Uzodinma Ukagwu | Sports Editor
Featured Image: The Lions dominated the game, en route to their third-straight victory. | Courtesy of York Lions
Sunday was a good day for the men’s and women’s soccer teams, as they beat their opponents, the Brock Badgers, on their own turf.
In the women’s game, the Lions dominated the first half, attempting 11 shots. The Badgers, on the other hand, did not manage a single shot in the first half.
York’s breakthrough came in the 35th minute of the game, when forward Sia Papadopoulos, assisted by midfielder Farkhunda Muhtaj, scored to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.
The Brock Badgers played better in the second half, attempting four shots, and forcing Lions goalie Tamara Orlando to make three saves. The Lions outshined the Badgers still, attempting six shots in the second half, bringing the total shot count for the game to 17 for the Lions and just four for the Badgers.
The Lions scored their second goal of the game early in the second half, in the 52nd minute, to extend their lead to 2-0, after another Papadopoulos-Muhtaj combination, with Papadopoulos recording her second goal of the match.
The Badgers were unable to respond with any goals of their own, and the game finished as a 2-0 victory for the Lions—the third win in a row for the women’s team.
Papadopoulos’ impressive performance against the Badgers continued her spectacular run of form this season after her injury-plagued season last year, where she played only six games. She is currently in the top ten leading goal-scorers in the OUA this season.
The men played next against the Badgers in what was a very chippy game, as the referee issued a total of 11 yellow cards—four to the Lions and seven to the Badgers.
The Lions took an early 1-0 lead when midfielder Maurizio Ragone scored unassisted in the 2nd minute. However, the Badgers responded with two goals of their own to take a 2-1 lead in a five-minute spell courtesy of Alexander Makubuya and Shawn Johnson, in the 15th and 20th minute, respectively.
The Badgers’ two goals were their only two shots of the first half. The Lions, on the other hand, attempted 10 shots in the first half but were unable to beat the Brock keeper.
The Lions continued to press the Badger’s goal in the second half, attempting another 10 shots in the frame, compared to only four more from the Badgers.
The Lions were rewarded for their persistence in the 60th minute, when forward Omar Marzouk evened the score, assisted by Ragone, to tie the game at 2-2.
The Lions continued to press for a winner, which they got late in the game courtesy of forward Chris Jacovou. The 85th minute goal gave the Lions a 3-2 lead en route to the one-goal victory. Both teams will be on the road this Friday, when they’ll be taking on the Waterloo Warriors.
The women’s kick-off is at 4 p.m., while the men kick-off at 6:15 p.m.
