schedule and results 2019 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
2018 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS
DATE
OPPONENT TIME
DATE
OPPONENT RESULT
Sat. Aug. 31 Thu. Sep. 5 Sun. Sep. 8 Fri. Sep. 13 Sun. Sep. 15 Fri. Sep. 20 Sun. Sep. 29 Wed. Oct. 2 Sat. Oct. 5 Sun. Oct. 6 Fri. Oct. 11 Sun. Oct. 13 Fri. Oct. 18 Sun. Oct. 20
vs. Guelph 3:15pm vs. McMaster 8:15pm at Waterloo 3pm vs. Western 8:15pm vs. Brock 8:15pm at Laurier 8:15pm at Guelph 3pm at McMaster 8pm at Brock 3:15pm vs. Waterloo 3:15pm vs. Laurier 1:15pm at Algoma 3pm at Western 8:15pm vs. Windsor 3:15pm
Fri. Aug. 24 Sun. Aug. 26 Wed. Aug. 29 Fri. Aug. 31 Thu. Sept. 6 Fri. Sept. 7 Sun. Sept. 16 Fri. Sept. 21 Fri. Sept. 28 Sat. Sept. 30 Sat. Oct. 6 Sun. Oct. 7 Fri. Oct. 12 Sun. Oct. 14 Fri. Oct. 19 Sun. Oct. 21
vs. Western T 1-1 vs. Windsor W 5-0 vs. Guelph W 3-2 at Laurier W 4-0 vs. Laurier W 3-0 at McMaster T 1-1 at Brock W 3-2 at Waterloo W 3-1 vs. McMaster T 1-1 vs. Brock W 2-1 at Algoma W 2-0 at Algoma W 7-1 at Guelph W 1-0 vs. Waterloo W 5-1 at Windsor W 1-0 at Western W 2-1
2019 PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
2018 PLAYOFF RESULTS
DATE OPPONENT Wed. Oct. 23 OUA First Round Oct. 26-27 OUA Quarter-finals Nov. 1-2 OUA Final Four Championships (at highest West seed) Nov. 7-10 U SPORTS Championships (at Université de Montreal)
OUA PLAYOFFS DATE OPPONENT RESULT Sun. Oct. 28 Waterloo W 3-0 Quarter-final Fri. Nov. 2 Ryerson W 1-0 Semifinal * Sat. Nov. 3 Carleton W 3-1 Championship * U SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS^ DATE OPPONENT RESULT Thu. Nov. 8 Trinity Western L 2-2 (4-2 PK) Quarter-final Fri. Nov. 9 UNB W 1-0 Consolation Semifinal Sat. Nov. 10 UQAM L 0-1 5th-place Match * OUA Final Four Championships at Carleton University ^ U SPORTS Championships at Thompson Rivers University Final regular-season record: 13-0-3 Final playoff record: 4-2
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season outlook The York Lions men’s soccer team is used to entering a season as the team to beat and this year is no different. The powerhouse Lions have put up some eye-popping numbers since master coach Carmine Isacco took over the reins of the program in 2007. They have won 193 games and lost just 30 (regular season and playoffs), finished atop the OUA West Division in 12 straight years and won a total of 10 banners. In 2019, a three-peat is once again the focus for a squad that has won five of the last six OUA championships, including each of the last two. The end goal for this group is always a national title and it remains so again this season.
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They also have fifth-year midfielder Chris Jacovou and sophomore Vaughan Bianchi back this season and have added to the mix NCAA transfers Soji Olatoye and Michael Thornton. Jacovou recorded four goals in the regular season, including two game-winners, while Bianchi had two goals and a pair of assists in just eight games. Olatoye and Thornton, meanwhile, have impressive soccer resumes and have found their way home after many years away. The biggest loss from last year came on defence, where threetime U SPORTS all-Canadian Daniel Gogarty has graduated. In his place will be Reggie Laryea, a former member of the Canadian U20 national team who spent the last two seasons in the NCAA. He joins a back line that includes OUA all-star Josh Kiselyov as well as Francesco Sinopoli.
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We always have players that can step in and take over for the ones that left and they are ready because they’ve had good mentors CARMINE ISACCO, MASTER COACH
Even with the consistent roster turnover that is inevitable in university athletics, the Lions continue to field a spectacular line-up each and every year and will do so again in 2019. “We talk about culture building and the standard the players have to keep to be on this team,” says Isacco about the squad’s continued success over such a long period of time. “We try to maintain a standard and recruit players that don’t just maintain it but make us better. We always have players that can step in and take over for the ones that left and they are ready because they’ve had good mentors.” On paper, the roster is one of the deepest and most talented that Isacco has ever assembled. A squad that led the OUA West in goals last season, with 44 in 16 games, returns eight of the 10 players that found the back of the net in 2018, including a trio of OUA all-stars in Omar Marzouk, the team’s leading scorer with 14 goals and four game winners, Cristian Cavallini, a former OUA West player of the year, and Jorgo Nika, who made an immediate impact in his debut season with the Lions.
They will all play in front of Mike Argyrides, a third-year goalkeeper who started every game last season and another four in the playoffs and allowed just 15 goals in 20 games. Sky-high expectations come with plenty of pressure, but the Lions aren’t focused on that and instead will just continue looking ahead to the next game. “I say it every year, but we just play every roll of the ball and focus on getting better every day,” elaborated Isacco when asked about his goals for the year. We have a lot of work to do in a very competitive OUA where all the other teams have gotten a lot better. It’s going to be a tough season for us. Our mentality and our approach to every minute of every game is going to be important and wherever it takes us.” Isacco is generally loath to look too far ahead but his track record is undeniable and there’s no question this team has the talent and experience to add to its banner haul. A seventh straight trip to the national championship tournament is well within reach.
2019 MEN’S SOCCER
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2018 stats REGULAR SEASON SCORING LEADERS
REGULAR SEASON GOALKEEPERS
Name GP G A P Omar Marzouk 15 14 2 16 4 Cristian Cavallini 12 8 1 9 2 Steve Kloutsouniotis 16 4 2 6 0 Maurizio Ragone 14 3 2 5 2 Chris Jacovou 12 4 0 4 2 Vaughan Bianchi 8 2 2 4 0 Jorgo Nika 14 4 0 4 1 Dylan Carreiro 10 0 3 3 0 Jon-Alec Duenas 8 2 0 2 1 Emmanuel Zambazis 10 0 2 2 0 Gabriel Jodhan 11 1 0 1 0 Eddie Lay 9 1 0 1 1 Daniel Gogarty 15 0 1 1 0 Sebastian Amaya 12 0 1 1 0 Francesco Sinopoli 12 0 1 1 0 Anwar Sawi 8 0 1 1 0 Marcus Brooks 7 0 1 1 0
Name Mike Argyrides Michael Costanzo
GP GA SO SV W-L-T 16 12 35 5 13-0-3 1 0 3 0 0-0-0
PLAYOFF SCORING LEADERS Name Cristian Cavallini Dylan Carreiro Omar Marzouk Jorgo Nika Maurizio Ragone Josh Kiselyov Chris Jacovou
GP 6 4 6 6 6 5 6
G 3 0 2 2 1 1 1
A 1 4 1 1 0 0 0
PTS GWG 4 0 4 0 3 1 3 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
PLAYOFF GOALKEEPERS Name Mike Argyrides Shyon Gaeeni
GP GA SV SO W-L 3 1 2 2 1-0 2 1 8 1 1-1
* Bold denotes returning players
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master coach Carmine Isacco was named the head coach of the Lions men’s soccer team in 2007 and has built the program into one of the best in U SPORTS. He is now the master coach of York’s soccer program, overseeing both the men’s and women’s teams, as well as the first assistant coach for York9 FC in the Canadian Premier League (CPL). The Lions men’s team has made nine appearances at the national championships with him at the helm and has won four national banners (2008, 2010, 2014-15). They are also six-time OUA champions under his guidance (2007, 2013-15, 201718) and have won provincial medals in 11 of the 12 years he has led the program. The Lions have finished first in the OUA West Division in each of his 12 seasons and have earned the No. 1 spot in the weekly U SPORTS rankings at least once in each year since he took over. In 2015, he guided the women’s soccer team to an undefeated regular season (15-0-1) and the team was ranked as high as No. 2 in the U SPORTS rankings. Isacco is a six-time recipient of the OUA men’s coach of the year award, (2007, 2010, 2012-14, 2016) and won his first OUA women’s coach of the year award in 2015. He is also a two-time U SPORTS coach of the year (2007, 2014) and a three-time York coach of the year (2010, 2015-16).
He joined the Lions after spending two seasons as the head coach of the men’s team at the University of Toronto, where he led the Varsity Blues to a pair of OUA silver medals and a CIS silver medal in 2005. His coaching career has also seen him claim a national championship with the Hearts-Azzurri S.C. in the U18 division. In addition to his role as club head coach for Hearts-Azzurri, he also served as the club’s general manager, responsible for the administration of over 2000 young soccer players. As head coach of Toronto Supra in the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL), Isacco was named coach of the year in 2002 in the Ontario Youth Soccer League. As a player, Isacco took to the pitch at the University of Maryland, where he was named a freshman all-American and a three-time all-ACC first team member. In 1993 he participated in the World University Games. After graduating with a bachelor of arts degree from Maryland, he turned professional and played four seasons with the Toronto Italia Soccer Club in the National Soccer League (NSL). In his first season with the club he was named goalkeeper of the year and he also received Canadian all-star status three times. Following his stint in the NSL, Isacco was a player and assistant coach for the Milwaukee Rampage in the A-League. While with Milwaukee, he was named an all-league first-team all-star, playoff MVP and he captured a league title in 1997. He has also spent time with the Rochester Rhinos and Toronto Lynx as a player/assistant coach in the A-League. His indoor playing career in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) saw him claim a league title in 1998 with the Milwaukee Wave and he was named a league all-star while playing for the Edmonton Drillers. Other stops in the indoor NPSL include the Toronto Shooting Stars and Buffalo Blizzard.
In 2015 he served as a guest coach with the Canadian senior men’s team for a pair of friendlies in advance of World Cup qualifying, and he was an assistant coach with the U22 team at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
2019 MEN’S SOCCER
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assistant coaches LUCA FORNO
MATTHEW STINSON
Luca Forno joined the Lions coaching staff in 2010 after four seasons as a player on the team. He was a captain for three seasons (2007-09), earned the team MVP award in the squad’s OUA title-winning campaign in 2007 and also helped the Lions win the 2008 U SPORTS championship.
Matt Stinson went from player to coach with the Lions after the 2015 season. He spent three years as a midfielder with the program, earning OUA West second-team all-star honours and U SPORTS tournament all-star recognition in 2014 and helping the Lions win three OUA championships and two national titles.
Forno, who played one season at Francis Marion University in South Carolina before coming to York, graduated with a degree in administrative studies. He is also a coach with the Vaughan Soccer Club and the equipment manager for York9 FC in the Canadian Premier League (CPL).
Stinson brings plenty of playing experience at a number of different levels to the coaching staff. Before coming to York, he spent parts of two seasons with Toronto FC, appearing in 17 games, and represented Canada on the senior men’s national team. He also spent one season at Winthrop University, where he was voted team MVP as a freshman and was a first-team all-conference award recipient.
ASSISTANT COACH
HIEU QUACH
ASSISTANT COACH Hieu Quach has been with the Lions men’s soccer program since 2007. He came to York along with head coach Carmine Isacco and previously worked as an assistant under Isacco for two years at the University of Toronto. He has played a big role in the success experienced by the Lions, including the team’s six OUA banners (2007, 2013-15, 2017-18) and four U SPORTS titles (2008, 2010, 2014-15). Quach was a three-year starter at central midfield for the Varsity Blues, earning a conference all-star selection in 1996 and academic all-Canadian honours in 1998. He graduated from the University of Toronto with an education degree after earning a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University.
DANIEL GOGARTY ASSISTANT COACH
Daniel Gogarty joins the coaching ranks of the Lions this year after five seasons as a player. He was one of the best defenders in program history throughout his time with the program, helping the team win two national championships and four conference titles. He was a three-time U SPORTS allCanadian, including twice on the first team, earned three OUA allstar honours and two team MVP awards. Gogarty was selected fourth overall by his hometown team, York9 FC, in the inaugural CPL-U SPORTS draft last fall and is currently playing his first professional season.
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YORK LIONS
ASSISTANT COACH
GERALD PENNANT GOALKEEPER COACH
Gerald Pennant joined the Lions coaching staff as the goalkeeper coach in 2010, coming to York from Ryerson University where he served in the same role for both the men’s and women’s programs for two years. He has a wealth of experience coaching with the Ontario provincial program and the Jamaican national team. He is a provincial B licensed coach who also holds both an NACAA goalkeeping diploma and the Ontario Soccer Association goalkeeping certificate. In 2017 he was the goalkeeping coach for the Ontario team that won the gold medal at the Canada Summer Games.
FRANCESCO VESCIO JOEY CICCHILLO MELINA BISOGNI JAIME MEDRANDA
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH HEAD STUDENT THERAPIST ASSISTANT STUDENT THERAPIST
player profile One year ago Eddie Lay thought he was getting ready to suit up for his final season with the York Lions, but a change of heart in the off-season has brought him back for one last run. Instead of finishing his last few classes over the summer, he decided to wait until the fall to have the opportunity to spend one last semester as a varsity athlete. “In my fourth year I couldn’t wait to be done school, but then over the winter I realized how much I was going to miss playing,” said Lay about nearly ending his career last season. “Being with the team every single day, travelling and just hanging out with the guys is something that is really amazing so I’m happy I can do a fifth year.” Lay will serve as a team captain this season and will play a key role in pulling the team together and keeping the focus on the goal at hand, and he will draw upon the leadership he witnessed from past captains. “The two that stand out to me are Daniel Gogarty and Jonathan Lao. They really helped the younger kids coming in and showed them what the program is all about. I want to continue the legacy of York soccer because it’s been so successful.” Lay has been front and centre for much of that success. A talented, physical midfielder who can join the attack or
play defensively, he came to York in 2015 after his club team coach in Ajax connected him with York master coach Carmine Isacco. He appeared in 10 games in his debut season and was part of something special as the Lions won OUA and U SPORTS titles on their home turf. He has played in 47 career regular-season games, starting 30 of them, and tallied eight goals and 13 points throughout his career. Along the way, the Lions have won another two OUA banners and have qualified for the national tournament in every one of his seasons. As a captain this year, he hopes to lead this team to even greater heights. “The highlight has definitely been winning all the titles, it doesn’t get much better than that,” Lay says about what his best memories are from his time at York. “I guess winning more national banners, but that’s the goal for this year. We talk about it every year that we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but the expectation at York soccer is to win a national championship and I think that’s what we should be aiming for.” Lay has been playing soccer since the age of three thanks to the influence of his British father, who played at the university level back in England. As the youngest of three boys, Lay advanced in the sport quickly while trying to keep up with his older brothers and started playing rep soccer when he was 10. He advanced to the Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL) before making his way to York. With the end of his varsity career on the horizon, Lay has his sights set on extending his playing days in a pro league. He will graduate from York with a degree in Spanish and French and eventually would like to settle into a career that enables him to use his languages. Before that, however, he is focused on helping the Lions add even more hardware to their very full trophy case. GETTING TO KNOW EDDIE Favourite soccer team? Arsenal. Everyone that knows anything about me knows I’m a huge Arsenal fan. Favourite pregame meal? Pasta and chicken or rice and chicken. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? Barcelona or Tanzania. I want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro one day. Favourite TV show as a kid? SpongeBob SquarePants
2019 MEN’S SOCCER
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players
6
SEBASTIAN AMAYA
MILAN BEADER
GK 6-1 • 185 3rd Year
F 6-2 • 187 3rd Year
Economics Mississauga, Ont. St. Aloysius Gonzaga S.S. Winthrop University
Criminology Richmond Hill, Ont. Jean Vanier C.H.S.
Business & Society Oakville, Ont. Abbey Park H.S.
17
VAUGHAN BIANCHI
• Starting goalkeeper for all 16 games in the regular season and four in the playoffs • Ranked fourth in goals against average and had six cleansheets • An athletic goalkeeper with a strong presence in the net • Won gold medal at Canada Summer Games in 2017 with Team Ontario and a silver medal at Ontario Summer Games in 2014
27
DANIEL BILOUSOV
M 5-10 • 150 2nd Year
F 5-10 1st Year
Mechanical Engineering Calgary, Alta. Dr. E.P. Scarlett H.S.
Business Economics Zephyr, Ont. Bill Crothers S.S.
• Played in eight games and started two after redshirting rookie season • Recorded four points, including the first two goals of his career against Algoma • A composed midfielder who sees the field well and finds spaces to get into the final third • Won the silver medal at the 2017 Canada Summer Games with Team Alberta
28
OWEN CARTER
• A tricky attacker that was previously with TFC Academy • Picked for Canadian national team U15 selection pool in 2015
10
CRISTIAN CAVALLINI
• Returns this year after missing all of last season • In 2017, tied for ninth in OUA scoring (eight goals) and second with four game-winning goals • A strong goal scorer who is a powerful runner and has an eye for the goal
19
MARCUS BROOKS
D 5-11 • 185 3rd Year Commerce Brampton, Ont. Castlebrook S.S. University of Memphis • Played in seven games and started three on defence in first season with the Lions • A strong, physical defender with a good ability to get forward • Appeared in five games in one season at University of Memphis • Member of Brampton Youth for four years and was on three championship teams from 2012-14
ANTHONY CERMINARA
D 6-0 • 170 3rd Year
M 6-1 • 170 4th Year
GK 5-10 1st Year
Commerce Bolton, Ont. Humberview S.S. Niagara University
Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Woodbridge, Ont. Holy Cross C.A.
Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Maple, Ont. St. Joan of Arc C.H.S.
• A versatile defender with a relentless work effort • Appeared in 28 games over two seasons at Niagara University, starting 11 in the midfield and recording two assists • Was an Ontario scholar in 2016 and won the 2016 Recreation and Fitness Leadership Award at his high school
32
SEBASTIAN COLLURA
• U SPORTS first-team all-Canadian in 2017 • Three-time OUA all-star, including twice on the first team • Two-time OUA West major award winner, MVP in 2017 and rookie of the year in 2016 • Finished top eight in OUA scoring in first three years • Is very technical and reads the game brilliantly
29
FRANKROSS DI MATTEO
• A quick goalie with solid instincts and distribution • Earned invites to Canadian national soccer team camps in 2015 and 2016
2
MILO DJURICIC
M 6-0 • 170 1st Year
D 5-8 1st Year
D 6-4 • 185 1st Year
English Thornhill, Ont. St. Theresa of Lisieux C.H.S.
Human Resources Management Vaughan Ont. St. Joan of Arc C.H.S.
Commerce Brampton, Ont. St. Michael’s College
• A talented attacker who is dangerous around the net • Won back-to-back York Region championships in 2017 and 2018 and qualified for OFSAA both seasons • Named senior male athlete of the year in 2017
YORK LIONS
MIKE ARGYRIDES
M 6-2 • 160 3rd Year
• Played in 12 games and started two in the midfield, recording one assist • Spent one season at Winthrop University as a redshirt, winning the Big South regular season and tournament championships • A midfielder with strong defensive abilities who can link up well with his teammates
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1
• A physical left back with good technical skill • Won Ontario Cup titles at the U18 and U21 levels with Vaughan Soccer Club
• A strong, physical presence on the back line who has the ability to be a program leader in the future • Named the junior athlete of the year in 2016 and was named senior soccer MVP in 2018 while leading his team in assists • Received St. Michael’s Archangel Award for the best combination of athletics and academics
players
25
JON ALEC DUENAS
M 5-9 • 145 3rd Year Criminology North York, Ont. Monsignor Percy Johnson C.S.S. / Hastings College • Appeared in eight games in the midfield and scored two goals, including the game winner against Western • A tricky technical winger with a quality first touch • Won the gold medal at the Canada Summer Games in 2017 with Team Ontario
35
GEORGE GOSDEN
22
SHYON GAEENI
12
GIANFRANCO GILEPPO
GK 6-1 • 185 2nd Year
M 5-9 2nd Year
Commerce, Finance Toronto, Ont. William Lyon Mackenzie C.I.
Business & Society Vaughan Ont. St. Joan of Arc C.H.S. Adelphi University
• Appeared in two playoff games as a first-year goalkeeper, picking up a cleansheet in the 1-0 victory over UNB in U SPORTS consolation semifinals • A good shot-stopper with a strong physical presence in the net • Played previously with Vaughan Azzurri of League1 Ontario
16
CHRISTOPHER JACOVOU
• A dynamic midfielder with a strong ability to see the game • Played in 16 games for the Panthers, helping the team finish in first place in the regular season, win the school’s second Northeast 10 conference championship and reach the Division II national quarter-finals • Named to the conference academic honour roll
30
MICHAEL JAHSHAN
F 6-0 • 170 1st Year
F 5-10 • 165 5th Year
D/M 5-9 3rd Year
Financial & Business Economics Red Bank, N.J. Christian Brothers Academy
Business & Society Richmond Hill, Ont. Jean Vanier C.H.S. Saginaw Valley State University
Psychology Pickering, Ont. St. Mary C.S.S.
• A hard-working midfielder who brings a positive attitude to the team • Former United States Soccer Development Academy member • Played in Spain against youth academies UE Cornella, Levante and Real Madrid Moratalaz under CSA • Won New Jersey state championship in 2016 with high school team
5
GABRIEL JODHAN
• Tied for third in team scoring with four goals, including two game-winners, while playing in 12 games • A versatile attacking player who will be relied upon as a vocal point in the attack • Spent one season at Saginaw Valley State, scoring three goals and four assists • Played in 30 games over two seasons with Guelph, recording 11 goals and three assists
4
JOSH KISELYOV
• A very direct wide player with good pace and solid one-onone ability
3
REGGIE LARYEA
D 6-0 • 170 2nd Year
D 6-2 • 185 4th Year
D 5-11 • 165 3rd Year
Communications Studies Aurora, Ont. Aurora H.S.
Economics Maple, Ont. Bill Crothers S.S.
Health Studies Brampton, Ont. Dante Alighieri Academy University of Akron
• Appeared in 11 games and started five on defence • Scored first career goal in win over Algoma • Won the gold medal at the Canada Summer Games in 2017 with Team Ontario • A defender with a high technical skill level who is strong at playing out of the back
8
EDDIE LAY
• OUA West first-team all-star • Started all 32 games at left back over past two seasons and has played in 46 overall • Scored the game-winning goal in OUA semifinal victory over Ryerson to advance to 2018 nationals • Has a high soccer IQ and good vision going forward
7
OMAR MARZOUK
• Played in 18 games over two seasons with Akron, scoring two goals and recording six shots on goal • Won back-to-back Mid-American Conference championships and reached the Final Four of the national tournament • Former member of the Canadian U20 national team • Brother, Richie, is a midfielder with Toronto FC
26
MUDASER MUHTAJ
M 5-10 • 150 5th Year
F 6-1 • 180 3rd Year
M 5-6 • 125 1st Year
Hispanic Studies Courtice, Ont. Holy Trinity C.H.S.
Kinesiology & Health Science North York, Ont. Sir John A. Macdonald C.I.
Kinesiology & Health Science Bowmanville, Ont. David & Mary Thompson C.I.
• OUA West first-team all-star • Started 13 games and finished second in OUA scoring with 14 goals, including four game-winners • Scored his first career goal in 2017 OUA semifinals with seconds remaining in injury time to tie the game and send it to overtime • A striker with raw talent and incredible pace and intuition
• A dynamic midfielder with great technical ability • Participated in soccer and cross country in high school and advanced to the OFSAA championships in both sports
• Played in 47 games over four regular seasons, plus another 18 in the playoffs • Recorded eight goals and five assists throughout his career • Has good game vision and strong passing ability • Won back-to-back regional titles and the OFSAA bronze medal with high school team • Participated in the U20 identification camp in 2015
2019 MEN’S SOCCER
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players
24
MARCO MUIA
13
SOJI OLATOYE
M 6-2 • 185 5th Year
F 5-11 • 140 3rd Year
Economics Vaughan Ont. Bill Crothers S.S. St. John’s University
Business & Society East York, Ont. East York C.I.
Psychology Brampton, Ont. Notre Dame C.S.S. La Salle University
18
ADAM PARDA
• OUA West first-team all-star honours • A winger with good pace and strong one-on-one attacking • Started 13 games in the midfield and tied for third in team abilities scoring with four goals • Spent two seasons at La Salle, appearing in 27 games and • Scored the game winner in the OUA championship final starting 13 as a sophomore against Carleton • In 2018, led the team in goals (six), points (13), shots (24), • Spent two years playing in Germany with Lokomotive Leipzig shots on goal (14) and game-winning goals (two) and of Regionliga earned conference all-star honours • Twin sister, Ola, is a third-year member of the Lions women’s soccer team
31
CAMERON POYNTON
20
AGOSTINO PRINCIPATO
M 6-0 • 170 3rd Year
D 6-3 1st Year
M 5-3 • 120 2nd Year
Kinesiology & Health Science Toronto, Ont. St. Basil the Great College
Commerce, Management Coquitlam, B.C. Dr. Charles Best S.S.
Engineering Aurora, Ont. Cardinal Carter C.H.S.
• Appeared in all 16 games and six playoff games • A central midfielder with a great work rate who is strong on the ball and can penetrate on the dribble • Helped high school team win the 2017 city championship • Earned high school’s senior male athlete of the year award in final season
11
LUCAS PUNTILLO
• A versatile, technical player with the ability to play anywhere in the back • Won two provincial championships and a national title with Coquitlam Metro-Ford club team • A member of the British Columbia provincial team
23
ANWAR SAWI
M 5-9 • 145 3rd Year
F 5-8 • 165 2nd Year
Business & Society Woodbridge, Ont. Father Bressani C.H.S. Robert Morris University
Kinesiology & Health Science Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Al Shawkani S.S.
• An attacking midfielder with a knack for scoring goals and assists • Played in 35 games and started 31 in two seasons at Robert Morris • Earned NEC all-star and all-rookie team honours in 2015 • Helped lead club team to two Canadian national championships in three years
15
MICHAEL THORNTON
• Appeared in eight games at forward in rookie season, recording one assist and three shots on goal • A fast, technical player that can excel at any forward position
0
GEORGE TZIMAS
• Appeared in two games and recorded one shot as a rookie • A quick midfielder with strong attacking traits • Captain of high school team and earned MVP honours in his senior season • Is a triplet and both sisters, Julia and Victoria, are members of the Lions women’s soccer team
21
FRANCESCO SINOPOLI
D 6-0 • 165 5th Year Accounting Maple, Ont. St. Joan of Arc DePaul University • Appeared in 32 games and started 25 on defence over three seasons • Spent one season at DePaul, appearing in 15 games as a rookie and becoming one of their top reserves • A very good one-on-one defender who breaks lines well with his vision of passing • Won the National Cup, Ontario Cup and Nike Challenge Cup with Winstars Soccer Academy in 2011
9
MERCY YUMA
F 5-9 • 172 2nd Year
GK 6-1 • 180 2nd Year
F 6-1 3rd Year
Kinesiology & Health Science Toronto, Ont. Monarch Park C.I. University of Memphis
Commerce, Accounting Vaughan Ont. St. Joan of Arc C.H.S. St. Thomas University
Kinesiology & Health Science Toronto Ont. Sir Wilfred Laurier C.I.
• A fast, dynamic player with an honest work rate • Appeared in 11 matches at Memphis and earned a Dean’s List academic award • Trained with multiple European soccer clubs in his youth, including A.C. Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester • Spent 2.5 years in Madrid in his teenage years playing at the highest level for his age group
YORK LIONS
JORGO NIKA
D 6-4 • 195 1st Year
• Comes from a high pedigree and has the talent to be a significant piece of the team’s back line • Spent one season at St. John’s University • A member of Team Ontario for three years • Earned an invitation to the Canadian national team camp in 2015
10
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• A very athletic goalkeeper with a good mentality in the net • Spent one season at St. Thomas, posting an undefeated record in nine regular-season games and helping the team finish in second place in the standings and reach the CCAA national tournament
• A big, physical attacker with good feet who can find goals in many different ways • Spent multiple seasons in Europe, with FC Hlucin in the Czech Republic, FC Crato and FC Electrios in Portugal, an Electricio F.C. in Portugal • Won Division 4 championship and was fourth in league scoring while playing in Portgual
join the pride York University’s student-athletes have been competing against rival institutions on the Canadian sport scene for over 40 years. Provincial and national team titles, combined with numerous athletes and coaches who have participated on many of Canada’s national teams, attest to the success of York’s varsity program. Since the inception of organized sport competition in 1965, York has won 173 provincial banners and 36 national titles.
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
York University is one of only a handful of institutions in Canada that has two dedicated strength and conditioning coaches for its student-athletes. The Lions work closely with strength and conditioning staff, who create programs based on the needs of the athlete and coaches on high-performance lifts and movements. Team and individual workouts are available and education on all aspects of strength and conditioning is provided, Athletics & Recreation offers 19 varsity sport teams that compete in On- including proper warm-ups and cool-downs, plyometrics, power, energy tario University Athletics (OUA) and U SPORTS. The varsity sport teams systems development, strength and flexibility. are guided by a tremendous coaching staff that is composed of NCCP certified professionals, many of whom also hold leadership positions in Programs are created for both in-season and off-season workouts. Every provincial and national sport organizations and are experts in their field training session is designed for the needs of the athlete and individual of coaching. The staff includes more than 100 dedicated full-time and sport. The training phase and focus changes throughout the year and part-time coaches. are based on the competition schedule and off-season periodization program. The strength and conditioning coaches also work closely with the ACADEMIC & FINANCIAL SUPPORT athletic therapy group on rehabilitating injured players. At York we understand that academic and financial support are significant keys to success at the university level and we have a number of programs in place to provide all the support necessary for student-athletes to thrive.
All Lions have access to the varsity strength and conditioning centre, which is for the exclusive use of our student-athletes. Training here allows you to work in a high-performance environment where all equipment and programming is selected with the needs of the high-performance athlete in mind.
Providing Athletes with Winning Strategies (PAWS) Athletics & Recreation has placed the highest priority on supporting its student-athletes in all facets of university life, focusing specifically on helping foster success in the classroom. The PAWS Program provides tutoring across multiple subjects for all students, mentoring from senior student-athletes, academic advising through our academic services coordinator and many of our faculty, and access to our vast network of alumni.
SPORT INJURY CLINIC The Gorman/Shore Sport Injury Clinic features a full staff of athletic therapists and team doctors with significant experience in the medical field, and many of the doctors are recognized as some of the top experts in the country in their specific fields. In addition to sport medicine physicians, York employs a large variety of specialists including an orthopedic surgeon, dentist, neurosurgeon, radiologist, cardiologist, physiotherapist, chiropractor, massage therapist, Athletic Scholarships osteopath, pedorthist and a mental health specialist. The team brings to York University is committed to helping students with demonstrated fi- York experience at multiple Olympic Games and world championships, nancial need meet the direct education costs associated with university as well as with professional and amateur athletes in a variety of sports. studies (tuition, books and mandatory course fees). Financial assistance can be provided from a variety of sources including OSAP, scholarships, The sport injury clinic is a teaching clinic, with students from the Athletic bursaries, private awards and employment. Therapy Certificate Program doing their clinical placements under the direct supervision of the clinic manager and supervisor. Because of this, Athletics & Recreation understands the importance of providing Athletic most medical care for student-athletes is free of charge. Each Lions varFinancial Awards (AFAs) to entering student-athletes and has developed sity team is assigned at least one student athletic therapist who spends a number of awards, valued at $22,500 each ($4,500 per year up to five the entire season with the team and attends all practices and games. years). These awards are given annually to elite student-athletes that Lions student-athletes also have access to a fully-equipped clinic for all have achieved an 80% entering average and maintain a 6.0 grade point of their treatment needs. average.
2019 MEN’S SOCCER
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HEARTOFALION FOR SPONSORSHIP, BUSINESS & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT SARAH LECKIE AT SLECKIE@YORKU.CA