jonathan Lao scored a beautiful free kick goal from just outside the 18-yard box to help the Lions earn their fourth straight victory by a 3-0 score over the Brock Badgers on Sunday afternoon. The fifth-year midfielder and reigning national player of the year took the free kick from the 20-yard line and sailed it over the wall and directly into the top left corner of the net to make it 2-0. He also provided offensive and defensive support to the team throughout the game from his central midfield position. The goal was Lao’s second of the season and he also has two assists to rank 15^th in OUA scoring with four points.


Sept. 11



Name: Heather Hills
Sport: Tennis
Program: Schulich School of Business
Hometown: Markham, Ont.
Year: 3
 
York tennis player Heather Hills won her singles and doubles matches in the Lions’ season-opening contest against the Toronto Varsity Blues to help the Lions record a 6-1 victory over their city rivals. The third-year student-athlete, playing out of the third spot in singles, cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 victory in her singles battle and also teamed with Julia Khalilova to win their doubles match 8-4. The team win was York’s 21^st in a row in the regular season dating back to the start of the 2014 season.

Name: Steve Kloutsouniotis
Sport: Soccer
Position: Midfielder
Program: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Markham, Ont.
Year: 2
 
York soccer player Steve Kloutsouniotis scored all three goals in the Lions’ 3-1 win over the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo, Ont., on Friday night. The second-year midfielder got the scoring started early, finding the back of the net in the fifth minute of play for the opening goal. Seventeen minutes later, he scored again to give the Lions a 2-0 advantage with a tally that turned out to be the game winner, and he rounded out the scoring in the 67^th minute in the first multi-goal game of his career. He also assisted on the second goal in Thursday’s big 5-2 win over No. 9 McMaster with a beautiful cross into the box that Cristian Cavallini tipped in. Kloutsouniotis has scored four goals this season, already more than his rookie total, and is tied for fifth in OUA scoring.


Sept. 4


Name: Tobi Owotomo
Sport: Rugby

Owotomo, a biology and kinesiology and health science student from Mississauga, Ont., scored two tries to lead the Lions in scoring in their season-opening 50-26 loss to the Marauders in Hamilton, Ont., on Sunday evening.
 
The third-year flanker/prop scored York's second and third tries of the night in the second half against a dominant Marauders team that was ranked No. 1 in U SPORTS every week of the regular season in 2016.

Name: Cristian Cavallini
Sport: Soccer
 
The second-year striker opened the scoring with what turned out to be the game winner in the 15^th minute and then added another two in the second half, in the 48^th and 80^th minutes, to contribute to the lopsided victory. He also had two shots, and one shot on goal, in the team's 2-1 loss to No. 3 Guelph on Wednesday night.
 
Cavallini, the reigning OUA West rookie of the year and a first-team all-star, is tied for fifth in OUA scoring with three goals this season. The Lions have a 2-2-0 record to start the year and will host the McMaster Marauders on Thursday night beginning at 8:15pm in their next contest.