M-SOCCER ROUNDUP: York closes season undefeated
The No. 1 nationally ranked York University Lions men's soccer team defeated the Windsor Lancers by a score of 4-2 on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 18) to extend its winning streak to 13 games and remain unbeaten on the year.
Saturday, October 18
Windsor 2 @ York 4
TORONTO - The No. 1 nationally ranked York University Lions men's soccer team defeated the Windsor Lancers by a score of 4-2 on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 18) to extend its winning streak to 13 games and remain unbeaten on the year.
The win ran the Lions' record to 14-0-1. They had already secured first place in the OUA West Division before the final weekend of play and are now ahead of the McMaster Marauders by 13 points.
With many of their starters resting before the playoffs, the Lions relied on a different set of players to get the job done and they did not disappoint. Nicolas Mejia (Burlington, Ont.) scored a pair of goals, including the game winner in the second half, while Eric Amato (Toronto) and Domenic Gullo (Newmarket, Ont.) netted one each.
After a slow start to the contest, Mejia got the Lions on the board in the 33rd minute with his first of the game. Just one minute later the Lions pushed their lead to two when Amato converted on a penalty kick.
Just five minutes into the second half Mejia found the back of the net again with an assist from Casey D'Mello (Mississauga, Ont.).
Windsor got on the board in the 66th minute when Leaford Allen scored, and he added another in the 74th minute to cut the Lions' lead to 3-2.
That was as close as they would get, however, as Gullo rounded out the scoring with a beauty in the 86th minute, sliding to redirect a pass from Juan Patarroyo (Milton, Ont.) into the net.
Toronto 2 @ Nipissing 1
NORTH BAY, Ont. - Unfortunately for the Nipissing Lakers men's soccer team, they couldn't dig themselves out a two-goal hole despite an almost dominant second 45 minutes Saturday afternoon.
The Lakers allowed two goals in the first half to the Toronto Varsity Blues and fought back to score one in the second half, but that's as close as they would get as they lost 2-1.
The Blues scored early – at the 10 minute mark – then added to their lead about a half hour later to head into halftime up 2-0.
The Lakers had a strong surge in the second half, as Brandon TeBrake came off the bench, intercepted a pass and curled a shot into the corner of the net to get the Lakers back in the game, but they would be unable to find another goal.
The loss puts the Lakers in a tough position heading into Sunday.
Currently Laurentian holds down the final playoff spot in the East Division, just one point up on Nipissing.
If the Lakers find a way to earn a victory tomorrow against the division-leading Ryerson Rams, and the Voyageurs lose or tie Toronto, the Lakers will advance.
While there is some math involved, the first order of business for the Lakers is to defeat the Rams tomorrow afternoon and hope they get some help in Sudbury in the game between Laurentian and Toronto.
The Rams have already clinched first place in the division while Toronto is currently in second, three points up on Queens.
Ryerson 2 @ Laurentian 1
SUDBURY, Ont. - The No. 5 ranked Ryerson Rams men's soccer team clinched first place in the OUA east division with a 2-1 victory over the Laurentian Voyageurs on Saturday afternoon.
BOXSCORE
Rams defender Kyle Stewart (Kingston, Jamaica) opened the scoring in the 15th minute with his third goal of the season which held through the first 45 minutes, giving Ryerson a 1-0 lead at half.
Just four minutes into the second half, Laurentian's Matt Wilkes pulled the game even at 1-1. Fighting for their playoff lives, Laurentian gave the Rams a run for their money but Rams freshman Raheem Rose (Etobicoke, Ont.) broke through in the 78th minute with his fourth goal of the year to lift Ryerson to the 2-1 victory.
Ryerson outshot the Voyageurs 14-8 throughout the contest. Praveen Ahilan (Unionville, Ont.) got the win in net for the Rams, making three saves on the day.
Guelph 1 @ Western 1
LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs men's soccer team would extend their unbeaten streak to five games after a 1-1 tie against the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday afternoon at Mustang Field.
"Guelph certainly had momentum in the second half, we had the first half," head coach Rock Basacco commented about the shift in play. "That's what ends up happening, you get the momentum and you keep on pushing, [for Guelph] a penalty shot came out of it."
Their third tie of the season, Western's record heading into their final match is 8-4-3 while Guelph sits at 8-2-5 and also has one match remaining in the season. The Mustangs hold the fourth place spot in the division with 27 points, sitting only two points behind Guelph in third place. With Guelph set to face off against Windsor, who currently sit two points behind the Mustangs in fifth place, Sunday's results will determine the third, fourth, and fifth place spots in the division.
The Mustangs would start the game off strongly, and wasted no time getting themselves ahead of the Gryphons. At the 12 minute mark Connor McFall struck a powerful ball to the back of the Guelph net to get the Mustangs on the scoreboard. As the half progressed both teams contributed to a physical match and saw their share of chances on net, however neither side was able to capitalize on the opportunities.
With the scoreboard sitting at 1-0 for the Mustangs at the start of the second, the cold and windy weather appeared to take a toll with looser passes and less control. On the defensive end the Mustangs were keeping control at the back and holding off Guelph attacks, however it appeared their fate would change late in the half. At the 81 minute mark a penalty was awarded to the Gryphons – Western goalie Ben Cowman was able to save Tim Flynn's initial shot, though Flynn was able to capitalize on the rebound to tie the game up at 1-1. With little time remaining, the purple and white would make an offensive push to regain the lead but would have to settle for a 1-1 final score.
The Mustangs face a tough match against the York Lions, who currently sit atop the division, as they look to add a win to finish out the season. "Right now it's just having enough healthy bodies. It'll be a difficult game against York and we'll just do the best that we can," noted Basacco on the Mustangs upcoming and final season game against the Lions.
McMaster 5 @ Algoma 2
McMaster 7 @ Algoma 0 (Sunday)
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - Two lopsided wins in Sault Ste. Marie clinched the second spot in the OUA West standings, and a first-round playoff bye, for the Marauders in the season's final weekend.
McMaster bested the Algoma Thunderbirds 5-2 and 7-0 on Saturday and Sunday afternoons to finish the 2014 season with an 11-2-3 record and 36 points. They will look on as the conference plays its opening playoff round in midweek, before hosting an OUA quarterfinal at Ron Joyce Stadium on Sunday, October 26.
Algoma made a game of the teams' first meeting on Saturday, salvaging a respectable result when Mohammed Aquarni and Solomon Ini-Ubong Eteyen struck for the hosts in the second half. But McMaster, led by a double from striker Chris Luxton, ultimately came away with the 5-2 win.
Play was less competitive a day later, as McMaster ran away with a 7-0 victory on the strength of another two-goal performance from Luxton and a hat trick courtesy of winger Gersi Xhuti. Karl Bicamumpaka and Ross Genovese added goals for the Marauders, and the combination of Kieran Doyle-Davis and Andrew McCulloch posted the clean sheet on four saves.
With a playoff bye to their name, the Marauders will have a full week to watch and train as they await their quarterfinal opponent.
Laurier 5 @ Brock 0
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men's soccer team closed out their regular season schedule on Saturday with a big 5-0 victory over the Brock Badgers.
Despite having already secured the sixth and final playoff spot, the Hawks came into the game looking to continue to build off some recent strong performances as they head to the postseason for the third straight year.
It didn't take long for Laurier to get on the board as the purple and gold were awarded a penalty kick in the 10th minute. Rookie midfielder Nikola Miokovic of Kitchener, Ont., stepped to the spot and convert for the Hawks, giving them a 1-0 lead.
For Miokovic, the goal was his sixth of the season, and third in as many games, for the impressive freshman.
Laurier continued to pour on the pressure as just six minutes later, Niklas Bauer of Newmarket, Ont., extended the Hawks lead to two.
Before the half was out, fifth year veteran Donald Chmura of Waterloo, Ont., got in on the scoring with his second of the year to give Laurier a 3-0 advantage after 45 minutes.
The purple and gold continued to control the match in the second half as Adrian Bucksam of Mississauga, Ont., and Bauer each scored to round at the scoring and secure the victory.
Keeper Julien John of Oakville, Ont., earned the win making one save but was replaced by Mackenzie Craig of Ajax, Ont., in the 70th minute.
In total, the Hawks outshot the Badgers 9-2 on the afternoon, giving Brock very little daylight during the match.
Laurier heads into the postseason playing their best soccer of the year. In their last three games, the Hawks are 2-0-1 and have scored 11 goals while allowing just four.
The Hawks will look to continue that strong play in their first round matchup on Wednesday, October 22, where they will face either the Guelph Gryphons or the Western Mustangs on the road. Both teams have been the victims of Laurier upsets in the opening round of the playoffs the last two seasons.
Sunday, October 19
Ryerson 1 @ Nipissing 2
NORTH BAY, Ont. - Once again, the Nipissing Lakers men's soccer team left things till the last minute to keep things exciting.
Needing a win in their final game to advance to the post-season, Lakers veteran Cale England scored his second goal of the game at the 88-minute mark to give the Lakers a 2-1 win and send them to the post-season.
The Ryerson Rams had already clinched first place in the division, but didn't appear to be playing it safe, as they got off to a very quick start and opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the game.
The score remained 1-0 Rams until the 69-minute mark when England tied things up.
His first goal of the game set up his heroics later, as he buried a goal with just minutes left on the clock.
And with the win – and three points – the Lakers jumped over Laurentian and into the final playoff spot in the East Division.
They now await the results of the final games of the season to see who they face in the first round.
Currently Carleton and Queens are tied with 30 points.
If Carleton earns at least a point, they will finish third and the Lakers will travel to Ottawa, but of the Ravens lose, it will be a trip to Kingston to take on the Queens Gaels.
Either way, the Lakers are heading back to the playoffs and will be looking to make some noise when things get going Wednesday on the road.
Toronto 5 @ Laurentian 0
SUDBURY, Ont. - The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's soccer team wrapped up the 2014 regular season with a 5-0 victory over the Laurentian Voyageurs on Sunday, October 19 in Sudbury, Ont.
With the win, U of T ends the season in second place with an 11-3-2 record and earn a bye into the OUA quarter-final round. The Blues will host the winner the highest remaining team after Wednesday's playoff round this Sunday, October 26 at 3:15 p.m. at Varsity Centre.
Fifth-year co-captain Mario Kovacevic opend the scoring in the 27th minute, when he successfully converted a penalty kick. Toronto led 1-0 at the half.
Nirun Sivananthan added to the Blues lead in the 55th minute, and Russell Rodrigues made it 3-0 in the 60th minute. Sivananthan scored his second of the game five minutes later, and Antonio Ajhert rounded out the scoring with a goal in the 80th minute.
Rab Bruce-Lockhart made one save in the shut out victory.
Windsor 1 @ Guelph 3
GUELPH, Ont. - The Guelph Gryphons men's soccer team wrapped up their regular season schedule with a 3-1 victory over the Windsor Lancers. The Gryphons finished in third place in the OUA West division.
Following a season-long trend, Guelph began the game very strong, quickly taking control of the play. Starting centre Timothy Flynn (Scarborough, Ont.) used his speed and agility to manouevre around his opponents, and Guelph quickly took the lead with a goal by Michael Bijman (Brantford, Ont.) in the 28th minute. This was Bijman's fourth season goal following a three-goal streak last weekend against Algoma. Windsor rallied with a goal in the 41st minute, capitalizing on a pass across the net to end the first half.
Bijman continued his scoring streak in the second half to put the Gryphons ahead by one, and defender Stephen Veenema (Ottawa, Ont.) and centre Josh Seguin (Niagara Falls, Ont.) cooperated to keep the play in Windsor's end. As the game went on, the play became more physical and tensions mounted between the two teams, but the Gryphons maintained their focus. It paid off in the 67th minute as Ethan Danielli (Guelph, Ont.) sent a beautiful shot into the far corner of Windsor's net. Veenema showed off an impressive bicycle kick at the end of the game but his shot on net was deflected. Throughout the game, Guelph had 14 shots on net and kept Windsor down to just six. The Gryphons finish their regular season with a record of 9-2-5.
Western 0 @ York 0
TORONTO, Ont. - The No. 1 nationally ranked York University Lions men's soccer team ended the regular season with a score draw against the Western Mustangs on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 19) at York Stadium, completing an unbeaten campaign.
Many of the team's regular starters rested this game with first place in the OUA West Division already wrapped up. The Lions end the year with a 14-0-2 mark and scored 59 goals, averaging almost four goals per game, and allowed just seven all season.
In the first half, the Lions brought the pressure early with a shot in the fourth minute by Tyrone Downes (Markham, Ont.) that was saved by Western goalkeeper Ben Cowman.
The Mustangs had a great opportunity in the 28th minute with a header from Chuka Ononye that was saved by Colm Vance (Bradford, Ont.).
In the second half there were many shots and saves from both teams, but neither side was able to bury the ball in the net. York had a total of five shots and three saves, while Western had a total of five shots and three saves. Both goalies finished their last game of the season with a shutout.
Defender De Vante Walker (Brampton, Ont.) played a very strong defensive game, opening up chances for the Lions to score and saving many shots taken by the Mustangs.
Thanks to their first-place finish, the Lions earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Their next game is an OUA quarter-final match on Sunday (Oct. 26) at 3:15pm at York Stadium. The opponent will be determined based on first-round results on Wednesday night.
Waterloo 2 @ Brock 5
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - The Brock University men's soccer team ended the 2014 season with a tough 3-2 loss to the Waterloo Warriors at home Sunday afternoon.
In a contest that saw everything, including 10 cards issued, four ejections, including a fan, and a highlight reel goal by a goalkeeper in his last career game, both teams left it all on the field as Waterloo rallied late with the man-advantage to score three times in the final 18 minutes.
Brock opened the scoring in the 31st minute as Zair Mohammed buried a rebound past Waterloo starter Anthony Spanopulis to put the Badgers up 1-0.
Brock starting goalkeeper and fifth year team captain Jake Sweetzer started in goal and played the first 25 minutes.
In the 40th minute, he was subbed back into the game as a striker. It was just over a minute later that he drilled a bullett into the top left hand corner for his first career goal as the crowd and Badgers lineup erupted. Then in the 55th minute, Sweetzer and Waterloo's Kian Gordanifar were both issued red cards ending their afternoons.
Late in the second half, Omar Hamadi was issued his second yellow card as the Badgers played short a man for the remainder.
In the 79th minute, the Warriors cut the lead in half, as Mohammad Amin Nafar beat Brock goalkeeper Noah Mar for his first goal of the season.
Four minutes later, Noah Mar went to clear the ball and put it right off the side of the Warriors Nicholas Karavanas into the empty net tying it 2-2.
In a contest which went well over 90+ minutes, Waterloo's Stuart Mackie scored the game winner in the 93rd minute on a penalty kick, after being taken down by Mar inside the box. Mackie celebrated with his teammates all over the field and was issued a yellow card for over celebrating after taking his shirt off.
RMC 0 @ Queen's 5
The men's soccer team dominated RMC as they went on to earn a 5-0 victory in the final game of the regular season.
Queen's opened the scoring in the 14th minute after Jacob Schroeter (Ottawa) intercepted an RMC goal kick and sprung Tommy Hong (Oakville, Ont.) on a breakaway. Hong made no mistake as he buried the ball to the bottom left corner to give the Gaels the early advantage. Queen's doubled their lead six minutes later as Marco D'Elia (Newmarket, Ont.) converted on a penalty kick after Hong was taken down in the box. The Gaels continued to take advantage of RMC fouls as Rohan Sarna(Mississauga, Ont.) deposited a free kick from just outside the box in the 28th minute.
The Gaels secured the victory late in the second half after Chris Wellsman (Victoria, B.C.) scored back-to-back goals to put Queen's on top 5-0. Keeper Dan Van Woerkens (Vancouver) started in net for the Gaels and earned the victory, collecting a two-save clean sheet for the afternoon. RMC's Tobin Semple suffered the loss after making seven saves over the match. Final shots for the game totalled 19-3 in favour of Queen's.
The Gaels finish the season in third place of the OUA East Division with a record of 9-2-5.
UOIT 1 @ Carleton 0
OTTAWA - On October 1st, the UOIT men's soccer team had just suffered their sixth loss of the season and sat in eighth place in the OUA conference standings. Fast-forward to today and the Ridgebacks are the hottest team in the league heading into the postseason having won their fifth straight match with a 1-0 road victory over the Carleton Ravens.
UOIT will make their OUA playoff debut on Wednesday as they head back to Ottawa for a rematch against the Ravens. UOIT finished in fifth place in the OUA eastern conference with a 6-6-4 record, as they smashed program records for points and wins in a season. Carleton (9-4-5) finishes the year two points back of the Queen's Gaels for third place in the conference standings.
UOIT's 1-0 victory over Carleton was their third shutout during their winning five-game winning streak. Goalkeeper Travis Martin (Whitby, Ont.) made six saves including a big punch out in the crease following a Carleton cross with two minutes left in the clock. Martin has recorded four cleansheets this year.
It took 85 minutes for UOIT to score the game's lone goal, when Lee Victor Massunda (Mississauga, Ont.) notched his second of the year. The freshman striker beat Carleton goalkeeper Felix Daigle from the left side of the box.
Play was end-to-end over the final ten minutes of the game, with both sides gunning for the victory.
UOIT wins the regular season series over Carleton, as the two teams tied 1-1 in their previous meeting back in August.
Queen's will match up with Nipissing in the other opening round match-up, as the Lakers defeated the nationally ranked Ryerson Rams to leapfrog Laurentian for the final playoff position in the eastern conference.
Other Scores
Trent 0 @ Carleton 3
