2022 OCAA WOMEN’S PLAYOFF SOCCER FORMAT

Postcoach.ca: Julian Carr

Ask anyone in the OCAA, it’s been a very interesting year, the first full year back from COVID with a normal schedule and full run of games.

The OCAA welcomed back Cambrian and Algonquin into the league and the year has been about excitement. The playoffs should not disappoint either.

The Seneca women appear to be the team to beat and the odds on favorite to go back to the National Dance at Champlain College Saint-Lambert. So let’s take a look at the savory match ups for this weekend and predict who should come out on top to get to Durham on October 27 to 30, 2022.

2022 OCAA WOMEN’S SOCCER STANDINGS

EAST	Overall
	GP	Points	Record	Win %	For	Aga.	Last 10	Streak
SENECA	10	30	10-0	1.000	50	1	10-0	Won 10
ALGONQUIN	10	22	7-2-1	0.750	41	11	7-2-1	Won 3
DURHAM	10	22	7-2-1	0.750	43	5	7-2-1	Lost 2
CAMBRIAN	10	20	6-2-2	0.700	34	14	6-2-2	Won 4
CENTENNIAL	10	17	5-3-2	0.600	19	8	5-3-2	Lost 1
GEORGE BROWN	10	14	4-4-2	0.500	20	15	4-4-2	Won 1
ST. LAWRENCE	10	10	3-6-1	0.350	21	32	3-6-1	Lost 1
FLEMING	10	4	1-8-1	0.150	4	58	1-8-1	Lost 6
LOYALIST	10	4	1-8-1	0.150	7	49	1-8-1	Won 1
SAULT	10	1	0-9-1	0.050	2	48	0-9-1	Lost 7

WEST	Overall
	GP	Points	Record	Win %	For	Aga.	Last 10	Streak
HUMBER	10	24	7-0-3	0.850	28	4	7-0-3	Tied 2
MOHAWK	10	20	5-0-5	0.750	13	8	5-0-5	Won 3
NIAGARA	10	19	6-3-1	0.650	22	12	6-3-1	Won 1
SHERIDAN	10	17	5-3-2	0.600	17	9	5-3-2	Tied 1
REDEEMER	10	17	5-3-2	0.600	14	10	5-3-2	Won 2
FANSHAWE	10	10	2-4-4	0.400	13	11	2-4-4	Lost 1
CONESTOGA	10	8	2-6-2	0.300	13	23	2-6-2	Lost 1
ST. CLAIR	10	7	2-7-1	0.250	7	21	2-7-1	Lost 3
LAMBTON	10	2	0-8-2	0.100	4	33	0-8-2	Lost 6

Seneca vs. Conestoga

The runaway train that is the Seneca women this year continues to roll on and Coach Peter Mackie’s Conestoga Condors are going to have a steep uphill climb tomorrow in the Sting. Coach Mackie is one of the better coaches in the OCAA at figuring out a way to get a win, but with the Sting looking to take their first Provincial Gold since 2014, and look to take on the Quebec teams and wrestle away the championship from them, their run begins here. The hunger is great and the apatite is large. Coach Luca Sirianni and his staff have the Women buzzing and this year they have been able to take the “Sting” out of their opposition by giving up only 1 goal and scoring a “whopping” 50. It’s going to be a long day for Conestoga. Pick: Seneca 5-1

Algonquin vs. Fanshawe

Welcome to the “Dance with Wolves”, Ottawa version. New season, after a season off, new uniforms, new name, same home, same winning tradition, it’s still Algonquin. Coach Basil Phillips’ Wolves are no longer cubs. They have a plus 30 goal differential, they’re on a three game winning streak and their losses this year were to #1 Seneca and #9 Centennial. Not bad for a team that a year ago was on hiatus, Coach Phillips wasn’t sure what was coming in and how it was going to mesh together. But it has and the second place finish may be just the beginning. Fanshawe has been uncharacteristically up and down this year. Coach Anthony Vassallo has had to deal with a program turnover that has see a number of key players graduate from last year’s 2021 OCAA Championship side having to gain a lot of experience on the run. This one may be too much for the Falcons with the Wolves looking for a feast. Thunder Yard or Wolves Den this one should be a familiar result; Algonquin win. Pick: Algonquin 2-1

Cambrian vs. Redeemer

Anytime there is a playoff game at Cambrian, it’s an adventure for the visiting team. Now with the Golden Shield back in the OCAA after a year away post COVID, we get to see tomorrow if things go back to the tradition of lopsided officiating, given that the official shortage may mean local officials doing this game that are not really qualified nor capable of administering a game at this level properly. Yes, there, it’s been said. There has been enough bad officiating in places where there are decent officials that can keep up with the game, and in a place that doesn’t see enough high level games to cultivate officials, this means that for Coach Meaghan Rudd’s team they have to play not only the 11 players on the field, but the possibly the second team of the 3 in middle, they may need some “divine intervention” to pull this one out. Yes, this is a heavy accusation to level, but given that Cambrian was the reason that neutral site officials were introduced in the OCAA for the season and playoff games specifically, here is hoping that in 2022 The Golder Shield doesn’t get any local extra help. Soccer wise this should be a very even game. Coach Evan Phillips’ Cambrian is riding a four game win streak and Redeemer a two game win streak. So if you are in Sudbury, you need to check this one out live. It’s going to good. I have to give the edge to the home team for all of the reasons stated earlier. Pick: Cambrian 2-1

Sheridan vs. Centennial

New faces, version 4080 of this on again, off again rivalry. Sheridan vs. Centennial games have always been entertaining on the either the men’s or the women’s side and this year’s latest version on the Women’s side is filled with so much energy for end to end football, if you are in the area you have to go to it. Coach Paul Angelini’s Bruins have been stingy this year giving up on 9 goals, but they have been bested by Coach Rich Hurst’s Colts surrendering only 8, and six of those 8 were to Seneca over two games. This game like the other 4 v 5 match, it should be end to end and it’s a “pick ’em” game. In this one, it will come down to the wire between the two who scores last and it may even get to a shoot out. Pick: Centennial 2-2 PK’s 3-2

Niagara vs. George Brown

In this game, it is not always what it appears to be. On paper, Niagara should win this game because they have the better goal differential, they have more points and they are at home. But that is why we play the games, because they are not played on paper, a table top, or a video screen. Those are other sports and only one of them is a league in the OCAA. Niagara’s Coach Rob Lalama should have his women ready to go and to step into the next game after this one, But if seasoned Coach Leslie “Tiger” Fitzpatrick and his staff can get their women in the right frame of mind this one may be ripe for an upset. Neither team has been overly stingy on the defensive end, so expect a high scoring affair. Pick: Niagara 4-2

Mohawk vs. St. Lawrence

Finishing second in the West this year Mohawk has been defensively sound, but also has been doing just enough to win or tie their games. It could be Coach Paul Giannini’s Mountaineers style to score and hold, because they have only scored five more goals than they allowed, so either they are going to have a break out game, or this is going to be a slower affair to watch. Coach Liana Oullette’s St. Lawrence Surge have given up eleven more goals than they have scored this season, so this game should be about goals, and a lot of them. The Mountaineers should have their first multi goal victory of the season. Pick: Mohawk 4-1

Humber vs. Fleming

So Coach Jose Caro’s Humber Hawks Women’s team has been nationally ranked all year and is hoping to make it to Nationals this year for his Women to give him the Coaching National Championship to go with his two Championships as a player. His Hawks scored 28 goals this year for a plus 24 goal advantage. The four goals that they did surrender this season so far, is equal to the four goals that Coach Steve Rocha’s Fleming Knights have scored while surrendering 58 to their opponents. This is not going to be pretty, and the only possible “mercy rule” that exists, will be if Humber calls off the “Dogs” and stops scoring. It is going to be a long day for the Knights who will be made short work of by the Hawks. Pick: Humber 7-0

So let’s see where ewe are after the weekend with the games. If you can get out to check out the games near you, please do. Entertaining Women’s Football on a Saturday. Enjoy.