No. 1 Men's Soccer extends win streak to seven
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Redeemer (4-4-1, 4-4-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Humber (8-0-1, 8-0-1) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
By: William Shoukri
Humber Athletics Communications
VAUGHAN - No. 1 Men's Soccer (8-0-1, 1st West) beat Redeemer (4-4-1, 5th West) 3-0 on Tuesday night. Franz Mella, Marcus Riviere, and Damion Kaye were the goal scorers for the Hawks. Jacob Ball would assist the first two goals of the day and Aziah Reid would assist on Kaye's marker. Keeper Peter Sheberstov would pick up his fourth consecutive clean sheet.
It was senior night at Ontario Soccer Centre on Tuesday and the Men's team honored two players; Jason Alvarado and Damion Kaye. Alvarado in his first season with the outdoor team; Kaye in his fifth.
Match Recap
It was a fast start for the best team in the nation, taking on the lower-ranked Royals. The Hawks took possession immediately and held it for the opening minutes, passing up the left side and into the middle. Humber's first chance would come from Franz Mella as he clanged a header off the crossbar.
Having narrowly avoided an early deficit, the Royals tried to use the missed opportunity as a motivator. They would push play past midfield a couple of times but were unable to beat the Humber defensive line.
Humber wasted no time getting deep in Redeemers' zone, continually pressing forward. Marcus Riviere was moving to play well on the left side, and Franz Mella was mirroring him on the right.
The Hawks would finally open the scoring in the 20th minute. A great cross from Jacob Ball would set up Franz Mella for his fifth of the season, putting Humber up 1-0. Mella would strike the bouncing ball on the right side of the box, finishing low to open the scoring.
After the goal, Humber was in control for the majority of the half. The Hawks had a couple of great chances put wide, and Redeemer keeper Matthew Derks made a couple of great saves on shots from outside the box. Jacob Ball was a fantastic facilitator at striker, having the Hawks play through him effectively.
Humber would break through again in the 41st minute. Once again, Jacob Ball laced a beautiful cross into the box for Marcus Riviere to score a screamer. Riviere, who was being dragged from behind, threw his entire body at the ball, scoring in a kung-fu-like fashion that left spectators wondering just how he did it.
The half ended with Humber leading 2-0. The Hawks held the Royals shotless for 45 minutes, halfway to extending their six-game clean sheet streak.
After the break, both teams appeared to come out with energy, but Humber was dominant. The first-half chance came ten minutes in after Christian Keshishian smashed one off the crossbar.
As the second half of the final regular season game at home wound down, Damion Kaye became more and more noticeable. The fifth-year has had a storied career with the Hawks, leading the team on the field and off.
Kaye led the Hawks offensively in the back end of the second half. He had multiple scoring chances but also created chance after chance with perfectly placed corner kicks. As time wound down, Kaye wound up, looking more and more motivated. Humber was looking towards him, and his dynamism was undeniable.
In the 90th minute, Jacob Ball created a magical moment. With aggressive pressure, Ball forced a steal deep in Redeemer's zone. He passed it into the box for Aziah Reid, who found no other than Damion Kaye on the left side to bury it for his 15th goal of the season, giving Humber a 3-0 lead.
The game would end 3-0, with Humber securing their seventh-straight clean-sheet win.
Humber Highlights
- Humber has not allowed a goal in 7 straight games.
- Humber has a goal differential of +33 in the last seven games and +34 on the season.
- Damion Kaye now sits 12th in career points all-time for Humber with 36. His goal tonight pushed him past his former teammate, Leaford Allen (35).
- Humber improves 35-1-1 against Redeemer all-time. They have not lost to the Royals since 2007. Their one tie came in 1994.
What's Next?
No. 1 Humber will travel to London to take on Fanshawe (7-1, 2nd West) to end the regular season with the division title on the line. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 PM.
