The George Brown Huskies men’s soccer team claimed the silver medal at the OCAA Provincial Championship. They dropped a 4-0 decision to the CCAA No. 1 Humber Hawks on Saturday (Oct. 30th) afternoon at St. Clair College. The medal marked the team’s best result since 2007.
"When you look at how good the competition is in the OCAA, there are many teams that could have won this award. I'm so proud of the work and fight that my boys put in,” head coach Johnny Williams explained. “These student-athletes have not only had to juggle their academics, part-time jobs and training but have also dealt with the ups and downs of the pandemic. Yet, they have persevered through it all and our hard work is paying off with our ticket to the Nationals.”
Despite the loss to Humber, the Huskies will compete at the CCAA National Championship for the first time in program history. The tournament takes place at SAIT College in Calgary, Alta., between November 8th to 13th. Williams believes his team is ready to represent George Brown proudly at Nationals.
“Given the current climate and the obstacles we have faced, I would say the season has been great so far,” coach Williams explained. “We are so excited to keep the momentum going and finish the season to the best of our ability. In order to prepare properly, we need to watch some film on the positive things and the things we need to do better. Total commitment and focus will be necessary."
Forward Yonis Jama and goalkeeper Aubrey Lowe were named OCAA Championship All-Stars throughout the two matches in Windsor, Ont.
HOW IT HAPPENED: The two-time defending champions got off to a fast start. 2019 OCAA Player of the Year, Leaford Allen, tapped in the opening goal in the 26th minute. The Huskies didn’t put together much offence in the opening 45 minutes but only trailed 1-0 at the half.
The Hawks jumped on the Huskies during the second half, potting two goals in the first four minutes to put the game out of reach. They added another one in the 72nd minute. Humber has now won three straight OCAA Men’s Soccer Championships, including nine of the last 11.
Midfielder Steve Knezevic was named Player of the Match for George Brown.
Information on the Huskies first-round opponent at the CCAA National Championships will be announced in the next few days.