Breaking down the first round matchups of the men's soccer postseason
Toronto, Ont. (via Ben Steiner) – After a 12-game regular season and a tightly contested final weekend that brought the standings down to the defining moments, it’s finally time for the OUA men’s soccer playoffs.
The top two teams in each division earned a bye through to the conference quarterfinals, while the teams ranking 3-6 will play in the opening round. In the OUA West, the York Lions and McMaster Marauders earned byes, while the OUA East saw the Toronto Varsity Blues and TMU Bold punch their tickets past the first round.
With the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks set to host U SPORTS nationals, it’s a special final section of the conference season in the OUA, with the Ridgebacks looking to earn their way into the tournament despite the host berth.
Before we can get to that though, let’s look at the four first-round matchups in the quest for the Blackwood Cup.
OUA East: No. 3 Carleton v No. 6 Laurentian
The Carleton Ravens aren’t too familiar with not finishing in the top two of the OUA East, missing the byes while defending the 2023 Blackwood Cup. Still, they’re a heavy favourite in the playoffs, given their experience and ability to navigate a postseason.
It came down to the final weekend of the regular season for the Ravens, and they only missed the top two by a single point. They finished the year with an 8-2-2 record, just behind the TMU Bold. They were close; they were practically at the same level.
On the other hand, Laurentian finished with a 4-5-2 record, edging out the Queen’s Gaels for the final playoff spot in the East. They’ll be in tough to pull off an upset when they visit the capital on Saturday.
The Ravens scored 36 times through the regular season, good for second in the division and just two goals fewer than when they made the top two a year ago. Defensively, Carleton allowed just nine tallies, the second-lowest in the division.
While other years have seen the Ravens rely on one or two stars, the diversity of their scoring players makes them a challenging threat to shut down.
Darren Bouaziz leads the team with six goals, but Mohammed Bouzidi and Ousman Maheshe aren’t far behind with five apiece. That’s without getting to second-year midfielder Eric Yoeske, who was outstanding in his first playoff run and scored four regular season goals this year.
Between the sticks, Tyler David enters the postseason knowing how to win big games, especially if it makes its way to penalty kicks.
For the Ravens, anything but a win is a major disappointment, considering the Voyageurs enter the match having found the back of the net 13 times while allowing 42 goals. They’re not entering the postseason in top form either, riding a three-game losing streak and, most recently, an 11-1 defeat against the table-topping Toronto Varsity Blues.
Still, upsets can happen, and that’s what the Sudbury-based team will want to pull off.
The quarterfinal match will be played on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Earlier in the year, Carleton won 3-1.
OUA East: No. 4 Nipissing v No. 5 Ontario Tech
The Ontario Tech Ridgebacks are back where they’re most familiar but with more pressure than ever. After finishing the regular season fourth in the OUA East, the national tournament hosts will look to earn their way to the tournament rather than just taking the host berth.
After claiming 20 points, the Ridgebacks will visit the Nipissing Lakers in the opening round, a side that claimed an identical mark in the table and earned home-field advantage through the tiebreakers.
Any national tournament host faces that pressure and it’s no different for Ontario Tech, considering how they bulked up their roster this season with experienced defender Jadon Vilfort and once-AUS leading scorer Kairo Coore, who came over from the Cape Breton Capers.
Consistency has plagued the Ridgebacks throughout the season, as they have been unable to string together results against top teams. However, they did manage to beat Toronto and tie the TMU Bold, the two teams with the top-two byes.
Coore has been as advertised up front, scoring an OUA-leading 11 goals in just 10 games while adding two assists. With his U SPORTS and CPL experience, he doesn’t need many chances, and of the two teams, he’s the biggest difference-maker in the matchup.
Overall, the Ridgebacks scored 25 goals and allowed 17, seldom relying on goalkeeper Kevon Grant to be at his best, even with his outstanding shot-stopping ability. Meanwhile, younger players Adam Klimek and Alexander Irwin have taken up critical responsibilities in the team’s spine.
Despite the pressures of being the national host, Ontario Tech’s postseason also has a relaxing factor —they know they’ll be playing until nationals regardless.
The Lakers cracked the 20-point plateau for the first time in program history, and they hope to continue their strong season through the first round of the playoffs. However, it may be challenging with the most critical difference makers in the OUA playing for their opponents.
This one will be one of the most hotly contested games in the conference’s opening round, and whichever side wins could potentially pull an upset on one of the Toronto schools.
OUA West: No. 3 Western v No. 6 Brock
The Western Mustangs have teased taking a step to an OUA title. Might this be the year that they finally do it?
If so, they’ll have to get past the Brock Badgers in the quarterfinals, with the two OUA West sides set to clash on Saturday night in London.
The Mustangs are the heavy favourites in the matchup. They finished with a 6-2-4 record, comfortably third place in the OUA West. Meanwhile, the Badgers were 5-5-2, good for 17 points.
For the Mustangs, it’s all about building from the back. Goalkeeper Dino Bontis has established himself as one of the premier shot-stoppers in the country and has shown more benefit as part of the deep buildup after his professional experience with the CPL’s Forge FC.
Still, several elements contribute to the Mustangs' success, including their finishing so high in the standings despite only scoring 18 goals, solidly in the bottom half of attacking production. Of all the teams in the playoffs, they may be the most balanced. While the defence isn’t outstanding, the team's ability to challenge opponents in any area of the pitch is unparalleled in the rest of the conference.
Luc Coulombe led the team in scoring this season with six goals, but a consistent core, including Charlie Bontis, Nicholas Fereriah, and Thomas Riberio, allowed them to grow from game to game.
On paper, beating Brock should be straightforward for Western. In the regular season, the Mustangs won both matchups and, while by only one goal each time, looked confident in their approach.
While getting past the opening round is Western’s first step, they’re a team that can take on high hopes this postseason. They have the qualities needed to force an upset on McMaster or York should they meet with them down the line.
OUA West: No. 4 Wilfrid Laurier v No. 5 Guelph
Established as a power in the OUA, playing as the fifth seed in the playoffs isn’t too familiar for the Guelph Gryphons. Yet, here they are, after a 5-3-4 season, with a visit to the Laurier Golden Hawks, hoping to extend their season.
It’s been a tight competition between Guelph and Laurier all season, tied on 19 points, even though Guelph secured five wins on the season. Now, they clash in the postseason, in a year where it would be surprising for either to come away with a lengthy playoff run, considering the other teams in the division.
Both sides finished with 15 goals, although Laurier only conceded 12, compared to the 14 surrendered by Guelph. And of course, each won once in the two games they played against each other. Laurier won 3-0, while Guelph captured a 1-0 win. Want to look for who is in better form? Well, neither has been consistent to close the season.
It’s nearly impossible to pick which sides might come out on top, with how close they come in the OUA playoffs. On Saturday, it will come down to which team is better on the day -- or gets a lucky moment or two.
