York to battle McMaster in first all-OUA final since 2002 at CIS men’s soccer championship

CHARLOTTETOWN (CIS) – A 26^th-minute goal by midfielder Dena Iezady of Richmond Hill, Ont., stood as the game-winner as the York Lions edged the tournament host UPEI Panthers 1-0 in the second semifinal of the CIS men's soccer championship, Friday night. 

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Sunday at 1 p.m. AST, York will face the McMaster Marauders in the first all-OUA national final since 2002, when Brock beat host Carleton 1-0 in overtime. In Friday's first semifinal, McMaster came from behind to defeat UQAM 3-2 in kicks. 

The Lions enter the gold-medal game as the only undefeated team in the country this fall thanks to their 14-0-2 record in conference play and a 5-0 mark so far in the post-season. They are 2-0-1 in 2014 against the Marauders, including a 2-0 shutout last Sunday in the OUA title match.

York has previously captured the Sam Davidson Memorial Trophy in 1977, 2008 and 2010, while McMaster's best result at the CIS tournament is a pair of second-place finishes in 1991 and 1992. 

UPEI will try to rebound in the bronze-medal game Sunday at 10 a.m. AST against UQAM.

It was a battle befitting a semifinal at a national championship, and in the end it was the Lions who came out on top. 

Iezady's touch from close range was all that separated the teams on a night when the home fans, the elements and familiar surroundings could not help to conjure up another hometown win. 

York showed why they are ranked number one in the country with some excellent touches and great passing moves, notably from Matt Stinson in the midfield and the speedy Joey Cicchillo on the wings, but when they were asked to defend, they did so with ruggedness and determination, most notably the excellent centre-back pairing of Daniel Fabrizi and Henry Moody. 

The Panthers did create some chances, especially in the first half when the always dangerous Jared Murphy was through, but for the most part he was well shackled by the York back-line. 

Iezady's goal was a touch from a few feet out after the Panthers failed to deal with a cross, and try as they might after that, they could not really break through the backline. York always posed a threat going forward, but in the end the one goal was all they would need. 

"It just feels great to score the goal that takes us the final," said Iezady after the game. "It hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm sure it will soon. We will prepare for Sunday, and we will give it our best." 

Coach Carmine Isacco too was delighted with the result and the way his team played. 

"We expected a real battle and that is how it turned out," said the CIS coach of the year. "We will look forward to taking on McMaster again, but we know each other so well, we know it will be a tight game. We will recuperate and look forward to the final." 

Panthers coach Lewis Page was generous to York in his post-game comments. 

"They are a quality team and they battled us hard. It was a game of few real chances, and they took theirs when it came along. We wish them well for the final, but I am really proud of how our team performed. They can hold their heads up, and hopefully we will put in another good performance in the Sunday's bronze medal game."  

SCORING SUMMARY:

YORK 1-0: 1
UPEI   0-0: 0

First Half
1. YORK Dena Iezady (1), 26^th 

Second Half
(no scoring) 

Goalkeepers:
YORK: Colm Vance (W, 0 GA, 5 saves, 90:00, 2-0)

UPEI: Brett MacDonald (L, 1 GA, 3 saves, 90:00, 1-1) 

Team Stats
Shots: YORK 10, UPEI 8

Shots on net:  YORK 5, UPEI 4

Corners: YORK 5, UPEI 4

Offsides: YORK 0, UPEI 3
Fouls: YORK 9, UPEI 8
Yellow cards: YORK (De Vante Walker, Henry Moody); UPEI (Cole MacMillan)
Red cards: None

Players of the game:

YORK: Joey Cicchillo

UPEI: Cole MacMillan

Source: CIS