Lions look to keep momentum going against Mustangs

The York University Lions men's soccer team will take on the Western Mustangs for a pair of games this weekend looking to grab a firm grip on a playoff spot.

With five games to go including two this weekend against the Mustangs, the Lions sit third in the OUA West, three points behind the Brock Badgers for second and a would-be bye through the first round of the OUA playoffs. York has won its division every year since 2007, and despite a bit of a topsy-turvy start to the season, doing so again for an 18th straight season remains very much in play.

With a win in London Friday, the Lions will move into a tie for second in the division with the idle Brock Badgers – against whom the Lions will play twice in their final three matches, and potentially the Waterloo Warriors, depending on their result against the Guelph Gryphons.

These will be important matches for the Lions against a Mustangs team that has but one win to its credit thus far in 2025, a 2-0 victory over the Algoma Thunderbirds – the only winless team in the division. That is especially true when you consider the two games following these two against Brock, matches that could determine who wins the division or, at minimum, who will have to play in the first round of the playoffs and who will not.

The Lions have seemed to find their stride in recent matches, putting together a five-game unbeaten run to maintain a shot at yet another division title. Their last three matches have been particularly impressive, including what would have been a win against unblemished Waterloo if it weren't for an 88th-minute equalizer on Friday night. Also mixed in were a 4-0 win against Windsor and a solid 2-1 win against Guelph on Monday.

The Lions will get Christian Zeppieri back from his suspension on Friday night, which would also go a long way for the Lions, after the two-time reigning OUA West MVP missed Monday's game against Guelph after receiving a red card on Friday in Waterloo. While they scored twice in his absence, the York offence, which has scored eight goals in the past three games, could certainly use its cornerstone back in the lineup.

Both games this weekend begin at 8:15 pm and can be streamed live free of charge on OUA.tv. Tickets for Monday's match can be purchased here.