Sweet sixteen for No. 1 Men's Soccer

By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications

NORTH YORK – Water is wet, sugar is sweet, and the No. 1 Humber men's soccer are provincial champions once again, for the sixteenth 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, Oct. 26, 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.

Match Recap

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 Jacob 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 16^th 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.

Humber Highlights

• The Hawks improve to 9-11 all-time against Algonquin.
• The Hawks improve to 16-7 all-time in the OCAA Championship match.
• Humber holds a 4-0-1 record against nationally ranked-teams this season.
• The Hawks now have 28 provincial medals, of which 16 of them are gold.
• This was Humber's 24th appearance in the OCAA gold-medal game in 37 seasons.
• Coach Michael Aquino improves to a 33-3 record in the OCAA postseason.
• Aquino matches Germain Sanchez as the coach in Humber men's soccer history with the most OCAA titles, both having won eight.

What's Next?

The Hawks will now head to the East Coast for the CCAA Men's Soccer National Championship hosted by the St. Thomas Tommies in Fredericton, N.B. The tournament will take place from Nov. 6 to Nov. 9, and you can support the Hawks on the CCAAsportACSC YouTube channel. Humber's matchup will be announced this week.