Lions 5-10 Victory

Mitch Scott
Contributor


It was a sweet taste of revenge for the York Lions.
The team ambushed the Waterloo Warriors Wednesday afternoon for a score of 5-1. Heading into the game, York was ranked third in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) with nine points, trailing only McMaster and Western. Waterloo, on the other hand, was ranked fifth, also with nine points. It wasn’t about the standings for York, though; it was the grimy 2-1 loss on Saturday that got them really going.
With that loss in mind, the Lions’ offence came out in full force, with Alon Badat scoring the first goal at the game’s four-minute mark. The Lions continued to press on with their offence as both Dominic Antonini and Adrian Pena put shots just wide of the net.
Waterloo’s goalkeeper, Rob McMillan, was busy in the first half, as he had to block the Lions’ 12 solid scoring chances. However, following a few big saves and some missed opportunities, in minute 34 Pena became the second to score one past the goalie. With striking force,Pena delivered a kick from just over 40 yards out that soared over McMillan’s hands and found its way into the top corner of the net.
It wasn’t until injury time ten minutes later that Pena set up fourth-year player Antonini for his first goal of the season. Pena became a dominant figure throughout the game as he stripped the ball from a Warriors midfielder and blasted another great shot past McMillan for his second goal of the game. His streak continued as he scored a third goal 10 minutes later. Incredibly, he advanced on Waterloo’s net again following the kick off but, this time, just missed the goal by inches. He was subbed off at the 60-minute mark of the game and was un- able to add three goals to his record.
Pena, ranked second on the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) scoreboard, has now boosted his total to six goals after Wednesday’s results. His ability to keep the ball in his possession and work with it has made Pena a great scorer.
“I am trying to pick my spots and trying to shoot a bit more. Coach told me I need to be a little more selfish with the ball, rather than passing it off all the time. I was a bit more aggressive today and that seemed to pay off,” said Pena of his performance that afternoon.
After finding a weakness in Waterloo’s defence, the Lions continued to strike the ball from a distance in the second half. After a shaky first half, McMillan, Waterloo’s goalkeeper, was able to make an unbelievable save by robbing the Lions of a five-point advantage.
Employing their long shots offensive strategy, York Lion Martino Belligero made a 30-yard shot at the 80-minute mark, which found its way into the Warriors net. With the score 5-0, Waterloo was finally able to get on the board as Jesse Bean, Waterloo’s mid-fielder, made a breakaway from the Lions defence and slid one right past the reach of Caruso.
However, the Lions would go on to win the match 5-1 as the team celebrated a big victory over a team that had gotten past them Sept. 18.
“We didn’t want to allow that one goal, but we will be back practicing hard this week to get ready for our next match,” said Pena following his team’s lopsided victory.
The Lions host their next match Sept. 29 against the Brock Badgers.