BUH BYE

The 2015 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) men's soccer regular season comes to a close on Wednesday, with four teams having already punched their tickets to OCAA provincials.

Algonquin (6-0-3), Fanshawe (7-0-2) and Humber (8-0-1) have won its respective regional championships having yet to taste defeat in 2015. As a result, all three earn byes into the OCAA quarter-finals.

As championship host, Humber was already given a spot at provincials. Because of this, Sheridan (5-3-1) has also clinched a berth provincials thanks to its second-place finish in the central.

There are a handful of teams still fighting for their playoff lives, and others jockeying for seeding, making for an interesting 48 hours in the OCAA.

WIN OR GO HOME

The playoffs are starting early in the OCAA, with Centennial (2-3-4) visiting Durham (2-4-3) on Tuesday in a win-and-you're-in, lose-and-you're out match.

Durham trails Centennial by one point for fourth place in the east region, and needs a victory to leapfrog the Colts. Otherwise, Centennial will advance to the post-season with a win or tie.

When these teams last met on Sept. 19, Centennial won 2-1. Second-year forward Ikenna Nkwocha (Nigeria) and second-year teammate Guedei Korei Djimi (Scarborough) were goal scorers for the Colts.

A win would actually give Centennial the third seed out of the east, finishing ahead of idle Fleming (3-4-3). The Knights will either be the third or fourth seed depending on what happens at Durham on Tuesday.

CROWDED CENTRAL

Four central division teams are separated by two points with just one match to play, and two playoff berths up for grabs.

Niagara (3-5-1) has the advantage with 10 points, and can clinch third place outright with a win over the UTM (2-5-2) on Tuesday. An Eagles win, however, and UTM leapfrogs Niagara into a playoff position.

George Brown (2-4-3) also controls its own destiny, but faces undefeated Humber in its season finale. A win and George Brown is in. A loss and the Huskies will need some help.

Seneca (2-5-2) is tied with UTM, and takes on Sheridan at home on Wednesday. A victory doesn't guarantee a playoff berth for Seneca, as it needs George Brown to tie or lose.

Expect a lot of intensity in these three matches, as well as scoreboard watching.

AND THE GOLDEN BOOT GOES TO...

The OCAA scoring race will be decided in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday.

St. Clair fifth-year forward Jordan Lidia (Leamington) leads the OCAA with 13 goals in nine matches. Fanshawe second-year forward Mike Marcoccia (London) is hot on his heels with a dozen goals in eight matches.

And as luck will have it, these players will be on the same pitch when Fanshawe visits St. Clair in the regular season finale for both teams.

Fanshawe held Lidia off the scoreboard in a 3-2 win over St. Clair earlier in the month, with Marcoccia scoring once.

RECENT RESULTS

UPCOMING GAMES

Source: OCAA Communications