As 2024 comes to an end, Excalibur brings you York Lions Wrapped — a celebration of standout performances, unforgettable moments, and the rising stars who left their mark.
1. York vs Waterloo football, 2024 Homecoming
York’s homecoming victory against Waterloo was one for the books, as they beat a 14-0 loss to come back and win 39-24 in front of alumni.
2. York vs Algoma women’s soccer
York went into the Thunderbirds’ nest and ripped the wings off their backs through a 12-0 victory thanks to Nia Fleming-Thompson scoring four goals.
3. York vs TMU Men’s soccer
Our noisy neighbours from TMU visited the York Lions Stadium for the OUA semi finals; the game was a nail-biter as York edged past them during extra time.
Christian Zeppieri: Christian Zeppieri was not only the OUA West MVP for a second year in a row, but he was also the U Sports MVP with a 17-goal contribution this season.
Nia Fleming-Thompson: Nia Fleming-Thompson was red hot this season with a 15-goal contribution over 15 games, earning the rightful place as OUA West MVP.
OUA finals run men’s soccer: The men’s soccer team finished top in Canada West and as expected, they made it to the finals in a series of entertaining games, including the overtime win against TMU and the penalty shoot-out against Guelph.
OUA semi-finals run women’s hockey: The women’s hockey team had a below .500 record, but they made a Cinderella dash to the semi-finals though eventually losing to Waterloo in the games.
Luca Accetola (men’s soccer): Luca Accetola was the OUA West Rookie of the Year and he played a huge role in York’s run to the OUA final and ended the season with an overall 16-goal contribution.
Mariam Farid (swimming): Farid is just in her first year, and she has already broken a team record that goes back two decades — who knows what’s in store for her in the near future?
In case you didn’t notice, the article title was borrowed from Spotify Wrapped, because let’s face it, they set the standard for year-end recaps — no offense to Apple Music users. In honour of Spotify, here are the five songs that perfectly capture the York Lions’ 2024 season, featuring tracks that not only reflect their journey but some of the crowd favourites played at their games:
- “Stronger,” Kanye West
- “One of Wun,” Gunna
- “Here We Go… Again,” The Weeknd
- “B. D’OR,” Burna Boy feat. WizKid
- “Eye of the Tiger,” Survivor
