Lewis Chaitov
Staff Writer
The University of Toronto stadium was a sea of red when, after a nerve-racking 1-0 finish, the York Lions men’s soccer team finally captured their gold medal trophy Nov. 14.
The Lions have been vying for the gold from the beginning of the season. This win marks the team’s second Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship in three years.
Adrian Pena, star striker for the Lions, scored the only goal in the game, making him an unforgettable player in the tournament. He scored a total of four goals for the Lions during their weekend series of games.
The final gold medal match was won against none other than the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, who have scored 47 goals against their opponents this year while giving up only 20. The game was a tight one, as the Thunderbirds made shot after shot against the Lions for the entirety of the game. The shots never fazed York goalkeeper Sotiri Varlokostas, who made some tough saves in the game. Varlokostas has been a phenomenal player, recording nine shutouts in the regular season. The only goal in the match, Pena’s, came at the 17-minute mark, with assists from teammates Dominic Antonini and Alon Badat.
That was all they needed.
York president Mamdouh Shoukri, an avid soccer fan, was happy with the outcome for the Lions.
“The team stuck together; they worked so hard at it,” said Shoukri. “The sportsmanship was unbelievable, and that’s what I’m very proud of. The coach has done a wonderful job.”
Smiling and ecstatic, Pena could not stop from celebrating the amaz- ing season that had gotten the team this far. “We represent the school and it’s amazing all the fans that came out to the game tonight,” he said. “I’d like to thank them for all their support. It’s tough to play three games in four days.” Pena would keep on smiling as he was named CIS most valuable player in front of a crowd of cheering fans. Pena and three of his teammates – Varlokostas, Luigi Caruso and Gerard Ladiyou – were also named tournament All-Stars.
- Lions shut British Columbia Thunderbirds down, 1-0 in Canadian Inter-university finals (Alex Pylyshyn)
