No. 1 Men's Soccer settles for a draw in 2024 home opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sheridan (1-0-1, 1-0-1) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|
Humber (1-0-1, 1-0-1) | 0 | 2 | 2 |
By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications
VAUGHAN - No. 1 Humber men's soccer (1-0-1, 3rd West) lost its perfect record with a 2-2 tie against No. 6 Sheridan Bruins (1-0-1, 4th West) on Wednesday afternoon at the Ontario Soccer Centre. Tenzin Wosal and Matias Lescano were the goal scorers for Humber. The Hawks were in control for most of the match, but a couple of missed opportunities in the second half resulted in the Hawks settling for a tie. Goaltender Peter Shebertsov debuted for the Hawks in net, making three saves, including a crucial save on a second-half penalty kick.
Match Highlights
Even though the match ended in a tie, Humber was the stronger team for the majority of the game. Both teams started out slightly tentative. Humber tested Sheridan's defence early on with a couple of great passing plays, but the Bruins shut them down before they managed to convert on any of the chances. To the Hawks' credit, they played an extremely strong midfield game, not allowing the Bruins any chances in the box.
The game's first chance came early for the Hawks, with Franz Mella, Christian Keshishian and Jacob Ball all getting shots in the first 15 minutes. All three shots forced Sheridan keeper Ahmed Albachchee to make saves. As they often do when the Hawks face the Bruins, things started getting chippy just minutes through the first half. The teams traded fouls, with Franz Mella picking up a yellow card seven minutes in. Mella was all over the pitch during the first half with a strong shot and a couple of clutch tackles.
Sheridan finally broke the stalemate in the 40th minute. After a change of possession, a lucky bounce resulted in a breakaway goal for Richard Stewart, giving the Bruins the lead. The late goal capped off the half, and the two teams went into the break with Sheridan up, 1-0.
When the teams returned to the pitch, Humber tried tilting the momentum. They drew two fouls quickly and created numerous scoring chances. A great run from Marcus Riviere would allow Matthew Laic to set up Tenzin Wosal in the box, tying the game for the Hawks. With the game now tied, Humber took it to the Bruins. The game became significantly more physical, with both teams taking consecutive fouls. The game's turning point for the Hawks was Sheridan's 68th-minute penalty kick. Freshman keeper Peter Sheberstov guessed correctly, making a diving save to keep the match tied at one.
Humber would score again just minutes later when Matias Lescano converted on a beautiful ball from Luca Pinto. Using a free kick, Pinto gave Lescano a gorgeous cross and Lescano finished with a header to the left side of the net. Unfortunately, Sheridan would equal the score just minutes later with an incredible strike from outside the box to beat Humber keeper Sheberstov.
Feeling cheated, the Hawks ramped up the pressure in the final minutes of the game but were unable to create anything significant. The game ended in a 2-2 stalemate, with both teams remaining undefeated but losing their perfect records.
Humber Highlights
- Humber is now 23-6-9 all-time against Sheridan.
- Both of Humber's goal scorers today scored their first career OCAA goals.
- This is the first time Humber and Sheridan have tied in six years (1-1 on 2018/10/17).
- Four players have now recorded a tally for Humber through the first two matches.
What's Next?
Top-ranked Humber will face Conestoga (1-1, 6th West) in a 2023 OCAA title match rematch on September 18 at Ontario Soccer Centre at 4:30 PM. You can catch the action on Humber Sports Network.
