Playoff positioning on the line heading into final weekend of regular season play

Burlington, Ont. (via AC Lang / wsoccer.ca) - The final weekend of OUA action kicks off this afternoon. With just one or two games remaining, teams are looking to secure their playoff spots and finalize their positioning. Let’s break down the playoff picture.

As a reminder, the top two teams earn a first-round playoff bye. The third and fourth-placed teams get home-field advantage in the first round on October 19th. The fifth and sixth-placed teams will travel to face the fourth and third seeds, respectively.

OUA East Division

The Ottawa Gee-Gees enter the final weekend in first place, holding a three-point lead over Nipissing and boasting a head-to-head advantage over the Lakers. A win against RMC on Saturday would secure first place, allowing them to face Queen’s in their final game with nothing to lose. Considering RMC’s struggles this season, this scenario seems likely.

Queen’s, on the other hand, needs two wins this weekend and some help from other results to clinch a top-two finish. With so much on the line, the only matchup of the season between these two historic rivals on Sunday promises to be an intense affair. Don’t miss it—tune in on OUA.tv at 1 p.m.

Nipissing controls their own fate in the race for second place as they travel to Toronto to take on TMU and U of T. Four points from these games would secure a first-round bye, given their head-to-head advantage over Queen’s. Achieving second place would mark their best regular-season finish since 2021.

TMU is on track for their best OUA regular-season finish since 2019, with 19 points and a 6-3-1 record, so far. The Bold are motivated to finish above their local rivals, the Varsity Blues. A win against Laurentian at home tomorrow would clinch them hosting duties, regardless of the result in their final game against Nipissing. Meanwhile, U of T faces the same opponents in reverse order but is likely to end up in fifth place, setting up a potential first-round matchup against TMU at Downsview next week.

Carleton currently holds the final playoff spot in sixth place, three points ahead of Ontario Tech. They need a win against Trent today to solidify their position. The showdown between the Ravens and Ridgebacks tomorrow at 1 p.m. on OUA.tv will be crucial. Only a Ridgeback win against Carleton, followed by another victory over RMC the next day, would keep their playoff hopes alive.

Games Available on oua.tv:

Trent at Carleton (Oct 11, 1pm)
Laurentian at TMU (Oct 12, 1pm)
Ontario Tech at Carleton (Oct 12, 1pm)
Trent at Queen’s (Oct 12, 1pm)
Nipissing at Toronto (Oct 12, 1pm)
Nipissing at TMU (Oct 13, 1pm)
Ottawa at Queen’s (Oct 13, 1pm)
Laurentian at Toronto (Oct 13, 1pm)

OUA West Division

Western is in the driver’s seat in the West Division, starting their weekend with a home game against York tonight at 6 p.m. As one of only three undefeated teams in the nation and boasting the best defensive record in the OUA, the Mustangs are well-positioned to secure first place with a win. However, a loss or draw would leave them vulnerable to second-place Guelph.

Sunday’s matchup in London will be particularly significant, as it marks head coach Onkar Dhillon’s first game against his former team, the Gryphons, where he was an assistant coach for over seven years. Guelph, having already secured a first-round bye, will be hoping for a York win tonight to give them a shot at the top spot.

The McMaster Marauders, currently unbeaten in their last five matches, face Waterloo in their final game. They’ve already clinched third place, ensuring home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, which should give them some breathing room this weekend.

The York Lions need at least one win from their remaining two matches to maintain fourth place ahead of Windsor, who holds the head-to-head advantage. After playing the Mustangs, they’ll host Brock this Sunday, and you can catch that game live on oua.tv.

Windsor has been in great form lately, with four wins in the last month, including two against York. Their crucial 2-0 victory over Laurier this Wednesday secured their playoff spot and a three-point lead over the Golden Hawks heading into the final weekend.

Laurier now needs a win against Windsor in tomorrow’s away match (1 p.m. on oua.tv) to keep their playoff spot. Meanwhile, Waterloo has the same 3-5-3 record as Laurier and could potentially surpass them with a result against McMaster, making both matches suspenseful.

As the Thanksgiving weekend unfolds, the OUA playoff race heats up, with teams battling for playoff spots, home-field advantages, and final rankings, making for a thrilling feast of soccer action. Don’t miss a moment—tune in and take in all the excitement on oua.tv!