Game two of the 2014 belairdirect OCAA Championship saw the five-time defending OCAA champion Humber Hawks take on the Durham Lords, who were making their first appearance in the OCAA final four since 1999. The Hawks managed to secure a hard fought 2-0 victory and will now compete for OCAA gold on Saturday against the Algonquin Thunder.
The classic David versus Goliath matchup saw the two teams take a 0-0 tie into the second half, until Humber striker Jordan Piccanin (Brampton) broke the deadlock in the 51st minute.
The Lords responded well to the opening Hawks goal, directing numerous quality shots towards Hawks goalkeeper Alex Pothemont (Mississauga). Standing at over six-foot-two, Pothemont the 2014 West Division top goalkeeper award winner, lived up to his reputation turning aside all eight shots he faced in the contest.
Humber’s second goal was scored by Bethany native Jesse Assing in the 87th minute.
The victory moves Humber in the OCAA men’s soccer gold medal match set for October 25th at 2:00pm at Youngs SportsPlex in Welland. Their opponent will be the Algonquin Thunder.
The matchup is a repeat of the 2013 OCAA Championship final, a game that saw the Hawks defeat the Thunder on the home field by a score of 1-0.
Both teams currently sport undefeated records. The Hawks captured the regular season West Division title with a record of 6-0-2, while Algonquin finished at 7-0.
In addition to being crowned as OCAA Champions, the winner of Saturday’s game will earn the right to represent Ontario (along with the host Sheridan Bruins) at the 2014 CCAA Men’s Soccer National Championship being held from November 5-8 by Sheridan College.
Photos of Saturday’s game and all other matches can be accessed on the OCAA Flickr account, or by visiting the Championship website at www.goknights.ca/2014_OCAA_Mens_Soccer.
