York Lions#Lions football
{{Short description|Sports teams of York University in Toronto}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Infobox college athletics
| name = York Lions
| logo = York Lions Logo.png
| logo_width = 170
| university = York University
| association = U Sports
| conference = Ontario University Athletics
| director = Alex Dominato
| teams = 19
| mens_teams = 9
| womens_teams = 10
| coed_teams =
| stadium = York Lions Stadium
| basketballarena = Tait McKenzie Centre
| volleyballarena = Tait McKenzie Centre
| icehockeyarena = Canlan Ice Sports – York
| baseballfield =
| softballstadium =
| soccerstadium = York Lions Stadium
| lacrossestadium =
| natatorium =
| tenniscourt = Sobeys Stadium
| sailingvenue =
| rowingvenue =
| golfcourse =
| trackvenue = Toronto Track and Field Centre
| othersite label = Field hockey venue
| othersite = Alumni Field
| othersite label2 = Rugby venue
| othersite2 = Alumni Field
| mascot = Lion
| nickname = Lions
| colour1 = Red
| hex1 = E31837
| colour2 = White
| hex2 = FFFFFF
| colour3 = Black
| hex3 = 000000
| pageurl = https://yorkulions.ca/
| altlogo = 250px
}}
The York Lions is the official name for the athletic varsity teams that represent York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's varsity teams compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference of U Sports and, where applicable, in the east division. The Lion's logo features a red lion from the school's logo with the university's colours, red and white.
York's former teams were known as the York Yeomen and York Yeowomen, but changed their name to the gender-neutral Lions in 2003.{{cite web|url=http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/histoires_de_chez_nous-community_stories/pm_v2.php?id=story_line&lg=English&fl=0&ex=00000785&sl=8135&pos=1|title=From Rugby to Football: The History of Canadian Football York Yeomen|publisher=Canadian Football Hall of Fame|access-date=May 17, 2020}}
Varsity teams
| class="wikitable"; style= "text-align: "
! width= 150px style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|York Lions|border=1|color= white }}"| Men's sports ! width= 150px style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|York Lions|border=1|color= white }}"| Women's sports | |
| Basketball | Basketball |
| Cross Country | Cross Country |
| Football | Field hockey |
| Ice Hockey | Ice Hockey |
| Soccer | Rugby |
| Tennis | Soccer |
| Track and field | Tennis |
| Volleyball | Track and field |
| Wrestling | Volleyball |
| Wrestling |
=Football=
{{Main|York Lions football}}
The York Lions football team has been in operation since 1968 and currently compete in the 11-team Ontario University Athletics conference. The program is one of two in U Sports football to have never won a conference championship. Dexter Janke has been the team's head coach since January 22, 2024.{{cite web |access-date=February 3, 2025 |title=Dexter Janke |url=https://yorkulions.ca/staff-directory/dexter-janke/813 |publisher=York Lions}}
=Men's ice hockey=
File:York Lions 2012.JPG February 16, 2012.]]
The York Lions men's ice hockey team competes in the 20-team Ontario University Athletics conference. The team has won three national championships in 1985, 1988, and 1989.{{cite web|url=https://yorkulions.ca/sports/2013/3/21/HT_PastChamps.aspx|title=York Lions Past Champions|publisher=York Lions|access-date=May 17, 2020}} The program has also yielded seven Queen's Cup conference championships, most recently in 2017. The team's head coach has been Russ Herrington since 2017.
=Women's ice hockey=
{{Main|York Lions women's ice hockey}}
The York Lions women's ice hockey team competes in the 13-team Ontario University Athletics conference. The team's head coach is Dan Church, who has been in that position since 2004 and is the longest-serving active head coach at York. The team was won three McCaw Cup conference championships, coming in 1983, 1987, and 1997.{{cite web|url=https://www.oua.ca/sports/wice/past_champions|title=Hockey (W): Past Champions|publisher=Ontario University Athletics|access-date=May 17, 2020}}
=Men's soccer=
The York Lions men's soccer team has won five U Sports national championships and seven OUA conference championships. Since the hiring of head coach Carmine Isacco in 2007, the Lions have won six of these conference championships (2007, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018) and four national championships (2008, 2010, 2014, 2015). The Lions' 2008 U Sports championship was York's first national championship in any sport in 18 years, and their first soccer championship since 1977.{{cite web|url=https://oua.ca/sports/msoc/2008-09/releases/3493.html|title=York wins 2008 CIS men's soccer crown|publisher=Ontario University Athletics|date=November 10, 2008|access-date=May 17, 2020}} Playing for the Lions, in 2010 Alon Badat was named a U Sports Championship All Star, and the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West Rookie of the Year, and in 2011 he was a First-Team OUA All-Star.{{cite web|url=https://usports.ca/uploads/cis/Championships/MSOC/2018-19/York_MG.pdf |title=2018 York Lions|access-date=2023-08-30}}{{Cite web|url=https://yorkulions.ca/sports/mens-soccer/roster/alon-badat/4337|title=Alon Badat - Men's Soccer|website=York University Athletics}} The team currently competes in the 18-team Ontario University Athletics conference.
=Women's soccer=
The York Lions women's soccer team currently competes in the 19-team Ontario University Athletics conference. The program has had four conference championship winners, coming in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2019. Carmine Isacco has been the team's head coach since 2012.{{cite web|url=https://yfile.news.yorku.ca/2012/03/06/carmine-isacco-named-master-coach-of-york-soccer-program/ |title=Carmine Isacco named master coach of York soccer program |publisher=York University |date=March 6, 2012}}
=Men's volleyball=
The York Lions men's volleyball team currently competes in the 13-team Ontario University Athletics conference. The program has featured 13 conference championship winners, most recently in 2005. The highest that the team has finished in the national championship tournament was a second-place finish in 1974.{{cite news|url=https://www.canadawesthalloffame.org/post/winnipeg-wesmen-1970-74-mvb-team|title=Winnipeg Wesmen 1970-74 (MVB Team)|publisher=Canada West Hall of Fame|date=October 17, 2019|access-date=June 2, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://yorkulions.ca/sports/2013/4/10/MVBL_0410135155.aspx|title=York Lions Men's Volleyball Champions & Award Winners|publisher=York Lions|access-date=May 17, 2020}} Jordan Taylor was named the team's head coach on July 21, 2023.{{cite web|url=https://yorkulions.ca/news/2023/7/21/mens-volleyball-lions-name-jordan-taylor-as-mens-volleyball-head-coach.aspx |title=Lions name Jordan Taylor as men's volleyball head coach |publisher=York Lions |date=July 21, 2023}}
=Women's volleyball=
The York Lions women's volleyball team currently competes in the 14-team Ontario University Athletics conference. The program has had a school-record 15 conference championships with the most recent occurring 2009. In the national championship tournament, the Lions have won five bronze medals, most recently in 1991.{{cite web|url=https://yorkulions.ca/sports/2013/4/10/WVBL_0410130658.aspx|title=York Lions Women's Volleyball Champions & Award Winners|publisher=York Lions|access-date=May 17, 2020}} The team has been led by head coach Jennifer Neilson since 2018.{{cite web|url=https://yorkulions.ca/news/2018/7/4/womens-volleyball-wvb-coach.aspx?path=wvolleyball |title=Neilson named head coach of women's volleyball team |publisher=York Lions |date=July 4, 2018}}
Facilities
{{multiple image
| header =
| align =
| direction =
| total_width = 400
| perrow =
| image1 = York Lions Stadium prior to a Toronto Arrows match (photo by Djuradj Vujcic).jpg
| caption1 = York Lions Stadium
| image2 = Alumni_Field_York.jpg
| caption2 = Alumni Field
| footer =
}}
;Notes
{{reflist|group=n}}
International competition
This is an incomplete list
- Kelsey Webster, Ice Hockey, 2009 Winter Universiade,{{Cite news|url=https://www.fisu.net/news/winter-fisu-world-university-games/can-announces-women-s-ice-hockey-team-for-harbin|title=CAN Announces Women's Ice Hockey Team for Harbin|website=fisu.net|date=January 9, 2009 |access-date=May 4, 2021 |language=en}} {{gold1}}
- Courtney Unruh, Ice Hockey, 2011 Winter Universiade, {{gold1}}
- Kelsey Webster, Ice Hockey, 2011 Winter Universiade, {{gold1}}
- Kiri Langford, Ice Hockey, 2011 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships – Division IV, {{gold1}}
- Autumn Mills: Baseball, 2015 Pan American Games, {{silver2}}
- Brittany Crew, Track and Field, 2017 Summer Universiade (Won gold with a best throw of 18.34 meters){{cite news|date=27 August 2017|title=Canada's Brittany Crew captures shot put gold at Summer Universiade|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/canada-s-brittany-crew-captures-shot-put-gold-at-summer-universiade-1.3563830|work=Canadian Press|location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada|access-date=1 June 2019}} {{gold1}}
- Melissa Humana-Paredes, Volleyball, 2018 Commonwealth Games {{gold1}}, 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships {{gold1}}
Awards and honours
- Lauren Golding, U Sports Athlete of the Month, January 2020{{Cite news|url=https://usports.ca/en/awards/aotm/2020/01/925555454/lauren-golding|title=January 2020 — Lauren Golding|website=usports.ca/|date=February 7, 2020|access-date=June 25, 2021|language=en}}
=Athletes of the Year=
This is an incomplete list
| class="wikitable" width="60%" | ||||
| align="center" style=" background:#E31837;color:#FFFFFF;"
| Year | Female Athlete | Sport | Male Athlete | Sport
|Ref. |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2009–10 | Heather Hamilton | Track & Field | Tyrone Halstead | Track & Field |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2010–11 | Effie Petrou | Field Hockey | Adrian Pena | Soccer |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2011–12 | Melissa Humana-Paredes | Volleyball | Dontae Richards-Kwok | Track & Field |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2012–13 | Cynthia Appiah | Track & Field | David McKay | Track & Field |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2013–14 | Khamica Bingham | Track & Field | Dontae Richards-Kwok | Track & Field |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2014–15 | Brittany Crew | Track & Field | Jarek Whiteman | Soccer |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2015–16 | Brittany Crew | Track & Field | Michael Cox | Soccer |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2016–17 | Holly Pitters | Track & Field | Jonathan Lao | Soccer |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2017–18 | Holly Pitters | Track & Field | Kayden Johnson | Track & Field Football |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
| 2018–19 | Brittany Crew | Track & Field | Pierce Lepage | Track & Field |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2019–20 | Teni Odetoyinbo | Soccer | Daniel Gleason | Track & Field |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2020–21 | colspan="12" | Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |||
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2021–22 | Leah Jones | Track & Field | Dieu Merci Yuma | Soccer |
| align="center" bgcolor=""
|2022–23 | Jotam Chouhan | Soccer | Soji Olatoye | Soccer |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{official website}}
{{York University}}
{{Toronto Sports}}
{{Ontario Sports}}
{{Ontario University Athletics}}
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