Two late tallies from De Bartolo sends No. 9 Men's Soccer to OCAA Finals

By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications

TORONTO, ON - No. 9 Humber men's soccer is heading to the OCAA finals after an incredible comeback against No. 2 George Brown, 3-1. Santino De Bartolo led the way for the Hawks, scoring twice in overtime to secure the win.   

Match Recap

Facing the undefeated George Brown Huskies, Humber was the underdog for the first time this postseason. The Hawks started hot, controlling the pace of play and owning most of the possession. Humber's offence immediately created momentum, forcing the George Brown keeper to make multiple key stops in the first 15 minutes. The game was rough early on, with George Brown picking up three yellow cards in the first half and Humber collecting one. The Hawks' kept up the offensive pressure all half long with Exosse Kadiebue amassing three shots on goal through 45 minutes. The half would finish without a tally despite Humber dominating the possession.   

The Hawks would continue to control the pace of the match but the Huskies would get a lucky bounce in the 51st minute, resulting in a breakaway. Darius Kerr-Cooper would convert to go ahead by one.

The lead for George Brown would allow the Huskies to adopt a defensive position. After a lengthy physical battle, Humber would finally tie the match, with Adam Czerkawski finishing on the left side in the 73rd minute. Humber would pour on the pressure after the goal, but the Huskies would manage to keep things tied after 90 minutes, meaning the match would need extra time.

In the first of the two 15-minute halves, it was George Brown who started hot. The Huskies had multiple chances early on that were thwarted by keeper Holger Xhameta. The third-year keeper finished with three saves in the win. The Hawks would finally break through in the 97th minute as Santino De Bartolo would score from the left side to put Humber up one. A deflection off of an Abdul Ezzez-Babawale cross found the boot of De Bartolo, who hit a cheeky chip shot from the top of the box over the keeper. Play was even the rest of the half, with Humber needing to hold on for 15 more minutes.

The Huskies applied the pressure right from kickoff in the second half of overtime. The Hawks' defence stayed strong though, keeping the play out of their box and not allowing George Brown to penetrate the zone. The Huskies would make a push late in the game but would come up short. With the Huskies keeper up in the play on a corner kick, Franz Mella would find a streaking De Bartolo to score his second of the match on an open net.

Humber would win 3-1. 

Humber Highlights

• Humber improves to 7-0 all-time against George Brown in the postseason.
• Santino De Bartolo scored his first goals of the season and his first multi-goal game.
• The Hawks have won 17 straight OCAA postseason matches, dating back to the 2017 season.
• Humber looks to win their fifth consecutive OCAA championship.

What's Next?

No. 9 Humber will face Conestoga (13-0-0) in the gold medal match on October 29, with a berth to nationals also up for grabs. Kick-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.