Big second half helps No. 1 Men's Soccer advance to CCAA semifinal
By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications
LANGLEY, B.C. – No. 1 Humber men's soccer downed the Les Rouges des Saint-Boniface in the CCAA quarter-final round on Wednesday evening, 7-2. The Hawks overcame a shaky start but a solid second-half effort complimented by a hat-trick from Damion Kaye helped Humber advance to its eighth straight national semifinal.
Match Recap
The game in Langley, British Columbia, kicked off with the fiery Hawks looking to defend their national championship. Humber understood that Saint-Boniface had never made an appearance in the CCAA tournament; however, the Hawks knew they had to put their best effort forward regardless of their opponent's history, and they jumped ahead to an early lead.
In the second minute, an appeal for a handball in the opposition's box went Humber's way, and the Hawks were awarded a penalty shot. CCAA National Player of the Year, Luca Uccello, stepped up to the penalty spot and drilled a rocket passed Les Rouges' goalkeeper to put his team up early in the match.
With 88 minutes of regulation left in the match, Saint-Boniface knew they had much time to knot the game at one. Humber controlled possession until a defensive lapse on the back line in the 20th minute saw Les Rogues capitalize and tie the contest. Shaken up from the first goal, the Hawks would break down again defensively in the 36th minute, and Saint-Boniface would put Humber down a tally for the first time all season.
The Hawks regrouped and were forced to calm their nerves as the squad was aware that they needed to be better if they wanted to win. After a short injury timeout, Humber coach Michael Aquino motivated his team, and the Hawks would tie the contest at two six minutes after Saint-Boniface's go-ahead goal.
In the 42nd minute, Abdul-Azeez Babawale made a heads-up play that led to Humber notching the equalizing tally. Babawale controlled the ball just outside the 18-yard box and curled a perfectly placed cross to find the head of Damion Kaye in tight with the net. Kaye made no mistake in finding the meshing behind Les Rouges' keeper, and the match was drawn at two goals a side.
Saint-Boniface was more than pleased to have the game tied 2-2 going to the halftime break; however, the Hawks recognized that their status of being the number one ranked team in the country was being threatened by an inexperienced team from Manitoba. Upsets happen in sports, but Humber was determined that would not be the case in this quarterfinal clash.
The gritty Hawks rolled in the second half and opened the floodgates after their third goal of the game in the 63rd minute. After a glorious opportunity for Uccello's second of the night was turned away by Saint-Boniface's keeper, Babawale cleaned up the rebound to put the Hawks ahead for the first time since the second minute.
Two minutes later, OCAA Defensive Player of the Year, Alex Meczarski, would pot his first goal of the tournament and Humber's fourth of the match. The opposition could not clear a Luca Uccello corner and the swift Meczarski snuck his way to the far post, where he buried the ball in the back of the net.
In the 75th minute, Damion Kaye was tackled in Saint-Boniface's box and was granted an opportunity from the penalty spot. The Mississauga native stepped up to the penalty spot and fooled the keeper as he scored his second of the match in the bottom left corner of the target.
With 15 minutes left in the game and the match already decided, the Hawks proved they are a force to be reckoned with as they posted two more tallies, including Damion Kaye's hat-trick goal in the 84th minute. Santiago Muniz also recorded a goal on a rocket he labelled to the top left corner of the net.
The Hawks were awarded a trip to the CCAA semifinals with their 7-2 victory over Saint-Boniface. Goalkeeper Holger Xhameta recorded his first win of the tournament and his fourth of the postseason.
Humber Highlights
- Damion Kaye becomes just the third player in program history to record three-plus tallies in a match at nationals.
- Humber's seven tallies were one shy of the program record set against Algonquin in 2016.
- Humber's victory over Les Rouges des Saint-Boniface maintains their perfect record over teams from Manitoba. They defeated the Brandon Bobcats in their only meeting 1-0 on Nov. 10, 2021.
- The Hawks are now 14-1 in the CCAA quarterfinals.
- Under Coach Aquino, the Hawks are now 18-2 at nationals.
- Humber will appear in its eighth straight CCAA semifinals dating back to 2012.
- The Hawks have recorded five straight CCAA tournament wins.
What's Next?
No. 1 Humber will be back in action for a semifinal battle against the winner of the Langara Falcons vs. SAIT Trojans quarterfinal duel on November 10. Kick-off is slated for 8:30 p.m.
