Banner Season: York, Toronto set to cap off conference campaign with championship rematch

Burlington, Ont. – After finishing off the 2022 season with a thrilling come-from-behind win, the York Lions are hoping history repeats itself this time around, as the host squad will once again face off with the Toronto Varsity Blues at the 2023 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Field Hockey Championship. While the venue may be different, the aspirations for both sides remain the same on Saturday, October 28th, as the next edition of the banner season finale is sure to be the latest in a long line of closely-contested clashes between this two Toronto-based powerhouses.

Championship Details:

When: Saturday, October 28th at 1:00pm
Where: Alumni Field (York University)
Participating Schools (2): Toronto Varsity Blues, York Lions (host)
Watch: oua.tv
Defending Champions: York Lions | ALL PAST CHAMPIONS

Student-Athletes to Watch:

Rebecca Carvalho, Toronto Varsity Blues | A key member of the Toronto midfield, Carvalho was once again a centerpiece of the team’s success throughout the year. Showcasing her talent on both sides of the ball, which included her netting four goals this season, the decorated Varsity Blues senior will surely have a say in the championship game’s outcome on Saturday. Beyond the scoreboard, the former OUA rookie of the year and all-star is adept at controlling the game from the backfield and she’ll look to be a leader in that sense in the team’s third meeting with York this season.

Deepi Gill, Toronto Varsity Blues | Coming in on a high note, Blues netminder Gill will be called upon to bring her A-game on Saturday. As reliable as they come between the pipes, the Blues senior has stood tall as the team’s last line of defence and plays a pivotal role within Toronto’s high level defensive IQ. Gill stepped up in a big way in the semifinals, shutting out Waterloo through the game and turning away three shots in the shootout, and the reigning OUA athlete of the week will be striving for another brick-wall type effort at Alumni Field.

Molly Koop, Toronto Varsity Blues | While Toronto has showcased great depth on the offensive side of the ball, they were led up front by Coop. The third-year forward started in all 10 of the team’s regular season contests for a second straight year and led her top-ranked squad in scoring with seven tallies. The most impressive of her offensive efforts came in the team’s regular season finale, wherein Coop collected a hat trick for the championship-hopeful Blues. She’ll look to keep that scoring touch going with another productive performance this weekend.

Lexi Hannah, York Lions | Hannah was at the heart of the offence for the division-leading Lions this season, but more than that, paced her pack of provincial peers as well. She got out of the gates quickly this season, scoring early and often en route to her team’s nine wins. In fact, there were only three contests that Hannah failed to register a goal, and the OUA leader in goals (10) and points (22) will surely be eyeing the back of the net with a championship on the line this weekend.

Juliet Redelaar, York Lions | Despite this being her first taste of banner season play, Redelaar has proven time and time again to be a threat for the Lions. Not the least of these imposing efforts came in just her second weekend of regular season action, wherein she netted all three of her goals this season. With seven points across her rookie campaign, the Whitby, Ont. product will hope to continue her early varsity impact with a championship game to remember.

Natalie Winter, York Lions | Much like she has been in the past, Winter was a key cog in the Lions offensive approach, doing so predominantly with her playmaking. The York midfielder led the OUA with seven helpers on the year, matching her total from last year, which included a season-best four in the team’s 6-0 win over McGill in late September. The senior from Coquitlam, B.C. also added a pair of goals for the country’s third-ranked team and will be called upon for her on-field efforts and leadership this weekend.

Storylines to Keep an Eye On:

It was almost a year ago to the day that the Blues and Lions last met on the OUA championship stage, and they produced quite a performance therein. With the undefeated Blues up by one, York roared back with two unanswered goals late to not only snap Toronto’s unbeaten stretch, but claim their third title since 2017. While unable to win in 2022, the Blues were triumphant in 2021, and lay claim to 31 OUA banners in program history, suggesting both championship participants not only have a recent taste of victory, but a pedigree of program success that they’ll bring into the latest provincial finale.

Head-to-head this season, meanwhile, the Lions and Blues traded wins. The former struck first in the opening night of their back-to-back matchups, earning a 3-1 win to keep their unblemished record intact at the time. Toronto would return the favour the following game; however, as Gill backstopped the Blues to a 2-0 win on home turf. That victory proved to be the only loss on the York Lions record, as they played their way to a 9-1 mark overall, finishing a game up on the Blues, who capped their regular season at 8-2.

On the heels of those potent regular season performances, the Lions were able to secure a spot in the OUA Championship with yet another strong semifinal showing against Guelph last weekend. In a rematch of the 2022 semifinal, the Lions were once again able to prevail, aided significantly in their ability to get out of the gates quickly. Kathy Carlow found the back of the net just three minutes in, before Elise Piper did the same just a few minutes later. The teams traded goals the rest of the way and the Lions held on for the 3-1 win. Toronto, meanwhile, was unable to establish that same separation on the scoreboard in their semifinal win, as they remained scoreless with Waterloo throughout the contest. But with Gill stepping up in the shootout and the likes of Koop, Alicia Lung, and Molly Cooper-Gray finding the back of the net therein, Toronto bounced back from their season-opening loss to the black and gold and set themselves up for a chance to win their 32nd OUA banner this weekend.

What They're Saying:

"It's a new day and a different game with a different level of importance. This is a new season with new energy and positivity. In order for us to be successful, our whole team has to perform as a cohesive unit and lead within their roles on the field" - Zeeshan Minhas, Head Coach, York Lions