The York Lions’ women’s hockey team took to the ice for the first time in 2014 at the Theresa Humes Tournament hosted by Concordia University in
Montreal from January 3-5.
Outside of tournament play, the Lions are having a mostly forgettable season. With nine games still to be played in the Ontario University Athletics season, the team is holding a record of 3-12 on the season and are last place in the overall OUA standings. The team is on-pace for one of the worst seasons in their history; it seems the winning years of the late 2000s are long gone.
The loss of their top four scorers from last season has proven to be a difficult burden to overcome.
After serving as the team’s primary playmaker last season, Andrea Joyce’s goal-scoring ability has been a bright spot for the team this season as she leads the way with seven goals.
Taking over the playmaker roles are first-year forward Renata Bastos Gottgtroy and veteran fifth-year player Rebecca Bond, who have a combined 13 assists this season.
Looking for a fresh start after a rough ending to the fall semester, the Theresa Humes Tournament marked a chance for the Lions to regain some confidence heading into the second half of the season.
Although the tournament is not designed to declare a winner, the games were competitive matches that allowed teams involved to get a better understanding about where their programs stood among others.
In the first game of the tournament, York took on the Concordia Stingers in a rematch to a preseason game. The results would favour the Lions this time around as York emerged with a 3-2 victory over the hometown squad.
The next night proved to be much more difficult than the Lions may have anticipated as they took on the Carleton Ravens, who sit in basement of the RSEQ standings with just a 1-8-3 league record. Both teams battled hard, but it was Carleton who would celebrate the victory after a 4-3 shootout win.
In their final match, York faced their stiffest competition of the weekend, playing against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, who currently rank third in the RSEQ standings with a 6-5 record. Going along with the rhythm of the tournament, the Lions played another close game that would be decided by a single goal as they defeated Ottawa with a score of 3-2.
After riding a nine-game losing streak into the tournament, the Lions celebrated taking two out of three games in Montreal.
While York’s current place in the standings leaves much to be desired, they still are only eight points out of a playoff spot, with a potential 24 points still to be earned. York will resume their quest for the OUA playoffs on January 10 against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.
Amjed Al Salman
Contributor
