Season ends for Women's Soccer in bronze medal match
By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications
WINDSOR – No. 12 Humber women's soccer (7-4-3, 3rd West) fell to the No. 3 Seneca Sting (13-1, 1st East) in the OCAA bronze-medal match on Sunday afternoon at Acumen Stadium. The Hawks finish the season fourth in the province.
The defeat also brought an end to Humber's eight-year streak of capturing OCAA medals.
Match recap
After three straight OCAA gold medal meetings, the Humber Hawks and the Seneca Sting found themselves in unfamiliar territory, meeting this time for bronze, not gold.
Following a heartbreaking semifinal loss to the host St. Clair Saints, the Hawks looked to extend their remarkable streak of nine consecutive seasons on the OCAA podium. Across the half, the Sting were battling their own demons. Heavy favourites against Centennial, the province's top defence saw their unbeaten run of over two years crumble after a costly defensive miscue.
For both sides, the bronze medal could be the chance to turn disappointment into a statement.
The opening minutes were all about patience, and both teams tested each other out without taking big risks. The cautious start meant fans had to wait, as there wasn't a single shot in the first 15 minutes of play.
Seneca outshot Humber 3-0 before halftime, but real danger was hard to come by. With little to separate the teams, the referee blew the whistle to end a slow, quiet first half.
Looking for more aggression after the break, head coach Jose Caro clearly adjusted his squad's approach to start the second half.
The Hawks came out pressuring high, refusing to give Seneca's backline and midfield time on the ball. But after weathering the early pressure, the Sting began to settle, turning the match back into a tactical battle for space.
Just shy of the 71st minute, Seneca broke the deadlock. A sloppy pass was intercepted by Bekah Lee, who sprang Priscilla Voulgaris into the 18-yard box. Voulgaris found the back of the net to give the Sting a 1-0 lead.
The Hawks, however, were far from done. Just four minutes later, Chantel Spalla received the ball in the midfield and delivered a beautiful left-footed, line-breaking pass to Kaylese Callender running down the left flank. Callender made no mistake, finishing the one-on-one with the keeper and tying the match 1-1.
Tensions boiled over late as Voulgaris was shown a red card in the 82nd minute after punching Tierra Bennet on the ground. However, the Sting managed to hold off Humber and see out regulation time.
Despite having a numerical advantage, the Hawks couldn't dictate the tempo in extra time. Their frustration grew in the 104th minute when Seneca was awarded a penalty. Kayla Uddenberg converted from the spot, restoring their lead at 2-1.
Humber battled until the final whistle for an equalizer but couldn't find the breakthrough. The Hawks finished the season without a provincial medal for the first time since 2015.
Game Notes
- The Hawks' run of eight straight seasons with an OCAA medal (one gold, five silver and two bronze) has come to an end.
- Humber holds an 8-8-2 all-time record against Seneca.
