The Lions men’s soccer team defeated the Guelph Gryphons in the Ontario University Athletics quarterfinals on Sunday at York Stadium. The hard-fought game featured several thrilling clutch plays at both ends of the field and stretched into overtime, but the Lions eventually gained a narrow victory by a score of 4-3 and clinched their spot in the upcoming OUA Final Four Championships.
Michael Cox got the Lions on the scoreboard 25 minutes into the game, but the Gryphons responded six minutes later with a goal of their own, tying up the game at 1-1. The Lions scored again near the end of the first half, and once again the Gryphons balanced the game with a goal of their own early in the second half.
The game was tied at 2-2 until very late in the game, when the Lions’ Tyrone Downes scored off of a header, giving the Lions a 3-2 lead and, it seemed, the victory. However, in the final seconds of play, the Gryphons managed to get the ball past Lions’ goalkeeper Colm Vance despite his spectacular attempt at a save. The score was tied up at 3-3 and the game went into overtime.
The Lions dominated possession in overtime but were unable to score until Cox once again rose to the occasion and got the ball into the Gryphons’ net. The Gryphons seemed poised to score again in the second half of the overtime period, but a critical save by Vance kept that from happening and gave the Lions their 4-3 victory.
The Lions have thus clinched their spot in the OUA Final Four Championships for the sixth year in a row. With Sunday’s victory, the Lions are well on their way to successfully defending their OUA and Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships in the upcoming weeks.
Hassam Munir, Sports and Health Editor
