The Humber women’s indoor soccer team secured its spot in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championship weekend slated for March 6.
The Hawks shared the Pool C regionals with the Centennial Colts, the Sheridan Bruins, the George Brown Huskies and the Confederation Thunderhawks at the Ontario Soccer Centre on Feb. 26. The Hawks' play resulted in a 2-1-1 record.
Humber’s kick-off game in pool C was with The Colts, the current runners-up. The Hawks were up against a very effective and physical opponent, which the team couldn't neutralize, scoring two goals in the first seven minutes of the match.
The Hawks tried to respond quickly, but faced an inspired Jordyn Chrons-Slaght, Centennial’s goalkeeper, especially in the first half.
Centennial's defence didn’t allow Humber to create clear chances during the second half until they scored the third and decisive goal with five minutes left in the match. The game ended with a 3-0 final score.
Women’s indoor soccer coach José Caro said the team faced many difficulties during their initial game.
“We were not organized defensively,” he said. "It took us one game to be fully awake.”
He said after the initial goals, the team struggled to react, especially during the second half.
The team looked to give a 180-degree change to their performance after the initial loss. They played a solid game against the Thunderhawks.
Humber never gave Confederation a chance with a great performance from all the players, especially Hawks’ forward Kaitlynn Russell who scored a brace.
The team's third game was against the Huskies, a key clash for both teams to get a better chance to qualify for the championship group.
The Hawks were the dominant team during the entire match. They opened the scoring thanks to Kaitlynn Russell’s goal at the fourth minute. A lack of effectiveness that followed along with an impressive performance from Huskies’ goalkeeper Jazmeen Jamieson kept the score 1-0 at halftime.
The second half was more of the same with Humber trying to score the second goal while Jamieson kept saving the Huskies from a wider defeat. In the end, Humber showed up with a strong defence that got the 1-0 win.
The final match pitted the Hawks against the Bruins in a tilt to determine which team qualified for either second or third. Fatigue was evident among players on both teams, with Humber having possession but creating few chances and Sheridan falling back trying to counterattack.
During the second half, Humber created better chances to open the scoring with first-year midfielder Isabella Chiappetta being very active after her entrance to the game, including a shot towards the right post of Sheridan’s goalkeeper Kennedy Peddie. The game, however, ended up in a goalless draw.
Caro said he was happy with the team’s response after the initial defeat.
“We had more ball movement in the rivals’ area and the goals came,” he said. “The team had more conviction and trust.”
Caro said the team will respond and play their best to get a spot in the semifinals during the championship final.
Russell said the initial defeat helped the team to recover and stay focused.
“We weren’t really prepared at the beginning, but as the other games went on, we were slowly getting there,” Russell said.
Russell, along with other players, emphasized the difficulties of playing four games in a row, but they said they were satisfied with how the team overcame it to get a spot in the championship round.
Humber achieved seven points with the two wins, one loss and one draw, and while they tied on points with Sheridan, the Bruins ended up in second position thanks to goal difference, a +5 for Sheridan and +4 for Humber.
Both teams qualified for the championship round along with the Colts who finished first with nine points. George Brown and Confederation were eliminated.
Humber will face the Bruins, defending champions Seneca Sting and the St. Clair Saints in Pool A of the OCAA championship.
Their kick off match will be at 9 a.m. on March 6 against the Saints in sight for a spot in the OCAA semifinal set for the next day.
