Emilie Miranda | Executive Editor, Online
Featured image: The Lions lose close games to Guelph and Western. | Courtesy of Placide Ilunga
York’s second-to-last weekend of the regular season was a disappointing one, as neither the men nor the women were able to achieve a victory.
The men started things off on Friday night against the first-place Guelph Gryphons, a team they were hoping to gain ground on in the standings.
Guelph jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period, and took that lead into the intermission.
However, just 20 seconds into the second, York tied things up on Scott Feser’s goal from Josh LaFrance and Reid Jackman.
Then, the Lions hit penalty trouble. The second featured penalties to Trevor Petersen, Jackman, Derek Sheppard, and a 10-minute major to Kyle Campbell for checking from behind. Amid all this, the Gryphons were able to retake their one-goal lead.
Later in the period, York was able to tie the game once again, this time on a goal from Morgan Messenger.
The third saw another 10-minute major handed out for checking from behind, this time to LaFrance, to bring the Lions’ total to nine penalties in the game. In the dying seconds of the period, Guelph scored to take the game 3-2.
Sheppard was handed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the final whistle.
York was outshot 40-29, and took 36 minutes in penalties.
Goaltender Mack Shields made 37 saves in the loss, as the Lions slipped to third place in the division.
On Saturday night, the women took on the Western Mustangs, in a game where the final score didn’t represent the flow of the game whatsoever.
The Lions were outshot 10-3 in the first period, which yielded two minor penalties for York, but no scoring for either side. In the second, Western was finally able to capitalize on the power play with less than five minutes to go.
York outshot the Mustangs 16-14 over the second and third, but were unable to put one into the Western net. A pair of empty-net goals for the Mustangs in the dying minutes of the third sealed the 3-0 victory.
The Lions went 0 for 3 on the power play, and slipped down to 11th in the OUA with three games left in the season.
The men look to close out their season with road games against Guelph and U of T on Thursday and Saturday, starting at 7:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
The women will play only one game this week, a Friday-night affair against the Mustangs in London. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
