Banner Season: Division champs look to bring their best in battle for Blackwood Cup

Burlington, Ont. – A dynamic cross-divisional showdown is in store for this weekend, as the top squads from both the East and the West will square off to crown a conference champion. The Carleton Ravens and York Lions – will both look to bring their best to the TAAG Park pitch, as the two consistent contenders battle for the Blackwood Cup on Saturday, November 4th at the 2023 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Men’s Soccer Championship.

Championship Details:

When: Saturday, November 4, 2023 (3:30 pm)
Where: TAAG Park
Participating Schools (2): Carleton Ravens (host); York Lions
Stream: oua.tv / CBC Sports YouTube
Defending Champions: McMaster Marauders | ALL PAST CHAMPIONS

Student Athletes to Watch:

Tyler Attardo, York Lions | With an already established star quality on the pitch, it is easy to overlook the fact that Attardo is a newcomer to the varsity stage this season. The first-year phenom has helped his team navigate the tough conference schedule; however, netting six goals for the Lions along the way, and stepping up with even more clutch scoring in the postseason. His ability to shine, even in pressure-filled situations like extra time in the quarterfinals or penalties in the semifinals, will be a big asset when he and the Lions step onto the championship pitch.

Alessio Carbone, York Lions | Standing tall between the pipes all season, third-year goalkeeper Carbone will need to be on high alert for the impressive Ravens offence on Saturday. Backed by regular season success that saw him finish third in save percentage (.818) and seventh in saves among his fellow conference netminders, the experienced Woodbridge, Ont. native will once again be relied upon as the last line of defence for York. But if his semifinal performance against Ontario Tech that saw him turn away two Ridgeback attempts in PKs is any indication, Carbone is ready for the championship challenge.

Tyler David, Carleton | The netminder on the other side of the pitch is another who will be ready to pay his body on the line for the win. The dynamic David has been instrumental in helping his Ravens soar to such lofty regular season and postseason success – matching his counterpart this weekend with a pair of saves in penalties to earn his side the semifinal win – and will be called upon for another leading performance in net on Saturday. The third-year goalkeeper from Hawkesbury, Ont. finished the regular season with a stingy save percentage of .806 (fifth in OUA) and a pair of clean sheets.  

Raphael Garcia, Carleton Ravens | Garcia, a third-year defender for the Ravens, is as good as they come on the back end, and he’ll be looking to showcase that talent on his home turf against York. The Ottawa, Ont. local compiled an all-star worthy campaign for the black birds, earning a spot amongst the OUA’s first team selections, and he can play a pivotal role for the host side if he can give the York attack fits on Saturday, much like he has to other opposing offences throughout the year.

Luca Piccioli, Carleton Ravens | While Garcia shines defensive, Piccioli has been one of the bright spots offensively. With a few years of experience in tow, the first team all-star is right at home on the pitch when and on the scoreboard. Tied for sixth in OUA regular season goals, Piccioli not only finds the back of the net, but facilitates as well, chipping in with another four assists on the year (T-4th in OUA). He proved to be crucial in high pressure situations, having scored one of the Ravens’ penalties that sent his team to Saturday’s finale, and with his quantity and quality of contributions in tow, will be one of the players to watch in this weekend’s showdown.

Kelvin Ramirez, York Lions | Ramirez, a fourth-year defender, was an integral part of the Lions back third. Despite being in his first year as a Lion after transferring from Robert Morris University in the NCAA, the psychology major provided a solid veteran presence on defence for the championship-hopeful Lions, and was a mainstay in the team’s starting 11. The OUA all-star will look to make the most of his starting role on Saturday to help his team shine in Ottawa.

Storylines to Keep an Eye On:

Despite both the Ravens and the Lions searching for their first banner since the prior to the pandemic, neither squad is new to OUA triumphs. Both have put their stamp on the past champions list, with Carleton doing so as recently as 2019, and the Lions having earned five of the six titles before that. While both teams have punched their ticket to the national championship to this point, the last two OUA teams standing would love to secure the status of OUA champions to carry with them at the U SPORTS finale.

Ready to soar to success on Saturday, the Ravens are feeling confident in their home pitch advantage, having not lost a game there this season. Beyond their sparkling mark at the friendly confines of TAAG Park, they were a bright spot across the regular season with just a single loss therein. A constant presence within the national rankings, the Ravens remained steadily atop the East Division with their 10-1-1 mark. Following their first round bye, they turned to Eric Yoseke for some late-game heroics in a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Toronto and picked up a nail-biting victory via PKs in the semifinals over Brock. They will look to cap off their string of undefeated conference play with a Blackwood Cup in hand.

The York Lions got out of the gates strong this season, going without a loss in the first six contests. Through the back half of the season, however, they won only three of their last six games. Nevertheless, their pedigree is evident and they understand what it takes to win as well as anyone in the country. That resiliency helped to guide them to the top spot in the West Division (7-2-3) and a pair of playoff wins to this point. To achieve the latter, they first went toe-to-toe with Western, needed an extra time tally from Attardo to earn a 2-1 win, and overcame a late tying goal from Ontario Tech in the semis to pick up the win in penalties. Battle-tested and ready for a run at another title, the Lion pride is ready to roar into the OUA Championship.