WATERLOO, Ont. - In front of a lively crowd filled with first-year students moving into residence, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's soccer team battled to a 0–0 draw against the York Lions on Sunday afternoon at Ansley Alumni Field.

Both sides showed their intent from the opening whistle, trading possession in the first five minutes as they tested each other's backlines.

Laurier captain Jada Johnson set the tone early, while she and forward Annick Larivière combined well to generate pressure in York's end.

Third-year midfielder Tamara Lisser also impressed with her strong leg, sending multiple kicks up field to transition play.

Despite the Golden Hawks' efforts, York managed to generate more shots on target, finishing with 11 attempts compared to Laurier's three.

Laurier goalkeeper Mya Brodrecht stood tall with seven saves, including five in the second half, to preserve the clean sheet.

After the match, head coach Barry MacLean reflected on both the team's performance and his milestone 300th career win, which he achieved at the end of last season.

He credited "great assistant coaches, staff, all the people in therapy, strength and conditioning, everyone that helps us around the school and just being involved with a lot of great players over the years and quality teams," adding that he feels "lucky to be involved with it and proud to be a part of Laurier."

Looking ahead, MacLean emphasized that this group "is a very athletic team."

"The culture around the team is fantastic. We have a lot of character, and everyone is on the same page. We are going to be tough to play against."

That culture was echoed by the players themselves. Third-year midfielder Tamara Lisser said she was "very proud" of the squad, noting that "the environment is excellent."

Rookie Sienna Di Blasio highlighted the team's strong start, explaining that, "we knew in the first 15 minutes they were coming out strong as well, and our goal was to retaliate against that and make sure we kept a clean sheet and kept pushing forward."

With the draw, Laurier showed promising chemistry, a resilient defense, and a sense of pride in their new team culture, all signs of a group ready to be "tough to play against" as the season unfolds.

Up Next:
The Laurier Golden Hawks (1-0-1) take on the Brock Badgers (2-0) at Brock Alumni Field in St. Catharines on Friday, September 5.

Kick off is at 6:00pm. Catch the action live on OUA.tv.