No. 1 Men's Soccer rolls Mohawk to open postseason

By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications

VAUGHAN – No. 1 Humber men's soccer (10-0-1) opened the postseason with a commanding performance, defeating the Mohawk Mountaineers (1-9-1) on Wednesday evening at the Ontario Soccer Centre. Franz Mella and Damion Kaye dominated the scoresheet with hat tricks each, fueling the Hawks' tank to break their own OCAA postseason record and tie the all-time record for goals in a match. 

Match Recap 

After an undefeated 9-0-1 regular season, the Hawks returned to the Ontario Soccer Centre for their 49^th appearance in an OCAA postseason match. Humber dominated the regular season, leading the league in scoring with 38 goals while conceding only three. The Hawks not only led the OCAA but also held the top-ranked position in the country since Oct. 1. However, with the playoffs now underway, Humber knew that a strong showing in the qualifying match could set the tone for the rest of their postseason run. 

The Hawks did not let the clock hand complete its first full rotation, striking just before the first minute ticked by. First-year player Leshawn Facey received the ball in Humber's defensive zone and saw Franz Mella cutting through the defence. With a line-breaking pass over Mohawk's backline, Facey set Mella up for a one-on-one with the keeper, who made no mistake and drove to the bottom right corner of the net. From that moment, the pressure just continued to escalate. 

With an early lead, Humber started dictating the pace of the game and had total control of possession. At the 15-minute mark, Christian Keshishian attempted to spring Mella for another scoring chance but missed the pass. The Mountaineers' defence tried to clear the ball, but it backfired to Luca Pinto, who hammered it into the back of the net, doubling the lead to two. 

It took 21 minutes for Mohawk to break into the attacking zone finally, but the Hawks quickly regained possession. Mella sparked a counterattack for Humber, putting Jacob Ball in position to score. Ball's shot deflected off the Mohawk goalkeeper and slowly rolled in to make it 3-0.

A tally and an assist were not enough for Mella — he wanted the hat trick. The second-year player added another number to the scoresheet with a penalty-kick goal at the 34-minute mark, and just two minutes later, he paced past two defenders and calmly slotted his third of the day. 

Before the break, Humber still had time to score two more goals. Marcus Riviere assisted Ball inside the penalty area for one and Pinto hammered in another, sending the Hawks into halftime with a commanding 7-0 lead. 

After the break, coach Michael Aquino made several substitutions, bringing a completely new lineup onto the field. However, the intensity was the same, and the fresh blood proved effective. 

The ball bounced around in the goal area until senior player Damion Kaye struck it into the back of the net. Kaye stayed hot, pressuring the goalkeeper six minutes later and tapping in a second goal for a quick brace. 

At the 60-minute mark, Nepal-born player Tenzin Wosal scored the second goal of his Humber career with a soft shot that sailed over the keeper, further extending the Hawks' lead to double digits. Kaye followed Mella's footsteps, netting another tally to complete his hat trick. 

As the Hawks Sports Network broadcaster said, "Let's make a prediction: is the twelfth goal coming?" Isaiah Noel answered the broadcasting team by unloading a rocket from 30 yards that found the top left shelf of the net. 

In the game's final play, at the 90-minute mark, third-year player Santiago Muniz sealed an astounding 13-0 win. 

Humber Highlights

• Humber improves to 32-6-8 all-time against Mohawk.
• The Hawks now hold a 7-1 OCAA postseason record against the Mountaineers.
• The Hawks broke their postseason record for goals in a match, surpassing the previous 8-0 CCAA win against the Algonquin Wolves in 2016.
• Humber tied its all-time goal record in a match, matching the previous record set against the Sault College Cougars in a 13-0 OCAA match in 2021.
• Franz Mella recorded the first hat trick of his Humber career.
• Rookie Tenzin Wosal scored his first playoff tally. 
• Damion Kaye moves into second all-time at Humber with ten postseason goals.

What's Next?

Humber will continue its gold pursuit in the quarter-final match on Oct. 19 against the Centennial Colts (4-2-4, 5th East). All championship matches will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.