Unable to win at home consistently, Lions break trend
Alyssa Dool
Contributor
Tension and frustration were heavy in the frigid air throughout the Lion’s November 25 match with the Windsor Lancers. There were body checks, disgruntled players, broken hockey sticks, and of course a full-out brawl on ice; none of which were particularly surprising.
These teams last faced each other only three weeks ago. That game had ended in a win for the Lions, and this time around it was obvious Windsor was hoping to turn the tables on York. When it became apparent that the game would be close, both teams were ready to fight for the win. The Lancers, however, were much more vocal about their frustrations. At one point in the game a player left the ice voicing his anger with a string of curses.
The York Lions’ season has been odd, with more wins away than on home ice, Friday night’s game finally brought success home. It wasn’t an easy win. York may have scored the first goal five minutes in, but the Lancers made sure that next goals were hard-earned. “When the game got tough, we stuck to our game plan, got the puck deep. We hit a lot once we got the puck deep and that’s what set the tone for the beginning of the game,” says center Tyler McGee.
Players were all over the ice throughout the game. Goalies had to stay focused; one minute the Lancers were speeding down—trying to score on York, and just as quickly, the puck would be back in the Lancers’ end zone. During the second period, the Lancers had finally managed to bring down York’s three point lead to a one point lead. Even though they had played a hard game, key team players like McGee made sure to keep the score in the Lion’s favour.
During the last period of the game, the Lancers were fighting hard to gain a lead. There were many close calls and it was easy to tell Lion fans were on their toes wondering if the next attempt at a goal would tie up the score. With 15 minutes on the clock, Windsor players were more aggressive than they had been throughout the game. They stayed in the Lions’ end zone, seizing every opportunity to score. Lions fans were kept on the edge of their seats until the end of the game. Windsor stayed strong throughout Friday night’s game and even with only twenty seconds left, fans were still watching for an upset.
Friday night’s match ended in a 3-2 lead for the Lions, with Tyler McGee scoring two. The game was close, and the final buzzer brought a visible wave of relief across our Lions.
The first game of the weekend was well-played, and an exciting watch. However it did leave one Lions fan wondering what would happen on ice Saturday. “It was good to see a win at home, I’d like to see it happen again tomorrow,” said one fan, practically dancing, at the end of the game.
