No. 1 Men's Soccer in pursuit of tenth national title
By Thiago Neuenschwander
Humber Athletics Communications
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After securing their 16th Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) title, all eyes now turn to the East Coast. From November 6 to 9, the Humber Hawks will travel to Fredericton, New Brunswick, to begin their quest for their 10th national title in Men's Soccer. The country's Nº 1 team enters the CCAA Championship fueled by an unbeaten campaign of 9 wins and one draw on the season, and another four victories in the Provincials, aiming to confirm their favouritism. In their debut, the Hawks will face the UKC Blue Devils, the current runner-up of the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA).
The Hawks have shown great consistency throughout the OCAA tournament. From the beginning of the competition, the team demonstrated solid performance in all areas of the field. Not surprisingly, Humber had the best offence of the regular season with 38 goals scored and the best defence, conceding only three goals. In the playoffs they scored another 22 goals and conceded just two.
In this well-structured team, ready to face the challenge of winning another Nationals, several players stood out, such as goalkeepers Danial Sanei and Peter Sheberstov, defenders Luca Pinto and Matthew Laic, midfielder Franz Mella, and freshman Marcus Riviere. However, Jacob Ball and Christian Keshishian were the team's superstars. Both were named CCAA Men's Soccer All-Canadians and Keshishian was also designated the OCAA Men's Soccer Player of the Year.
Watch Live
To follow the Hawks' journey through the Atlantic, all games can be found at ccaa.ca/live.
Scouting the opponents
UKC Blue Devils (Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association - ACAA)
The Halifax team, opponent of the Hawks in the Nationals debut, comes to the tournament after being defeated by the St. Thomas Tommies (1-0) in the ACAA regional tournament final. With an irregular season campaign (6-1-5), the team's star is the winger Luke Kotasta, who scored six goals and provided two assists during the competition. Humber and UKC have never faced each other in a CCAA tournament.
Les Rouges de Saint-Boniface (Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference - MCAC)
The Université de Saint-Boniface Les Rouges finished their MCAC season undefeated and with the provincial title. In the final, the team beat Brandon University Bobcats 1-0. The team has good individual talents such as forwards Roche Axel Adou Gbale (8G, 1A) and Hamed Awal Njoya (7G, 4A), as well as goalkeeper Moussa Kane, who conceded only four goals in 12 regular-season games. Hawks and Les Rouges have faced each other only once in the Nationals, with a victory for the Navy and Gold.
NAIT Ooks (Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference - ACAC)
NAIT Ooks is probably the team to watch closely before the start of the Nationals. At the end of October, the country's Nº 2 team won the ACAC Championship gold medal by defeating the Keyano Huskies 2-0 in overtime. The team finished the regular season with a record of 9-1-2 and was highlighted by midfielder Peter Jones, who was named ACAC North Men's Soccer Player of the Year (3G, 5A). Hawks and Ooks have a balanced head-to-head record in the CCAA, with two wins each (2-2).
Algonquin Wolves (OCAA)
The Wolves are a traditional opponent of the Hawks in the OCAA, and this year, they finished as runners-up in the Provincials after being defeated by Michel Aquino's squad 2-0. The Ottawa team won the East Division this year with a record of 7-1-2. The team's standout is striker Jaeden Mercure, who scored nine goals and provided five assists in 10 regular-season games. Hawks and Wolves have faced each other twice in the Nationals, with two victories for Humber.
Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers (Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec - RSEQ)
The Cavaliers were the RSEQ champions this year, winning 3-2 against Saint-Hyacinthe at the end of October. The team had an irregular season (4-4-1) but managed to perform well in the playoffs and won the Quebec tournament. The team's standouts this year were Louka Emmanuel-Lapointe, Thomas Fraser, and Vincent Godbout. Each scored four goals during the campaign. Hawks and Cavaliers have faced each other three times in the Nationals, with a 3-0 record in favour of Humber College.
St. Thomas Tommies (Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association - ACAA)
The Tommies will host the CCAA Championship this year. Besides playing at home with the support of their fans, the New Brunswick team arrives at the Nationals fueled by winning the ACAA title undefeated (11-0-1). In the final, they beat the UKC Blue Devils 1-0. The team's standout is forward Dan Keripe, the top scorer in the ACAA this year with 10 goals in 11 games. Hawks and Tommies have never faced each other in the Nationals.
Langara Falcons (Pacific Western Athletic Association - PacWest)
The Langara Falcons, the PacWest champions, secured the title with a 4-3 victory in penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw against the Douglas Royals. Current national champion Douglas will not defend their title in this year's CCAA Championship. With an 8-4 season campaign, the Falcons toppled the favourite to become the British Columbia champions again after 23 years. The team's standout is forward Henrique Claros, named the tournament's best forward and finals MVP. Hawks and Falcons have faced each other three times in the Nationals, with a 3-0 record for the Navy and Gold.
Matchups
Wed. 6
Quarter-Finals
Match 1 - Les Rouges de Saint-Boniface vs NAIT Ooks (10:00 AM AST)
Match 2 - UKC Blue Devils vs Humber Hawks (12:30 PM AST)
Match 3 - Algonquin Wolves vs Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers (3:00 PM AST)
Match 4 - St. Thomas Tommies vs Langara Falcons (5:30 PM AST)
Thu. 7
Bronze Quarter-Final
Match 5 - Loser of Match 1 vs Loser of Match 2 (10:00 AM AST)
Match 6 - Loser of Match 3 vs Loser of Match 4 (12:30 PM AST)
Semifinal
Match 7 - Winner of Match 1 vs Winner of Match 2 (3:00 PM AST)
Match 8 - Winner of Match 3 vs Winner of Match 4 (5:30 PM AST)
Fri. 8
Placement Match
Match 9 - Loser of Match 5 vs Loser of Match 6 (10:00 AM AST)
Bronze semifinal
Match 10 - Winner of Match 6 vs Loser of Match 7 (12:30 PM AST)
Match 11 - Winner of Match 5 vs Loser of Match 8 (3:00 PM AST)
Sat. 9
Bronze Medal Match
Match 12 - Winner of Match 10 vs Winner of Match 11 (12:00 PM AST)
Championship Final
Match 13 - Winner of Match 7 vs Winner of Match 8 (3:00 PM AST)
Highlights
- Humber is the most successful national champion in the CCAA, with nine titles. Capilano follows with six, and Seneca and Langara are tied with four.
- Humber is also the most decorated, with nine golds, one silver, and three bronzes, totalling 13 medals in 15 appearances.
- The last gold medal was in 2022, against Seneca (2-1).
- The Hawks boast an impressive record of 38-8 (.826) in the CCAA Championship.
- The Navy and Gold have scored 102 goals and conceded only 31 in their Nationals appearances. They also have 24 clean sheets.
- Coach Michael Aquino is seeking his 7th national title with the Hawks. He previously won in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022.
- Some players from the current roster have already won national titles with the Hawks: Luca Pinto, Isaiah Noel, Damion Kaye, Santiago Muniz (2022), and Aziah Reid (2018).
- Damion Kaye is the third top scorer for the Hawks in the Nationals, with four goals. He trails Marcos Nunes with nine and Zachary Zitoli with five.
Getting to Know the Playing Field
Grant Harvey Field (Fredericton, NB)
According to CCAA, the Grant Harvey Turf Field (formerly Scotiabank South Field) is one of the City of Fredericton's premier sports facilities. Featuring artificial turf, bleacher seating for over 500 spectators, and ample parking, it has been the home of the St. Thomas Tommies soccer teams since its opening in 2011. Temporary installations include team shelters, a VIP area, a webcast platform, and portable washrooms to enhance the facility for the event. The Grant Harvey Centre, an adjacent multi-sport facility, hosts additional public washrooms, indoor canteen services, and more parking.
