SWEET SIXTEEN FOR HAWKS IN OCAA MEN'S SOCCER

TORONTO – Water is wet, sugar is sweet, and the No. 1 Humber men's soccer are provincial champions once again, for the 16th time. This comes as no surprise for those following the OCAA season, as the Hawks showcased their dominance with the league's best offence and defence, topped the national ranking since Oct. 1 and consistently played exceptional soccer throughout the season. Legendary Coach Michael Aquino is now tied with Hall of Famer Germain Sanchez with eight OCAA titles.

The coronation occurred on Saturday at the Esther Shiner Civic Stadium, where the No. 1 Hawks (13-0-1) defeated the No. 11 Algonquin Wolves (10-2-2) with a score of 2-0. Third-year player Jacob Ball sat in the driver's seat, scoring a brace to secure Humber's provincial title.

It all led to this decisive moment. At the Esther Shiner Civic Stadium, the Humber Hawks and the Algonquin Wolves prepared for their most important match of the season, the 2024 OCAA Men's Soccer Championship gold-medal game. The Hawks arrived in North York with an undefeated record and a season of dominance, yet they would face their hardest test. The Wolves finished the regular season with the league's second-highest goalscorer, Jaeden Mercure, and ruled the East conference with an impressive 7-1-2 record.

The match started with intense action in the midfield, and both teams struggled to create opportunities to transition from defence to attack. At seven minutes, the Wolves finally managed to reach Humber's box after a free kick, but Humber's goalkeeper, Peter Sheberstov, secured possession and quickly connected with Marcus Riviere for a counterattack. After Algonquin's defence failed to clear the ball, it fell to Ball. Ball skillfully dribbled past three defenders and found a narrow opening, driving the ball into the bottom left corner of the net to score the match's first goal.

The Wolves cooled off after Humber's first tally, allowing the Hawks to take control of possession and manage the clock. At the 33-minute mark, a sloppy pass in the Algonquin's defensive zone allowed Ball to advance once again. The outcome was evident to the crowd in a one-on-one race with a defender. The clutch player displayed his footspeed and found the back of the net again.

Both teams went into halftime with Humber in control, holding a two-goal lead.

The second half began with the Hawks pushing strong for the second tally, firing off three shots within the first seven minutes of play. Algonquin tried to take control of the match by improving their ball movement as they approached the one-third mark of the half. Still, the Hawks defensive line remained solid, with Carmine Fiore and Leshawn Facey neutralizing every play.

As the referee blew the final whistle, excitement surged through the crowd. The Humber Hawks had triumphed once again, securing their place as provincial champions for the 16th time with a 2-0 victory.

Matthew Laic was named the Championship MVP, while senior Jason Alvarado and rookie Matias Lescano were named to the all-tournament team.

Source: Fernando Bossoes/Humber Hawks

OCAA MEN'S SOCCER AWARDS

OCAA Men's Soccer Championship MVP
Matthew Laic, Humber

OCAA Men's Soccer Championship All-Stars
Jason Alvarado, Humber
Amar Dhindsa, Seneca
Matthew Hankowski, Sheridan
Matias Lescano, Humber
Jaeden Mercure, Algonquin
Jacob Toste-Gyurik, Algonquin

2024 OCAA MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP

Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/msoc

Friday, October 25
Semi-Finals
Humber def. Seneca 2-1 (OT)
Algonquin def. Sheridan 3-2

Saturday, October 26
Bronze Medal Match
Seneca def. Sheridan 3-1

Gold Medal Match
Humber def. Seneca 2-0

- OCAA -

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