The Humber Hawks women’s soccer team took home bronze at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) indoor soccer tournament at the Ontario Soccer Centre on March 12.
Humber beat St. Clair 1-0 to take the medal.
Fourth-year defender Doreen Anane-Bediakoh said it was good not to leave empty-handed.
“Leaving with bronze was bittersweet. Of course, we always want to strive for the gold, especially coming off last indoors success,” she said. “I’m glad we were able to podium nonetheless, and it was against a team that we have an unspoken rivalry with.”
Anane-Bediakoh emphasized how special this group is and how better results are expected next year.
“The girls gave me a reason to keep playing the sport I love,” she said. “The future of this team is bright as long as we keep the podium in our minds and continue moving toward it together.
The Hawks are coming into this tournament as the reigning champs and began their journey this year in Pool B in the regional round on March 3. Humber shared Pool B with the Seneca Sting, Lambton Lions and Durham Lords.
They finished second in the group with a 2-1 record, only losing to Seneca, who topped the group.
In the championship round, Humber was placed in pool A with the Centennial Colts, Conestoga Condors, and Lakehead Orillia Thunderwolves.
The Hawks started the triple header against the Thunderwolves with a close 2-1 win. After a break, they were back in action against Centennial that resulted in a sloppy 2-0 loss. The final match of the day against Conestoga had major stakes for the Humber women, a win-and-in situation.
The match started slow but as it heated up, each team's goalkeeper stepped up as the shots started rolling in. Condor Skylar Morales and Hawk Isabella Bernardi traded big saves, but late in the game, first-year midfielder Mikayla Orrico put home the game's only goal.
The intense win left the Hawks with a 2-1 record, finishing second in the group behind Centennial and sending them through to the semi-final.
Humber’s head coach, Jose Caro, was happy with the bounce-back win and ready for a shot at gold.
“The girls are resilient; they bounced back from the second game. We finished in a spot where we can go tomorrow and play for a medal,” Caro said. “I think it would be great to finish the year with gold and move on to the fall season on a high.” Goalkeeper Isabella Bernardi, who held the Condors scoreless, said it was a huge confidence boost going into the semi-final.
“It feels great. In a win-or-go-home game, everyone stepped up defensively, and we stayed really disciplined. Getting the shutout was huge for our confidence, and it feels good to keep our tournament run going into tomorrow,” Bernardi said.
There were many things they did well, but still had things to work on, which comes with a different style of soccer playing indoors.
“I think we did a great job communicating, staying organized defensively, and working hard for each other. We moved the ball well and stuck to our game plan, which helped us control the game,” she said. “Indoor is really fast, so we want to keep improving our quick decision-making and finishing chances.”
The semi-final match was between Humber and Seneca, which resulted in a 3-0 Seneca win.
Third-year forward Alexis Cordeiro opened the scoring in the 15th minute, followed by fifth-year midfielder Martina Pannia burying another, putting them up 2-0 going into half.
Humber couldn’t get anything going in the second half, and Seneca scored their third and the final of the game, sending the Hawks to the bronze medal match against St. Clair.
The first half of that game was a mix of both teams splitting possessions and opportunities. It was scoreless going into halftime, and it stayed scoreless at the end of regulation. The game headed to 10 minutes of extra time, which solved nothing and sent the game to penalties.
The first penalty kick was taken by Humber’s Elisa Oliveira, who gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead with a strong strike. Brianna Kinsley-Clough equalized the score and was St. Clair’s only scorer.
Hawks Kiara Puntillo, Mikayla Orrico and Micayla Santaguida all scored while Bernardi held down the net. Humber took a 1-0 win by the way of penalty kicks and secured the bronze.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)