Title hopes, coaching changes, and national hosts highlight 2024 in OUA men's soccer

Toronto, Ont. (via Ben Steiner) – Three champions in three years. It’s been a while since OUA men’s soccer has seen the parity that it has since the resumption after the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled seasons.

With the Carleton Ravens coming off the 2023 title, their second in the last four seasons, they’ll be out to find another trophy in 2024, with a chance to win a national championship on OUA turf.

That host, the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, will welcome the best teams from across U SPORTS in November for the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship while hoping they can stand atop the national podium as well.

With a particularly interesting year to come in OUA men’s soccer, there are a few standout storylines to keep an eye on, aside from the Ravens’ efforts to defend their title.

York Lions look to top the west in search of first title since 2018

The York Lions may still be looking for their first OUA title since 2018, but they’ve shown improvement in recent seasons and will look to go one step further when they hit the pitch in 2024.

Led by veteran head coach Carmine Isacco, the Lions were the best of the OUA West in 2023. Despite scoring just 16 goals, they allowed 10 in a balanced and table-topping route to a playoff run that ended in an OUA Final defeat to Carleton.

It’s been a steady rise for the Lions in the team’s latest generation. Although they will miss the veteran presence of Agostino Principato and Isaac Bradbury in midfield, they carry a heavy group from last season’s success.

One of the breakout stars from last season, Tyler Attardo, returns after spending his summer with the Thunder Bay Chill of USL League Two, where he was named to the league’s all-star team. He will look to build on a season that saw him score six goals in 10 appearances and prove a talisman for the Lions.

While the former Valour FC striker was overlooked in the 2023 CPL-U SPORTS Draft, he still has immense potential to influence the game at the OUA level and elevate his soccer career to greater heights in the coming years.

Alongside Attardo, another critical piece of the Lions setup is midfielder Christian Zeppieri, who finds himself back with the Lions after a summer season in the CPL with York United. In his first pro venture, he was featured in eight games, as York underwent managerial changes in the midseason.

The Lions' standards are always high under Isacco, and they hope 2024 sees the end of a cold spell and a return to the form that saw them win five titles in six seasons from 2013 to 2018.

Ontario Tech Ridgebacks look for U SPORTS hosting bump as former assistant Kasey Kierash takes over Queen’s Gaels

2024 marks a big year and one of transition for the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks and Queen’s Gaels. It’s about putting together the best regular season possible for the Ridgebacks before aiming for the U SPORTS Championship, which they’ll host in November.

Despite losing MVP Chris Campoli to the TMU Bold ahead of the 2023 season, the Ridgebacks continued to build in 2023, finishing above TMU and just behind Carleton in the OUA East standings.

Yet, their success came with top performances from former York forward Omar Marzouk, who scored 11 goals in eight games, and Trivine Esprit, who earned a CPL-U SPORTS contract and will remain with York United through the end of the 2024 professional season.

With those departures, it will be tough for Ontario Tech to remain at the same level as it showed in 2024. Yet, head coach Ramin Mohammadi’s team has been consistent through its latest era and will want to challenge for the OUA title ahead of hosting nationals.

However, one shift for Ontario Tech is the departure of assistant coach Kasy Kiarash, who will take over as head coach of the Queen’s Gaels, another program looking to take the next step.

For the Gaels, there’s a solid core for a young Canadian coach like Kiarash to work with,  including Matthew Ciavarro, who returns after being part of one of the best attacking duos in the country a season ago.

While putting the team in contention would be a massive step for Kiarash in his first year at the helm, the Gaels are one of the most promising teams, with outstanding opportunities to do some damage in the OUA East.