October 15, 2009
OUA M-SOCCER ROUNDUP: NO. 3 LIONS CONTINUE TO ROLL
TORONTO - The York Lions soccer teams put forth a pair of gutsy efforts on Wednesday against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, as the men blanked their opponents 2-0 and the women eked out a 1-0 victory to gain a share of first place in the OUA West.
The men were led by OUA leading goal-scorer Francesco Bruno (Toronto), who scored in the 10th minute after taking a pass behind the Laurier defence and cleanly beating the Golden Hawks goalkeeper.
Adrian Pena (Woodbridge, Ont.) sealed the deal with his goal in the 23rd minute. Pena put a curving shot in from the corner of the goal crease.
The No. 3 nationally-ranked Lions tightened up defensively in the second half, stifling a desperate Golden Hawks attack to preserve the win.
For Lions goalkeeper Alim Karim (Scarborough, Ont.) it was his second shutout in as many games and fifth shutout of the season. Karim has been a critical part of York's return to form after a slow start this year. The Lions now boast a 7-2-2 record and sit alone atop the OUA West standings with three games remaining before playoffs begin.
Laurier now falls to 3-4-4 on the season, and sits squarely in the middle of the standings in the OUA West.
QUEEN'S 1, TRENT 0
At Trent, the Excalibur (2-8-1) challenged the Queen's Gaels on Wednesday in home action, with the Gaels (6-1-4) taking the win 1-0. This was a rescheduled match after the original was cancelled due to inclement weather at the Head of Trent homecoming weekend.
Both Trent and Queen's opened the game looking remarkably strong, not letting the cold weather hold them back as they engaged in heated action. The Excalibur offensive pumped things up by adding more of an attacking, driving style to their game. The Gaels delivered with top-notch speed, with Queen's Mike Arnold (London, Ont.) netting a penalty kick goal, bringing the half-time score 1-0 for Queen's.
The second half saw continued strong performances from both teams with the Gaels overtaking Trent 1-0. Overall, Trent worked very hard on Wednesday and solidly defended their end, with many saves from goalkeeper, Josip Bosnjak (Pickering, Ont.).
WESTERN 0, WINDSOR 0
At Windsor, the Western Mustangs (3-4-3) tied the Windsor Lancers 0-0 on Wednesday at Alumni Stadium.
Both teams were pressing in the final quarter of the game. Windsor had a number of scoring opportunities, including a near miss in the dying minute of the game.
The Mustangs had a free kick in extra time and nearly won the game, but an excellent save from Lancers goalkeeper Dave Mendonca (London, Ont.) kept the game tied.
Western goaltender Andrew Murdoch (Burlington, Ont.) earned the shutout for the Mustangs.
The Lancers record is now 5-1-4.
Sources: York Lions, Trent Excalibur, Western Mustangs
The men were led by OUA leading goal-scorer Francesco Bruno (Toronto), who scored in the 10th minute after taking a pass behind the Laurier defence and cleanly beating the Golden Hawks goalkeeper.
Adrian Pena (Woodbridge, Ont.) sealed the deal with his goal in the 23rd minute. Pena put a curving shot in from the corner of the goal crease.
The No. 3 nationally-ranked Lions tightened up defensively in the second half, stifling a desperate Golden Hawks attack to preserve the win.
For Lions goalkeeper Alim Karim (Scarborough, Ont.) it was his second shutout in as many games and fifth shutout of the season. Karim has been a critical part of York's return to form after a slow start this year. The Lions now boast a 7-2-2 record and sit alone atop the OUA West standings with three games remaining before playoffs begin.
Laurier now falls to 3-4-4 on the season, and sits squarely in the middle of the standings in the OUA West.
QUEEN'S 1, TRENT 0
At Trent, the Excalibur (2-8-1) challenged the Queen's Gaels on Wednesday in home action, with the Gaels (6-1-4) taking the win 1-0. This was a rescheduled match after the original was cancelled due to inclement weather at the Head of Trent homecoming weekend.
Both Trent and Queen's opened the game looking remarkably strong, not letting the cold weather hold them back as they engaged in heated action. The Excalibur offensive pumped things up by adding more of an attacking, driving style to their game. The Gaels delivered with top-notch speed, with Queen's Mike Arnold (London, Ont.) netting a penalty kick goal, bringing the half-time score 1-0 for Queen's.
The second half saw continued strong performances from both teams with the Gaels overtaking Trent 1-0. Overall, Trent worked very hard on Wednesday and solidly defended their end, with many saves from goalkeeper, Josip Bosnjak (Pickering, Ont.).
WESTERN 0, WINDSOR 0
At Windsor, the Western Mustangs (3-4-3) tied the Windsor Lancers 0-0 on Wednesday at Alumni Stadium.
Both teams were pressing in the final quarter of the game. Windsor had a number of scoring opportunities, including a near miss in the dying minute of the game.
The Mustangs had a free kick in extra time and nearly won the game, but an excellent save from Lancers goalkeeper Dave Mendonca (London, Ont.) kept the game tied.
Western goaltender Andrew Murdoch (Burlington, Ont.) earned the shutout for the Mustangs.
The Lancers record is now 5-1-4.
Sources: York Lions, Trent Excalibur, Western Mustangs
