The nation’s capital will get its fix of top-quality men’s soccer Nov. 5-6, when Keith Harris Stadium plays host to the 2011 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Final Four.
Not only does the tournament boast four of the top eight teams in the country, it will also showcase some of the most talented goal-scorers that Canadian universities have to offer.
If fans show up expecting the conservative displays that often define high-pressure games, they will be in for a surprise. These four teams combined to score 161 goals during the regular season, an astonishing total in the highly competitive OUA region.
Semifinal #1: University of Toronto Varsity Blues vs. York Lions
In the opening game of the mini-tournament, Ottawa will get its first live look at the defending Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) champions from York University. The Lions — who once again sit atop the national rankings — come into the competition as definite favourites to progress to the big show next weekend in British Columbia.
To do so, they will have to overcome the University of Toronto, in a match that kicks-off at 12 p.m. Nov. 4.
The Varsity Blues won this very tournament last season, edging York in the gold medal game by virtue of a 1-0 victory on penalties. While the Lions still went on to win the national title, you can bet they would like to exact some revenge for that rare defeat.
In attack, the dynamic duo of Alon Badat (Thornhill, Ont.) and last season’s OUA West MVP Adrian Pena (Woodbridge, Ont.) have led the Lions all season. The two strikers combined to find the net 26 times this year, with Badat notching 14 of those goals.
But that’s not to take away from the defensive qualities of the Lions. Head coach Carmine Isacco has put together a back-four that was beaten only eight times during the regular season. Certainly, having all-star Sotiri Varlokostas between the posts didn’t hurt either.
The Lions arrive in Ottawa on the back of an impressive 12-1-3 season, the best record in the country. In their most recent game, York struck for five goals against the Windsor Lancers in their quarter-final match-up, en route to a 5-2 victory.
Over on the blue-half of Toronto, U of T comes into the tournament following a tightly contested 2-1 win over the Ryerson Rams. It was a match that had to be decided on penalties, where Varsity Blues goalkeeper John Smits made two saves, leading the eighth-ranked team in Canada to victory. After such an emotional match, head coach Anthony Capotosto will need to have his team prepared for their toughest contest of the season.
Unfortunately for Capotosto, he will be without one of his most influential players.
First-team all-star Mario Kovacevic, who led the Blues with 11 goals, will miss the game through suspension. The 6’2” striker picked up a red card in the quarter-final with Ryerson, leaving him ineligible for this weekend’s tournament.
It’s a tough blow for a side that came so close to hosting the event themselves, as they finished just one point behind the Ravens in the regular season standings.
Without Kovacevic, much of the attacking burden will fall upon the shoulders of OUA East MVP Darragh McGee. The Irish midfielder notched six goals this season, good for second on the team scoring chart.
Semifinal #2: McMaster Marauders vs. Carleton Ravens
In the second game of the day, Carleton will go head-to-head against the McMaster Marauders at 3 p.m. This contest will see two of the highest-scoring offences in the nation do battle, as these two sides each recorded 41 goals during the regular season. That total tied them for the second-most in the CIS, along with the Lions.
For the fourth-ranked Ravens, goal scoring duties have been well distributed throughout the year. While head coach Sandy Mackie didn’t have a single player in double-digits, he can rely on a number of different outlets when the team needs to find the net.
Turkish striker Caki Simrooglu led the way with nine tallies, followed closely by rookie Andrew Latty (Ottawa, Ont.), who notched eight goals of his own.
Simrooglu has recovered from a recent calf injury, and looks to be firing on all cylinders. The fan-favourite scored twice in the Ravens 4-1 win over the Laurentian Voyageurs in their quarter-final tilt last weekend.
But in the Marauders — who rank seventh in the nation — Carleton will come up against a team that has allowed only 10 goals this season, while posting nine clean sheets. With such a well-organized defence, the onus will be on the entire Ravens squad — not just the men up front — to break down the visitors.
In years past, that may have been a problem. But this season, the Ravens boast a wealth of scoring talent. If the strikers are having trouble hitting the mark, there’s more than enough attacking ability in the midfield. Wayne Rooney look-alike Sam McHugh and winger Joey Kewin combined for 12 goals this year, en route to all-star selections. The two men will need to be heavily involved if Carleton hopes to find success.
Meanwhile, a victory for McMaster would signal their eighth straight game without a loss. The Marauders come into the tournament as one of the hotter teams in the country, not experiencing a defeat since Oct. 2.
Much of that success can be attributed to the goal-scoring exploits of striker Mark Reilly and OUA West rookie of the year Gersi Xhuti. The two men scored 11 and seven goals this season, respectively.
The Hamilton-based side beat the Ravens 1-0 in the 2009-2010 OUA semifinal. The hometown fans will certainly be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself this weekend.
The two winners from these games will be given an automatic birth to the national championships, which take place next weekend at the University of Victoria.
Key match-ups
Darragh McGee vs. Lions midfield
McGee, the reigning two-time OUA East division MVP, will be relied upon heavily by the Varsity Blues to not only create chances going forward, but help out in defence against the potent Lions attack.
If York can win the battle in the midfield and deny the Irishman time to create opportunities for himself and others, it could be a frustrating day for U of T fans.
Mark Reilly vs. Ravens defenders
This game may well be determined by the Ravens ability to shut down the all-star striker. With 11 goals on the year, the Hamilton native is the main threat for the Maurauders in attack.
Having conceded 14 goals this season, the 2011 edition of the Ravens has not been quite the defensive juggernaut fans have grown accustomed to in recent years. A stingy defence will go a long way in helping the hosts advance to the Nov. 5 championship final.
Predictions
Varsity Blues vs. Lions
Expect a very heated contest in the all-Toronto showdown.
With much of the Lions roster remains intact from 2010-11, they will not have forgotten about the defeat to the Varsity Blues in last season’s OUA championship game.
With revenge on their minds — along with the invaluable experience of knowing how to win in big games — look for the defending national champions to come out on top and book their ticket to the West Coast.
Marauders vs. Ravens
The home-town Ravens will have a strong crowd behind them, which could make the ultimate difference. After dropping a home playoff game last season, Mackie will undoubtedly have his team ready, to ensure fans don’t go home disappointed once again.
The Ravens have fallen at this semifinal hurdle three times since winning the OUA championship in 2005. Where better to get over the hump than in their own backyard?
Gianluca Nesci is a fourth-year journalism student from Toronto, Ont. He co-hosts the sports update on the Charlatan Live radio show, Tuesdays at 11 a.m. on CKCU.
