FINAL FOUR SET IN OUA SOCCER
The York Lions built a 3-0 lead and then held off a late surge against the McMaster Marauders to win 3-2 in the opening playoff round, which earned them a quarter-final match with the Brock Badgers in St. Catharines. The Lions beat Brock 1-0 in a tight defensive match on a goal from Florida native Chris Crissy. Crissy, who scored twice in the win over McMaster, scored in the 22nd minute for the only goal of an emotional elimination match that featured eight yellow cards and two reds. Greg Zatulovsky notched his eighth clean sheet of the season in the Lions’ net. The semi-final match-up is the first of the season between Carleton and York.
The Western Mustangs and Toronto Varsity Blues have won the last three OUA championships and one of the soccer giants will have their season ended when they meet in the Final Four. Western, the two-time defending OUA champions, cruised to a 4-0 quarter-final victory over the weary Waterloo Warriors. Jason Dethomasis scored a hat-trick, while Michel Daoust had the other goal for the Mustangs. Standout goalkeeper Haidar Al Shaibani was in goal for the shut-out. Western had a bye in the first round courtesy of their spot on top of the West Division, while Waterloo had to go to extra time in a 2-1 win over the Queen’s Golden Gaels.
Toronto was in a similar situation as they rested during the first OUA playoff round after winning the North Division. The Varsity Blues then scored twice in the first half to get past the upstart Nipissing Lakers 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Toronto’s scoring leader Evan Milward gave the 2002/03 champions a 1-0 lead before Sean Myers struck to put stretch the margin to two goals. The Lakers got one back in the second half on a goal from Cameron Culbert but after going to penalty kicks in a hard-fought 2-1 road playoff win over the Guelph Gryphons four days earlier, Nipissing didn’t have enough to complete the comeback against the powerful Varsity Blues.