TORONTO - First there were 18. Now there are a dozen. Soon there will be eight teams vying for a men's soccer title in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).
Four teams have already secured their spot at the belairdirect OCAA Men's Soccer Championship, including host Fleming College and regular season regional champions Algonquin (7-2-1), Fanshawe (8-0-2) and Humber (10-0-0).
The other eight remaining teams will compete in the OCAA crossovers this Saturday and Sunday, with the winners earning the other four quarter-final spots. Teams will face opponents from other divisions, having not played each other during the regular season.
Unlike the regular season, there will be no ties. Extra time and possible penalty kicks will be used to determine winners. There were 12 ties during the 2017 regular season.
The belairdirect OCAA Men's Soccer Championship begins Oct. 26.
Redeemer (4-4-2, 4th West) at George Brown (6-3-1, 2nd Central)
Saturday, Oct. 21 - 8:15 p.m.
George Brown is the reigning OCAA bronze medalist and will look to keep its podium hopes alive in a home match versus Redeemer.
The Huskies are coming off a disappointing 3-2 defeat at the hands of U of T Mississauga, one of two teams George Brown failed to defeat during the regular season (the other being undefeated Humber).
George Brown first-year forward Filipe Vilela (Toronto) was one of three OCAA players to reach double digits in scoring with 10 goals in eight matches.
Redeemer is also coming off a loss in its previous match, 2-1 at Niagara. But the Royals went undefeated in four straight matches prior to this.
Fourth-year player Ryley Cribbin (Ilderton) led Redeemer with three goals in eight matches.
Centennial (6-3-1, 3rd East) at Sheridan (5-5-0, 3rd Central)
Sunday, Oct. 22 - 1 p.m.
Two teams traveling in opposite directions square off with a berth to the quarter-finals on the line.
The Centennial Colts are undefeated in five of their past six matches, while the Sheridan Bruins have lost four of their last five.
Liam Cox (Scarborough), Amjad Faragalh (Scarborough) and Tristan Wilson (Ajax) topped the Centennial leaderboard in regular season goals with three each.
Sheridan's scoring leaders were Francis Ameyaw (Brampton) with seven goals and Mathew Santos (Mississauga) contributing six.
U of T Mississauga (3-4-3, 4th Central) at Niagara (6-2-2, 2nd West)
Sunday, Oct. 22 - 3 p.m.
Former Central Division rivals square off on the shores of the Welland Canal.
Niagara, which played in the Central Division last season, moved west and finished in second place. At one point, the Knights won five straight matches. They have only one win in their last four games, although only one loss in nine meetings.
Third-year forward Carlos Williams (St. Catharines) was Niagara's top scorer during the regular season with six goals in 10 matches.
U of T Mississauga pulled off back-to-back wins to nab the final playoff berth from the Central. The Eagles have won three of four after not winning a match in September.
Second-year defender Ebenezer Ikhile (Nigeria) led UTM with a pair of goals in nine matches.
Durham (6-3-1, 2nd East) at St. Clair (5-3-2, 3rd West)
Sunday, Oct. 22 - 3:30 p.m.
The Durham Lords make the trek west down the 401 to face the St. Clair Saints in a battle of green and gold.
Durham has had some peaks and valleys over the 10 game regular season, including a three-match winning streak, and a three-match winless streak. They ended on a positive note, winning two straight.
Fifth-year player Bruce Cullen (Pickering) scored five goals in eight matches to lead all Lords.
The Saints started off strong, but tailed off at the end of the season winning just once in their final four matches. But they can score in bunches, one of two teams to average over three goals a game.
St. Clair third-year forward Korede Adepitan (Etobicoke) tied for the league lead in goals with a dozen in 10 matches.
- OCAA -
ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is the recognized leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to student-athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 29 members sponsoring 12 varsity sports.
For additional information please contact:
Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
Fax: 416-426-7308
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com