Eight teams remain in contention for an OCAA women's soccer championship, but this group will be cut in half by sunset on Sunday.

The Algonquin Thunder and Seneca Sting, defending OCAA gold and silver medalists, respectively, finished on top of the east standings and will host quarter-final matches. Ditto for the reigning bronze medalist Humber Hawks and Sheridan Bruins, clinching the top two positions in the west.

Winners of last weekend's qualifying round will be the opposition for these teams with an opportunity to advance to the belairdirect OCAA Women's Soccer Championship, hosted by Algonquin College in Ottawa, from Oct. 24-25.

St. Clair (5-2-2, 4th West) at Algonquin (8-0-0, 1st East)
Saturday, Oct. 18 - 1 p.m.

St. Clair's first home playoff match in 15 seasons was a success. The Saints edged Mohawk 1-0 in the qualifying round, with first-year midfielder McKenzie Winter (Tecumseh, Ont.) scoring the game-winning goal, her first in OCAA play.

It is a remarkable turnaround for the Saints after going 1-6-1 in 2013. The Saints outscored their opponents 18-8 in the regular season. First-year forward Melanie Daniel (Tecumseh, Ont.) led the team with five goals.

Getting a ball into the Algonquin net has proven to be a challenge for east region teams. The Thunder has not allowed a goal in eight matches, spanning 12 hours, or 720 minutes. Third-year defender and team captain Melissa Harrison (Burlington, Ont.) is a key reason why Algonquin has posted shutout after shutout, and should prove to be a thorn in the side of the Saints.

Third-year forward Kandyce Whitehead (Burlington, Ont.) scored a team-high eight goals for Algonquin. The Thunder have advanced to the OCAA semi-finals seven of the last eight seasons.

Cambrian (7-2-0, 3rd East) at Sheridan (6-0-2, 2nd West)
Saturday, Oct. 18 - 3 p.m.

The Cambrian Golden Shield scored a league-high 41 goals during the regular season. They added a half-dozen more in the qualifying round, defeating Durham 6-0 in their first-ever home playoff match.

Cambrian's Tiffany Johnson (Sudbury, Ont.) topped all OCAA players in scoring with 16 goals, and added three more in the qualifier. Teammate Taylor Rocca (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) was second in the OCAA with a dozen goals. She scored twice against Durham.

Cambrian visits a Sheridan team yet to lose this season. The Bruins have outscored their opponents 28-7, with their two ties coming against fellow quarter-finalists Humber and Fanshawe.

This match features three of the top four scorers in OCAA. Sheridan first-year player Michaela Krampert (Mississauga, Ont.) led OCAA west players with 11 goals.

These teams lost quarter-final matches last year. One is guaranteed to advance to the OCAA championship this year.

Loyalist (3-4-2, 5th East) at Humber (7-0-1, 1st West)
Sunday, Oct. 19 - 12 p.m.

Playing in their first playoff match since 2005, the Loyalist Lancers made up for lost time, defeating St. Lawrence-Kingston 2-1 via penalty kicks in last week's qualifier. Second-year forward Sonya Dronsfield (Nepean, Ont.), who led Loyalist with three goals during the regular season, scored in regulation time for Loyalist.

The Lancers now take on the Humber Hawks, one of three unbeaten teams in the OCAA this season. Humber outscored its opponents 25-3 during the regular season. Conversely, Loyalist scored just nine goals while allowing 21.

Third-year forward Alexandria Kastanis (Richmond Hill, Ont.) led Humber with 10 goals during the regular season. The Hawks have been awarded an OCAA medal in each of the last eight seasons.

Fanshawe (6-1-2, 3rd West) at Seneca (7-1-0, 2nd East)
Sunday, Oct. 19 - 3 p.m.

The last two OCAA silver medalists lock horns in the final match of the quarter-finals.

After losing its season opener against Humber 1-0, Fanshawe has gone unbeaten in its last eight matches. Its last game was close, however, as third-year forward Marisa Oliveira (London, Ont.) scored in the final minute of overtime to lift the Falcons past Conestoga 4-3 in the OCAA qualifier.

It marks Fanshawe's fifth straight trip to the OCAA quarter-finals. Fifth-year forward Katie Parker (Strathroy, Ont.) was the west region's co-leader in goals with 11. Fanshawe was one of the top offensive units in the region with 28 total goals, allowing just seven.

Seneca lost just one match during the regular season, while allowing just one goal. This came in a 1-0 loss to Algonquin. Seneca scored 34 goals, second only to Cambrian.

Seneca is led offensively by third-year midfielder Emma Gattoni (Thornhill, Ont.) and her team-high 10 goals.

These teams last met on the big stage in the 2012 quarter-finals. Fanshawe won 2-1 in overtime, en route to an OCAA silver medal.

Source: OCAA Communications