York cruises past STFX, 2-1, to advance to semifinals

The No. 6-seeded York Lions got goals from Yigal Bruk and the reigning U SPORTS player of the year, Christian Zeppieri, as they cruised to a 2-1 win over the No. 3-seed STFX X-Men in the first quarterfinal of the 2024 Bruce Power U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship at Vaso’s Field.

York opened the scoring early in the first half when Bruk found the net unassisted in the sixth minute. The Lions maintained control, amassing 14 shots on goal compared to nine for the X-Men. Zeppieri doubled York's lead in the 65th minute with another unassisted goal, showcasing his offensive prowess.

StFX, resilient throughout the match, managed to break through in the dying moments. Logan Rieck reduced the deficit to 2-1 with a goal in stoppage time, assisted by Kyle Cordeiro.

York's goalkeeper Alessio Carbone made crucial saves, stopping one with three saves overall. StFX's Samuel Diltz faced a barrage of shots, totaling five saves while allowing two goals.

York advances to Friday’s semifinal round, where they will play the winner of the Mount Royal-Montréal game. StFX will face the loser of that contest in a consolation game on Friday at 11 a.m.