No. 1 Men’s Soccer sets scoring record to begin OCAA title defence
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Lawrence (0-1-0, 0-1-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Humber (1-0-0, 1-0-0) | 5 | 9 | 14 |
By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications
VAUGHAN – Top-ranked Humber men's soccer (11-0, 1st West) kicked off the postseason with a dominant, record-breaking performance, rolling the St. Lawrence Surge (2-9, 8th East) in a 14-0 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Vaughan Grove Park. The 14-goal onslaught set a new program record for most goals in a single match.
With the win, the Hawks remain perfect in OCAA crossover play (5-0 all-time) and advance to the quarter-final round against the Niagara Knights.
Match recap
The road to the OCAA mountaintop began with a clash of opposites as the undefeated Humber Hawks faced the struggling St. Lawrence Surge in the crossover round. Boasting the league's top defence and seven shutout matches to their name, the Hawks opened their playoff run hungry to show why title number 17 is within reach.
On the other side, an upset win could be the jolt a 2-8 St. Lawrence team desperately needed after a difficult regular season.
Facing one of the weakest defences in the OCAA, it didn't take long for the Hawks to create their first chances —and they quickly turned into goals.
In the sixth minute, Luca Pinto drove down the left flank and found Michael Crocco charging into the box. The rookie found the bottom right corner of the net to open the scoring. But Crocco wasn't done there.
Just four minutes later, Humber regained possession after a throw-in on the left side. Mella drew three defenders before feeding Crocco inside the box, who again picked out the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
When the Surge finally pushed numbers forward, the Hawks immediately punished them. A quick turnover led to a trademark, high-intensity Humber counterattack that left more than half the St. Lawrence squad behind the play.
On the right flank, Mela worked his magic again, cutting outside to beat one defender, then inside to shake off another and the keeper. His shot was blocked, but the rebound fell to Marcus Riviere, who buried it to make it 3-0 in the 24th minute.
At the 35-minute mark, the Hawks combined with quick passes down the right side before Mella sprang Pinto inside the box. Pinto then delivered a sensational backheel pass to Cisco Thomas for the tap-in.
Humber made it five just five minutes later. Pinto picked up his third assist of the afternoon, finding Mella at the back post for an easy finish and a commanding 5-0 lead before the break.
The Hawks picked up right where they left off after halftime. With the Surge defence out of gas, Humber poured on pressure and turned the second half into pure chaos. In a 15-minute stretch, the Hawks struck six more. Matthew Smith, Crocco twice, Pinto, Tyler Yasaka and Mella all found the back of the net and sent the scoreboard soaring.
In the 71st minute, Cristiano Candelaresi added one of his own when his free kick struck the crossbar and bounced just over the goal line, extending Humber's lead to 12. Rookie Allister Johnson followed in the 78th minute, scoring his first goal as a Hawk to tie Humber's all-time single-game scoring record at 13-0.
With the clock winding down, Tenzin Wosal made sure history was rewritten. Wosal unleashed a stunner from outside the box, sealing a record-breaking 14-0 win for the Hawks.
Rookie Michael Crocco was named the Player of the Game, becoming the first Humber player to score four goals in a playoff match.
Humber Highlights
- Humber improves to 3-0 all-time against St. Lawrence. All victories have come in the OCAA postseason, with the Hawks eliminating the Surge each time.
- The Hawks are now 5-0 all-time in OCAA crossover play, outscoring their opponents 37-2.
- Humber extends its winning streak to 26 games, a run that dates back to September 2024.
- The Hawks boast a 76-21 all-time record in the OCAA postseason.
- Humber broke its all-time single-game scoring record, surpassing the previous 13-0 mark set against the Mohawk Mountaineers in the 2024 crossover round.
- Franz Mella moves into second place on Humber's all-time postseason assists list with eight, surpassing former Hawk Damion Kaye.
- Mella also climbs the program's all-time points leaderboard, passing his father Adolfo Mella for 13th place with 49 points.
- Luca Pinto and Marcus Riviere both rose in the Humber all-time points rankings. Pinto now sits at 42 points (14th all-time) and Riviere at 36 points (19th all-time).
- Michael Crocco became the first Humber player to score four goals in a playoff match.
- Humber is one of just five undefeated collegiate teams across the country, alongside No. 3 Medicine Hat College (ACAC), No. 14 NAIT Ooks (ACAC), No. 12 Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers (RSEQ), No. 5 UKC Blue Devils (ACAA) and the No. 4 Seneca Sting (OCAA).
What's Next?
The Hawks are now just one win away from reaching the OCAA Final Four. Humber will face the the Niagara Knights (3-3-4, 5th West) on Saturday, Oct. 18, with kickoff scheduled for 3pm at Esther Shiner Stadium. Fans can catch all the action live on the Hawks Sports Network.
