Humber’s men’s soccer team made it seven wins out of a possible seven to remain undefeated after a late 1-0 win over the Mohawk Mountaineers on Sept. 24.
The number 1 nationally ranked team could not have left it any later, with a stoppage-time penalty by fourth-year defender Luca Pinto deciding the match.
Humber came into Wednesday’s game with a 6-0 record, while the Mountaineers had a record of 1-1-3.
Results for the Hawks against Mohawk last season included a 4-0 win in the regular season and a 13-nil win in the playoffs.
Head coach Jason Mesa said the teams are different on either side of the ball, so a similar result was all they were hoping for.
“I’m sure they've made some changes to their team. They've probably made some changes to their tactics as well,” Mesa said.
Both teams play very differently. Humber is possession-based and takes chances when they’re given, compared to Mohawk’s physical and defensive style.
This game was no different, as the Hawks had 24 shots to Mohawk’s two, all of which came in the first half for the Mountaineers.
Humber has now recorded six straight clean sheets this season, with the last goal scored against the Hawks coming in the opening game against St. Clair on Sept. 5.
Mesa said the combination of new and returning players on defence helps the players stay organized and disciplined.
“As a team, we’re also trying to minimize opportunities that we’re giving opponents to help eliminate conceding goals,” he said.
Mohawk was responsible for most of the stoppages, with a 7-3 split for yellow cards attributed to the Mountaineers. One of them was a second yellow shown to Mohawk midfielder Mark Di Ianni in stoppage time.
The thirty-fourth minute featured the best chance for the Hawks, when a ball crossed into the Mohawk area by first-year forward Tyler Yasaka was met by third-year midfielder Franz Mella.
Mella’s left-footed shot fizzed off the inside of the post and bounced to defender Matthew Smith, who put it over the bar.
That chance for Mella gave momentum to the Hawks, with two more chances coming before the half.
Pinto narrowly missed a chance at the back post, again involving Mella. This time, he provided the cross.
The woodwork rejected yet another chance for Humber when Mella stepped over a free kick in the forty-third minute and proceeded to hit the crossbar.
A string of chances for the team before half, but the posts decided to keep it level at half-time with a score of 0-0.
Most of those chances, including Mella’s three on goal, were also denied by Mohawk goalkeeper Marco Ferrusi, who finished with eight saves on the night.
Humber was not shy about taking high-efficiency chances. The ball just wouldn’t cross the line.
The longer the game went on, the more defensive Mohawk became and the slower they played, with a draw against the team ranked first in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) and first in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) on their minds.
It looked as if the Mountaineers’ dreams were coming true until Yasaka was brought down in the box by Mohawk defender Kalimar Russell, and the referee pointed to the spot.
Pinto stepped up to take the kick, having converted his other two penalties this season.
He calmly finished it into the bottom right corner, Ferrusi guessing the right way, but unable to keep it out of his net, 1-0 Humber.
Pinto said scoring the winning goal felt “great,” being able to put the team in the lead and to be the deciding factor in the match.
He said this win will bring the confidence needed to keep the streak going.
“We haven’t lost yet, so we want to set the standard for ourselves,” Pinto said.
His penalty and Player of the Game performance rescued what would’ve been the first time since 2019 the Hawks were shut out at home.
Humber’s next challenge is against the Redeemer Royals on Oct.1. Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m.
