November 4, 2022
Banner Season: Bold, Marauders bring Blackwood Cup aspirations to championship stage
Burlington, Ont. - Each division's second-seeded squad will see their season come to a peak this Saturday when they compete for the Blackwood Cup. The TMU Bold turned in another terrific campaign to earn the right to host the McMaster Marauders at Downsview Park on November 5 (7:00pm), where fans will find out which side takes on the role of victors and vanquished, respectively, at the 2022 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Men's Soccer Championship.
Championship Details
When: Saturday, November 5 (7:00pm)
Where: Downsview Park
Participating Schools (2): McMaster Marauders; TMU Bold (host)
Stream: oua.tv / cbcsports.ca / CBC Gem
Defending Champions: Guelph Gryphons | ALL PAST CHAMPIONS
Student-Athletes to Watch:
Ethan Cagalj, McMaster Marauders | On of the best in the business between the pipes, Cagalj is eyeing a stingy performance for his Marauders to close out the conference part of their schedule on a winning note. While this will mark his first chance to shine on the banner season stage, the impressive rookie has already shown he is ready for whatever comes his way. The Stoney Creek, Ont. native ranked third in the OUA in saves (58) and had an .841 save percentage in his debut season. The all-star netminder played in nine games for the maroon machine in the regular season, sporting a 1.22 goals-against average therein, and is coming off a clean sheet in the team's semifinal win against Nipissing.
Luca Di Marco, TMU Bold | One of the Bold's most dangerous players to defend, the Aurora, Ont. native will be looking to put his dynamic skill set and on-field presence to good use on Saturday at Downsview Park. The third-year forward produced a pair of goals and an assist for TMU this season, relying largely on his speed to beat opponents to balls and his finesse to work the sidelines for possession. His keen ability to finish as well as be a playmaker made him a difficult player to defend, a reputation the first team all-star will look to showcase against McMaster as well.
Miles Green, McMaster Marauders | McMaster's leading scorer will surely be looking to add to his offensive contributions with a championship-worthy performance on Saturday, and he has the ability to do just that. In his 10 games of regular season action, Green racked up six goals, including two game winners, to go along with two assists for the Hamilton squad. The scoring touch has continued into the postseason, as the senior forward from Toronto, Ont. has netted two more tallies in Mac's quest for the cup thus far, including another game winner in their penultimate OUA contest.
Ahmad Mansour, McMaster Marauders | Anchoring the back line for the Marauders is Mansour, who produced all-star results for his side all year long. The OUA second team standout showcased his experience on defence for Mac, limiting the opposition's attack time and time again in his first year with the maroon and grey, and while his was known for his proficiency in derailing scoring opportunities, he was able to make good on one of his own, netting a game-winning goal on the year as well.
Kai Martin, TMU Bold | A key figure on the Bold's back end, Martin's masterful season made him an OUA all-star for a second straight year. He helped to anchor a collective defensive effort that sparked seven clean sheets in 12 games and was adept at preventing scoring chances that came his way. He was also able to chip in on the offensive side of the game, with the Toronto, Ont. local serving up three assists on the year in support of the TMU attack to rank second on the team in that regard.
Christian Westlaken, TMU Bold | The Bold's captain, it was a magical season the pitch that resulted in his first career OUA all-star nod. In his 10 games played, the senior defender from Toronto, Ont. was a steadying presence on the back line, but also provided additional elements thanks to his versatility on the field. With his ability to jump into the midfield as well as help construct offensive opportunities for his team through the middle or down the wing, the jack-of-all-trades will look to put his full arsenal on display with the OUA championship on the line.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
A perennial contender, the nationally-ranked Bold have yet to cap off their conference campaign with an OUA title. The team, who finished 9-3 this year (2nd in OUA East Division) will look to remedy that situation on Saturday and take advantage of the ability to host the Blackwood Cup competition on their home turf. They will do so against a tried and tested foe; however, as the Marauders (8-3-1) are no strangers to championship play. Anchored by a streak of three OUA titles in four years from 2009 to 2012, McMaster brings six banners to their bout with the Bold this weekend, but winning lucky number seven won't come easy against their talent-laden hosts.
After dispatching the defending OUA champions in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Guelph, the Marauders needed to overcome a slow start to their semifinal fixture with Nipissing. The Lakers came to Hamilton on the heels of a thrilling upset win in the quarterfinals and were poised to do the same with a potent first half. Cagalj kept the North Bay bunch off the scoreboard in those opening 45 minutes; however, and allowed his team the chance to come out of the break firing on all cylinders. A pair of goals from Green and a late insurance marker from Ed Bryan Florent ensure the Marauders would stay ahead for good and gives the West Division's second seed the chance to wrap up the OUA schedule with a championship in tow.
The path to Saturday's OUA finale didn't start easy for TMU, as they were tasked with taking on a fellow mainstay in the national rankings. Knotted up at 1-1 with Carleton heading into stoppage time, Ameer Kinani connected on a penalty to put TMU in front for good. And while it was a late-game contribution that led to that win, the Bold came out quickly to upend the Cinderella-story Warriors. Despite riding a wave of momentum after defeating the country's No. 1 team, Waterloo had no answer for TMU's torrid start, and their pair of goals in the opening 10 minutes put them on the course to victory and a chance at their first OUA championship in program history.
Championship Details
When: Saturday, November 5 (7:00pm)
Where: Downsview Park
Participating Schools (2): McMaster Marauders; TMU Bold (host)
Stream: oua.tv / cbcsports.ca / CBC Gem
Defending Champions: Guelph Gryphons | ALL PAST CHAMPIONS
Student-Athletes to Watch:
Ethan Cagalj, McMaster Marauders | On of the best in the business between the pipes, Cagalj is eyeing a stingy performance for his Marauders to close out the conference part of their schedule on a winning note. While this will mark his first chance to shine on the banner season stage, the impressive rookie has already shown he is ready for whatever comes his way. The Stoney Creek, Ont. native ranked third in the OUA in saves (58) and had an .841 save percentage in his debut season. The all-star netminder played in nine games for the maroon machine in the regular season, sporting a 1.22 goals-against average therein, and is coming off a clean sheet in the team's semifinal win against Nipissing.
Luca Di Marco, TMU Bold | One of the Bold's most dangerous players to defend, the Aurora, Ont. native will be looking to put his dynamic skill set and on-field presence to good use on Saturday at Downsview Park. The third-year forward produced a pair of goals and an assist for TMU this season, relying largely on his speed to beat opponents to balls and his finesse to work the sidelines for possession. His keen ability to finish as well as be a playmaker made him a difficult player to defend, a reputation the first team all-star will look to showcase against McMaster as well.
Miles Green, McMaster Marauders | McMaster's leading scorer will surely be looking to add to his offensive contributions with a championship-worthy performance on Saturday, and he has the ability to do just that. In his 10 games of regular season action, Green racked up six goals, including two game winners, to go along with two assists for the Hamilton squad. The scoring touch has continued into the postseason, as the senior forward from Toronto, Ont. has netted two more tallies in Mac's quest for the cup thus far, including another game winner in their penultimate OUA contest.
Ahmad Mansour, McMaster Marauders | Anchoring the back line for the Marauders is Mansour, who produced all-star results for his side all year long. The OUA second team standout showcased his experience on defence for Mac, limiting the opposition's attack time and time again in his first year with the maroon and grey, and while his was known for his proficiency in derailing scoring opportunities, he was able to make good on one of his own, netting a game-winning goal on the year as well.
Kai Martin, TMU Bold | A key figure on the Bold's back end, Martin's masterful season made him an OUA all-star for a second straight year. He helped to anchor a collective defensive effort that sparked seven clean sheets in 12 games and was adept at preventing scoring chances that came his way. He was also able to chip in on the offensive side of the game, with the Toronto, Ont. local serving up three assists on the year in support of the TMU attack to rank second on the team in that regard.
Christian Westlaken, TMU Bold | The Bold's captain, it was a magical season the pitch that resulted in his first career OUA all-star nod. In his 10 games played, the senior defender from Toronto, Ont. was a steadying presence on the back line, but also provided additional elements thanks to his versatility on the field. With his ability to jump into the midfield as well as help construct offensive opportunities for his team through the middle or down the wing, the jack-of-all-trades will look to put his full arsenal on display with the OUA championship on the line.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
A perennial contender, the nationally-ranked Bold have yet to cap off their conference campaign with an OUA title. The team, who finished 9-3 this year (2nd in OUA East Division) will look to remedy that situation on Saturday and take advantage of the ability to host the Blackwood Cup competition on their home turf. They will do so against a tried and tested foe; however, as the Marauders (8-3-1) are no strangers to championship play. Anchored by a streak of three OUA titles in four years from 2009 to 2012, McMaster brings six banners to their bout with the Bold this weekend, but winning lucky number seven won't come easy against their talent-laden hosts.
After dispatching the defending OUA champions in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Guelph, the Marauders needed to overcome a slow start to their semifinal fixture with Nipissing. The Lakers came to Hamilton on the heels of a thrilling upset win in the quarterfinals and were poised to do the same with a potent first half. Cagalj kept the North Bay bunch off the scoreboard in those opening 45 minutes; however, and allowed his team the chance to come out of the break firing on all cylinders. A pair of goals from Green and a late insurance marker from Ed Bryan Florent ensure the Marauders would stay ahead for good and gives the West Division's second seed the chance to wrap up the OUA schedule with a championship in tow.
The path to Saturday's OUA finale didn't start easy for TMU, as they were tasked with taking on a fellow mainstay in the national rankings. Knotted up at 1-1 with Carleton heading into stoppage time, Ameer Kinani connected on a penalty to put TMU in front for good. And while it was a late-game contribution that led to that win, the Bold came out quickly to upend the Cinderella-story Warriors. Despite riding a wave of momentum after defeating the country's No. 1 team, Waterloo had no answer for TMU's torrid start, and their pair of goals in the opening 10 minutes put them on the course to victory and a chance at their first OUA championship in program history.
