What will life be like without Pena?
Adrian Pena has drawn the attention of opposing teams for a total of five seasons. Over the course of his Ontario University Athletics career, Pena amassed 55 goals for the Lions, and was also part of a catalyst for the Lions on their 2010 national championship win.
Entering the 2013 season, the Lions are going to have to face life without Pena for the first time in half a decade. Pena’s legacy at York will live forever, and there is no doubting how much he has meant to this team. However, don’t anticipate York to throw a pity party upon his departure.
Over the past six years, York has made a habit out of sitting atop the OUA standings. The Lions have tallied a remarkable record of 68-7-15 since 2007, and I don’t expect their impressive play to fall off in 2013.
The Lions have established a winning tradition in this time span, making York a hot destination for top tier high school graduates, like Charlie Trafford. Although Pena was the driving force behind the Lions’ offense, coach Carmine Isacco has been able to recruit top talent to create a deep lineup from top to bottom. Because of the incredible success the program achieved during Pena’s tenure, the Lions have created a solid foundation for their program to strive for years to come.
Young budding stars, like Mark Anthony Kaye, Charlie Trafford, and Nicolas Mejia, highlight a young Lions’ roster that hopes to be an offensive juggernaut once again after leading the OUA with a league high of 45 goals in 2012.
York wasn’t just a one trick pony, proving to also be solid on the defense as well, allowing a league low of 8 goals against on route to an undefeated 14-0-2 record. Despite a dominant performance in the regular season, the Lions fell short in their efforts to capture OUA and Canadian Interuniversity Sport gold, settling for bronze at the OUA after a disappointing playoff showing. York was forced to watch from the sidelines at McNaughton Park as the McMaster Marauders won OUA gold on their home turf.
After ranking first nationally for the majority of 2012, the Lions playoff collapse was a shock. Heading into 2013, redemption will be on the minds of all the returning players who missed out on a chance to bring home OUA gold last season.
Expectations for the Lions’ soccer team do not ease with the exit of Adrian Pena. York will be expected to contend for a national title once again next season; anything less than CIS gold will be deemed a failure. It is time for this squad to prove to York and the country that they can get the job done without Pena on the pitch. The Lions will once again be one of the toughest match-ups in Canada next fall.
Adrian Pena or not, the Lions are top contenders for CIS gold in 2013.
Ryan McCabe
Sports and Health Editor
