Welcome To October: Business As Usual For Some, Work To Do For
So now that we have completed the first month of the season in the CCAA Women’s loop, here are some “take aways” that are obvious, and some that are not so obvious reasons that are up for debate and make some great conversations around the “ahhem” water cooler.
CCAA Women:
Ahuntsic Eagles are the “run-away” favorites currently in the Women’s College loop. Although they did stumble with a tie against last place National Championship hosts Champlain College Saint–Lambert this past weekend, every coach knows that it is hard to be a first place team and play teams at the bottom and come out fired up. But this is where champions show what they are capable of, they respond, stand and deliver. They did get out with a point on Saturday, so maybe this was “the waking of the sleeping giant” in coach André Mercho’s squad.
Last year’s national championship finalists Les Dynamiques de Sainte-Foy are close behind looking for another run to redeem themselves for last year’s shortcomings versus last year’s powerful squad in the Vanier Cheetahs and if the get to Nationals they will also be one to watch as a favorite. This is going to be a tough year as only one RESQ school gets to go to Nationals with the aforementioned Champlain College Saint-Lambert having already booked their spot.
CCAA Championship matches will take place on Seaway Park 3, Nov. 9-12, 2022, in Saint-Lambert, QC. the field located directly next to the college. The artificial turf field, constructed in 2012, is FIFA certified.
The eight-team tournament will feature conference champions from the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST), Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC), Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA), RSEQ and Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA). The Cavaliers, who automatically qualify as hosts, and a wildcard team from OCAA, will round out the field.
May be worth the trip to Quebec to watch the final… hmmmm. Wait a minute, of course it will be. Stay tuned fans this one is going to be fun to watch.
In the MCAC after their first loss of the season on September 28th for Coach Justin Légaré’s Université de Saint-Boniface to Providence University College, Légaré’s charges at the Université de Saint-Boniface got back up on track with their regular season with a win over Brandon University but they suffered a drop to number 9 in the country. Providence University College still remains unranked even though they are on a 4 game winning streak, but no doubt Coach Tory Walker has the Pilots going in the right direction.
Things in the ACAC this week created the biggest stir in the National rankings mix.
The Queens of Red Deer Polytechnic took on the last week’s nationally second ranked undefeated SAIT Trojans and prevailed in an action packed match knocking SAIT out of the top 10 down to number 12. The win was enough to vault RDP into the National rankings at number 14. As stated previously it’s hard to get through the College season unscathed, so this may just be a bump in the road for Trojans. Time will tell.
The PACWEST doesn’t remain a mystery VIU was ranked number 3 in the country last week when the Mariners held onto top spot in the PACWEST conference tied with Douglas College now ranked 6th nationally, but ahead on goal differential–after their final road trip of the regular season ended with one loss and one win, VIU are 5-2-1 after a two game losing streak that may just be a speed bump. Now we all know that once and a while bad things happen to good people, so Coach Bobbie Taylor will get the team back on track and ready for the upcoming playoffs with that anticipated playoff clash with Coach Chris Laxton’s Douglas College Royals to come out of the PACWEST.
Down east in the ACAA, Coach Danielle Cyr’s the MSVU Mystics are leading the way on a 6-0 run, but haven’t gotten the love of the national rankings top 10 chart as yet, but if they continue their winning ways, and their recognition it is bound to come. Currently Coach Cyr’s women are ranked 13th in the country, having to deal with the postponement of their game against second place UNB Saint John on September 24th due to the storm that gripped the east coast. The game of the week Thanksgiving week in the ACAA will no doubt be on October 12 at the Canada Games Stadium between the first and second place teams. Barring an upset, these are the two teams that should battle for the trip to Champlain College Saint-Lambert in November. Last year’s conference representatives Holland College are currently sitting in fourth in the standings with a .500 record.
In the OCAA the number 2 nationally ranked Seneca Sting, the number 4 Humber Hawks and the number 10 Durham Lords remain the favorites coming out of Ontario with Coach Rich Hurst’s Lady Colts making a push to bring some hardware back to Centennial since their bronze medal back in 2012. Algonquin College and Cambrian College are back in the running in the league after a “one year” “self – imposed” COVID hiatus. Perennial provincial contenders Fanshawe College appear to be in a rebuilding year.
The Sting only solidified their first place Provincial ranking with a pair of decisive wins with a 9-0 thumping of St. Lawrence College and a second half explosion versus Algonquin 5-0. Coach Luca Sirianni’s Sting currently have a game in hand on the division leaders and number 10 ranked Durham Lords, whom are also undefeated keeping pace with a 6-0 pounding of Loyalist College and a 12-0 pasting of Fleming College. The Humber Hawks also were able to keep pace with Seneca and Durham with wins over the St. Clair Saints and the Lambton College Lions to move up to number 4. But the big question is: Will Sirianni’s charges be able to push through the favorites from Quebec? The Sting should be able to get to Champlain College Saint-Lambert, but which of the other three contenders will it be, or will it be a dark horse? Ontario get’s another entry this year. We’ll see
So now that we are moving into the latter half of the regular season in every conference, there are going to be some very enticing story lines to follow.
Stay tuned.