CCAA Men's Soccer Championships Feature

by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips

The 2017 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Soccer National Championships had one major difference this year?

No Humber Hawks.

For only the second time in the last eight years, the door was wide open as the 2017 No. 1 ranked Hawks had not made it out of their own Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).

During the last five years they had brought home four CCAA men's soccer championship banners.

Also not making the trip to Nanaimo, British Columbia were  CCAA season-end ranked No. 5 Fanshawe Falcons (OCAA), No. 6  Capilano Blues, Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) and No. 7 Elans Garneau, Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ).

In their place came Indiens d'Ahuntsic, No. 10 (RSEQ), Algonquin Thunder, No. 12 (OCAA) and unranked Douglas Royals (PACWEST) and Durham Lords (OCAA).

Included  in the tournament were our very own Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Keyano Huskies with a No. 3 ranking and NAIT Ooks at No. 8.

Rounding out the eight-team format, were coast teams, the host Vancouver Island College Mariners (PACWEST) and Holland College Hurricanes, Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA).

The Huskies were making their fourth straight CCAA appearance, having earned silver in 2016 as the host team while the Ooks from Edmonton, were returning for a after a two-year absence, having been preceded by a five-year run with gold medal status in 2011 and silver in 2010.

On the final day Saturday it was the Huskies, three-time ACAC men's soccer defending champion, against the Hurricanes for bronze medal status and the Ooks against the Durham Lords for 5th/6th place status.

2017 Coach of the Year Charles O'Toole, NAIT Head Coach

Bronze Medal Game

This would be the second time in four-days kicking off against the Hurricanes as the Huskies had claimed an opening day 2-0 decision Wednesday at Merle Logan Field against the Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island school, with Neto Maguel taking a brilliant through ball from Pedro Bianchi to score seven minutes into the second half. Eduardo Filho scored on a penalty kick at 77 minutes to advance the Huskies.

The key in that CCAA Quarter-final game was stopping four-time CCAA All Canadian and 2017 CCAA Player of the Year Ibrahima Sanoh, who had recorded an incredible 27 goals in 12 regular season starts this year.

Once again superb defence by the Huskies, held Sanoh in check the entire bronze medal match Saturday.

It would be an own goal that would be the Huskies demise though. Hurricanes' Alexanros Iatrou's long free kick was punched high into the air by Huskies' net minder Jonathan Bruggeling, the ball dropping onto a players back and into the net for an own goal at the 79th minute mark.

It was the end of the soccer season for first-year Huskies coach Murad Sukru.

"I am very proud of the guys," said Sukru, during closing ceremonies with a steady rain falling. "Coming here in my first year, they came through and played their game and it is just unfortunate  go out like that. We need to keep working hard, on-and -off the pitch and come back stronger next year."

Keyano Huskies, Pedro Bianchi

For Bralizian teammates and fifth year student/athletes Rodrigo Wogel Koebsch (Rio de Janerio) and Pedro Bianchi (Paracatu MG) it was a good run.

"The five years have gone by fast," said Bianchi. "I remember my first Keyano game and I was told to take care of myself and make sure that I played well for my five years and enjoy every single minute because it goes by fast and today, that's all I could remember."

Bianchi, named a 2017 CCAA Tournament All Star, ends his post-secondary athletic career with four consecutive CCAA appearances and four ACAC All Conference selections while scoring 24 regular season goals.

Koebsch, a scoring machine with 41 career goals , also looked back fondly on his time at the northern Alberta school: "It is already done…it's like crazy to think about. I am very proud of what we did at Keyano…four years at nationals. I came (to Canada) and had to learn to do everything myself without family but I had another family with (Keyano athletics and Huskies team). It changed my life."

Huskies other matches included a 2-0 semi-final loss to the Royals and a bronze semi-final 2-1 decision against the Lords with Harris Bajric and Carlos Gunner Kavidjima  getting credit.

Huskies goalie Jonathan Bruggeling showed his worth as in a goal mouth scramble against the Hurricanes on day one,  he received a nasty cut above the left eye at the end of the half, only to return to play the second half with a bandaged head.

The cut would later require 10 stitches.

Huskies Garrett Edwards was presented by the CCAA an Exemplary Leadership Award at the closing ceremonies. Edwards following the conclusion of one game, gave his cleats to a young fan who was watching the game.

NAIT Ooks Zach Kaiser

The NAIT Ooks, coached by 2017 CCAA Coach of the Year Charles O'Toole, opened action Wednesday with a solid 4-0 victory against the Lords in a CCAA Quarter-final game.

A first-half, in which the Ooks managed eight corner kicks, ended 1-0  with NAIT captain Zach Kaiser scoring at 45th minute.

The flood gates opened in the second half for Ooks' Ali Musse, recording a natural hat trick.

In their CCAA Semi-Final, the Ooks were turned back by eventual CCAA champion VIU  Mariners 6-1.

Ooks lone goal was scored by Musse at the 16-minute mark.

NAIT Ooks Ali Musse

In the bronze medal qualifier, the Ooks were edged out by the Hurricanes 4-3 goals off of the feet of Taylor Bussiere, Matthew McLean and Musse.

The brilliance of Sanoh came to the forefront with two markers.

The Sunday's 5th/6th placement match found the Lords edging the Ooks 2-1 in stoppage time.

Nicholas Gomes scored for the Ooks.

And as stated on the CCAA website Ooks goalie "Francesco Marrazo was the NAIT Player of the Game making some phenomenal saves."

"I think the boys did OK…we had a lot of first-years," said Ooks coach O'Toole, of the fact that the roster shows 14 rookies. "We also ran into some health problems as we had to take a few players to the hospital with a stomach bug that we picked up.

"With that we had to put a couple of players in different positions (vs Mariners) and we simply did not have the strength to last for the 90 minutes."

Of the CCAA introduction to the 14 rookies: "They had their eyes opened to the skill level it takes to be at the national championships. The mental toughness and physical wise what it takes."

The host Mariners won the CCAA championship game 1-0 against the Douglas Royals in an all PACWEST final. Scoring the lone goal was former two-time ACAC All-Conference selection and Lakeland College Rustlers player Cukovic.

Stefan Cukovic

"Playing in the ACAC helped me to become a better player…and this is the final result of this process," he said.

The 2018 CCAA Men's Soccer Championships will be hosted by Holland Colleges.