Men's Soccer Opens Season with Statement Win at George Brown
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Humber (1-0-0, 2-0-0) | 2 | 4 | 6 |
|
George Brown (0-1-0, 0-2-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
By: Sara Poraria
Humber Athletics Communications
NORTH YORK – The defending OCAA champions opened the 2021 campaign on the road Friday evening, defeating the George Brown Huskies, 6-0.
Humber legend Marcos Nunes paced the way for the Hawks recording his first regular-season hat trick, while Brampton native Ezequiel Carrasco recorded the clean sheet.
The Hawks pressed in the opening minutes, dominating possession while generating numerous scoring chances but unable to find the back of the net. In the 15th minute, midfielder Federico Leal gathered a rebound outside the 18-yard box and curled his shot around two defenders with a brilliant strike but the Huskey goalkeeper was up to the challenge and made a sprawling save to keep the match scoreless. The ensuing throw-in led to a beautiful cross from Abdul Babawale who found Marcos Nunes in the box for a sliding goal to put the Hawks ahead, 1-0.
Nunes found himself with another scoring opportunity in the 42nd minute but he chipped it past the goalie, just wide of the net. Humber's press forced the Husky defenders into difficult passes and rookie midfielder Jacob Rodrigues intercepted a pass and seconds later found Leal at the top of the box and buried his shot inside the right post for his first tally of the season. Humber went into the break leading 2-0.
In the first minute of the second half, Humber extended its lead to three when Babawale found a streaking Luca Uccello, who hammered it past the keeper.
Babawale continued his masterful passing and found Nunes all alone in the 55th minute, as Nunes chipped his second goal of the night over the keeper.
George Brown's sloppy passing led to another turnover minutes later as Nunes picked off a pass and deked the keeper for his first career regular-season hat trick.
Rookie Exosse Kadiebue was quick to impress in his first OCAA action, showcasing great footwork and excellent positioning. After generating numerous scoring opportunities, the Toronto native was tackled on a break by the keeper was granted a penalty. Kadiebue stepped up to the mark and beat the keeper to the right, extending Humber's lead to six.
Humber Highlights
- With 37 career goals, Nunes inches closer to becoming Humber's all-time leader scoring. Hall of Famer Jesse Calabro set the program record of 43 in 2001.
- Rookie Ezequiel Carrasco recorded his first career clean sheet.
- The Hawks open the season with a victory for the tenth consecutive year.
- Humber improves to 32-5-5 all-time against the Huskies, including a 16-2-2 record on the road.
What's Next?
Humber will host Seneca on Sept. 22 at the Ontario Soccer Centre at 6:30 p.m. The match will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.
