WATERLOO, Ont. – The Laurier Golden Hawks took on the York Lions Friday in their 2023 season (and home) opener, and officially christened the university's new Alumni Field. This particular sunny September afternoon saw what coach Barry MacLean referred to as "a true tale of two halves", as the team's first match day ended in a 2-2 draw.  

Laurier was able to secure a 1-0 lead over the York Lions in the 26th minute thanks to a powerful penalty kick conversion from forward Jyanessa Sealy.

The lead was doubled by a breakaway goal from second-year Jada Johnson ten minutes later while Sasha Marikano narrowly missed adding another tally just moments later, as she was stopped on the doorstep. The Golden Hawks continued to dominate throughout the rest of that half.

However, just 10 minutes into the second 45 minutes of play, York found a shift in momentum and scored on a converted penalty kick of their own.

The Lions scored again to tie the game 2-2 in the 63rd minute and controlled possession throughout the rest of the game, but the Golden Hawks held on for the well-deserved point, which stopped a four-game losing streak against York going back to September 2018.
 

Top Performers  

Laurier Golden Hawks

#11 – Sabeen Sakran 

Heard througout the game, Sakran was a strong communicator, displaying her ability to read the field and her players. She was able to create space and orchestrate strong plays while being nothing short of a brick wall in the centre back position.  

#10 – Jada Johnson  

The second-year forward acted as a spark plug for her team throughout the game, leading multiple charges down the field, one of which resulted in a goal. Johnson remained aggressive on the ball through the entire game and was a definite morale booster. 

York Lions

#1 – Ava Jones  

Keeper Ava Jones was confident and strong, putting on a stellar performance in this season opener. Keeping York in the game during the first half, Jones jumped, dove, charged the ball and took more than a few hard thumps but was able to persist and was a rock for her team. 

Up Next  

Sakran expressed that all members of the team are "eager and hungry for a win, and are planning on giving York all we've got" in the upcoming game this Sunday, September 3 at 1:00 p.m., this time playing on the Lions' home turf at York University. The game will be streamed live on OUA.tv