York Lions women's ice hockey

The York Lions women's ice hockey team team represents York University in Toronto, Ontario in the sport of ice hockey in the Ontario University Athletics conference of U Sports. The York Lions have won three OUA championships in their program history while making one appearance in the U Sports women's ice hockey championship tournament since its inception in 1998.

York Lions women's ice hockey
University	York University
Conference	OUA
Head coach	Dan Church Since 2004-05 season
Arena	Canlan Ice Sports - York Capacity: 1,200
Location	Toronto, Ontario
Colors	Red, Black, and White
U Sports Tournament appearances
2020
Conference Tournament championships
1983, 1987, 1997

History

On February 11, 2000, the Ontario University Athletics women's ice hockey program saw its longest game take place. The University of Toronto's Rhonda Mitchell scored on a 35-foot slap shot. It was the 5:07 mark of the eighth period and the Varsity Blues defeated York University. Although the victory allowed the U of T to advance to the OUA gold medal game, it was the longest in the history of Canadian women's hockey (since broken).[1] The game lasted over five hours and ten minutes. York's player of the game was goaltender Debra Ferguson,[2] as she valiantly made 63 saves over 125 minutes.

On February 5, 2011, two Lions players, forward Courtney Unruh and defender Kelsey Webster (and assistant coach Stacey Colarossi) were part of the Team Canada roster that captured gold at the 2011 Winter Universiade title as Canada defeated Finland 4–1 in the gold-medal final.[3] Autumn Mills was the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) nominee for the 2011 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Marion Hillard Award.[4]

The Lions hosted and defeated the Nipissing Lakers in game 2 of the 2020 OUA Semi-Final.

After seven years of finishing out of the playoffs, the 2019-20 Lions team finished with a 14–0–8–2 record and a third-place finish in the OUA. The Lions swept both the Waterloo Warriors and Nipissing Lakers in the OUA playoffs before losing the McCaw Cup championship to the Toronto Varsity Blues in a sudden death 1–3 loss.[5] Because the Lions were an OUA finalist, the team qualified for the U Sports women's ice hockey championship for the first time in program history in 2020.[5] However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the tournament was cancelled on the day that the Lions were scheduled to play against the McGill Martlets in the opening round game.[6]

Recent results

Year	GP	W	OTW	T	L	OTL	P	Standing	Post-season
2003-04	22	2	–	1	19	–	5	4th in OUA East	Did not qualify for playoffs
2004-05	22	1	–	2	19	0	4	4th in OUA East	Did not qualify for playoffs
2005-06	24	6	–	8	10	0	20	7th in OUA	Did not qualify for playoffs
2006-07	24	9	–	1	14	0	19	7th in OUA	Did not qualify for playoffs
2007-08	27	11	–	4	11	1	27	6th in OUA	Lost OUA Quarter-Final (0–1 (SO)) vs. Guelph
2008-09	27	15	–	0	12	0	30	4th in OUA	Lost OUA Quarter-Final (0–2) vs. Brock
2009-10	27	13	4	–	9	1	45	3rd in OUA	Lost OUA Quarter-Final (2–3) vs. Windsor
2010-11	27	7	4	–	16	0	22	7th in OUA	Lost OUA Quarter-Final vs. Brock (0–2 series)
2011-12	26	12	1	–	12	1	28	6th in OUA	Won OUA Quarter-Final vs. Queen's (2–1 series) Lost OUA Semi-Final vs. Western (1–2 series)
2012-13	26	6	2	–	15	3	22	9th in OUA	Did not qualify for playoffs
2013-14	24	4	2	–	16	2	16	11th in OUA	Did not qualify for playoffs
2014-15	24	11	–	–	10	3	25	10th in OUA	Did not qualify for playoffs
2015-16	24	8	1	–	11	4	27	10th in OUA	Did not qualify for playoffs
2016-17	24	6	0	–	15	3	20	12th in OUA	Did not qualify for playoffs
2017-18	24	8	0	–	14	2	28	10th in OUA	Did not qualify for playoffs
2018-19	24	8	3	–	12	1	31	9th in OUA	Did not qualify for playoffs
2019-20	24	14	0	–	8	2	44	3rd in OUA	Won OUA Quarter-Final vs. Waterloo (2–0 series) Won OUA Semi-Final vs. Nipissing (2–0 series) Lost OUA Championship (1–3) vs. Toronto U Sports championship cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[6]

International contests

Season	Date	Opponent	Score
2009-10	October 3, 2009	Chinese Olympic hockey team	1-4
2009-10	October 4, 2009	Chinese Olympic hockey team	2-6[7]

Lions in pro hockey

Player	Position	Team	League	Accomplishments
Mandy Cole[8]	Forward	Brampton Thunder	CWHL
Allyson Fox[9]	Forward	Brampton Thunder (2007-2012)	CWHL	Participated in the 2010 Clarkson Cup
Kerri Palmer[10]	Defense	Brampton Thunder	CWHL
Kelsey Webster	Defense	Strathmore Rockies (2009-10) Calgary Inferno (2011-2016)	WWHL CWHL	Won the 2016 Clarkson Cup with the Calgary Inferno

Lions selected in the CWHL Draft

Player	Year	Position	Team	Selection
Courtney Unruh	2010 CWHL Draft	Forward	Brampton Thunder	#29[11]
Allyson Fox	2010	Forward	Brampton Thunder	#38
Michelle Daniels	2010	Defense	Brampton Thunder	#47
Kelsey Webster	2010	Defense	Brampton Thunder	#53
Mandy Cole	2010	Forward	Brampton Thunder	#59
Kerri Palmer	2010	Defense	Brampton Thunder	#77
Kristen Barbara	2016 CWHL Draft	Defense	Brampton Thunder	#28

Lions selected in the NWHL Draft

Player	Year	Team	Selection
Erin Locke	2020 NWHL Draft	Toronto Six	#15

Awards and honours

School honours

• Autumn Mills, York University female athlete of the week for the period ending Jan. 30, 2011.[12]

OUA honours

• Lisa Stathopulos, OUA Most Valuable Player (2014-15)
• Erin Locke, OUA Marion Hilliard Award (2019-20)

U Sports honours

• Kelsey Webster, 2010 All-CIS Second Team[13]
• Kristen Barbara, CIS All-Rookie Team (2011–12)[14]

OUA in-season

• Autumn Mills, Pioneer Petroleums Ontario University Athletics (OUA) female athlete of the week for the period ending Jan. 30, 2011.[15]

OUA All-Stars

• Marnie Barow, First Team (1990–91)
• Marnie Barow, Second Team (1991–92)
• Marnie Barow, First Team (1992–93)
• Heather Balbraith, Second Team (1996–97)
• Michelle Campbell, Second Team (1989–90)
• Michelle Clayton, First Team (1993–94)
• Michelle Clayton, Second Team (1994–95)
• Michelle Clayton, First Team (1995–96)
• Taylor Davison, First Team (2019-20)
• Allyson Fox, Second Team (1995–96)
• Allyson Fox, First Team (1996–97)
• Allyson Fox, Second Team (1997–98)
• Debra Ferguson, First Team (1996–97)
• Collette Good, Second Team (1997–98)
• Karent Kett, Second Team (1998–99)
• Sari Krooks, First Team (1996–97)
• Sari Krooks, First Team (1999–2000)
• Katie Quinn, Second Team (1993–94)
• Katie Quinn, Second Team (1994–95)
• Katie Quinn, First Team (1995–96)
• Melanie Roach, First Team (1998–99)
• Melanie Roach, First Team (1999–2000)
• Kelsey Webster, 2010 All-OUA First Team[16]
• Shanley White, Second Team (1997–98)[17]

Postseason awards

• Debra Ferguson, Player of the Game, OWIAA Final (February 25, 1997) [18]
• Debra Ferguson, Player of the Game, OUA Semifinal (February 11, 2000)
• Collette Good, Player of the Game, OWIAA Semi-final (February 24, 1997)

International

• In April 2011, Lions player Kiri Langford was a member of the New Zealand national team that won the gold medal at the 2011 IIHF World Women's Championship Division IV competition in Reykjavik, Iceland.[19]
• During the month of August 2011, it was announced that Lions head coach Dan Church would also serve as the head coach during the 2011–12 Canada women's national ice hockey team.[20]

Player	Event	Result
Courtney Unruh	2011 Winter Universiade	Gold
Kelsey Webster	2009 Winter Universiade	Gold
Kelsey Webster	2011 Winter Universiade	Gold

[21]

References

1. "Women's Hockey Archives". Ontario University Athletics. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
2. "Saving Grace, THE LONGEST GAME IN HOCKEY HISTORY". York University, Profiles Online. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. "Lions make national tournament debut in Charlottetown this week". York Lions. March 11, 2020.
6. "U Sports hockey championships cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak". Sportsnet. March 12, 2020.
7. http://yorkca.prestosports.com/sports/wice/2009-10/teams/york?view=gamelog
8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
14. http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wice/2011-12/releases/20120307-awards
15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
17. http://oua.ca.ismmedia.com/ISM2//Archives/W%20Hockey/All-Stars.pdf
18. "Communications & Public Affairs Division".
19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
21. http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/winter/2011/releases/20101203-whoc