It was around 3:30 p.m., an hour before the match as the Humber Hawks players walked into the dressing room. It was a big day, emotionally, as they were to play against Conestoga that day.
Defender Luca Pinto knew before the game that it was special, especially after last year when the Condors defeated the Hawks twice, including in the gold medal game of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).
“It’s a brand-new team,” he said. “We’re going to work hard, and you know, we’re gonna hopefully score, win it.”
It was a fantastic game for Pinto as the Hawks defeated the Condors 2-0 and achieved their first victory playing at home. With a win against the Windsor Saints a few days later, the Hawks now boast three wins, one tie and no losses so far, placing them third in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) rankings of the nation’s top 15 college men’s teams.
The Sept. 18 game was a solid one for the men's team that started the best way possible with an early goal scored by Pinto in the fifth minute when he headed a free kick.
The rest of the half was more disputed at midfield with Humber not being able to capitalize on its chances.
During the beginning of the second half, Humber started off quite solid, even scoring a goal that was later disallowed for a foul.
Soon after that, at around the 50th minute, a good collective play ended up with forward Marcus Riviere scoring the second and definitive goal for the Hawks, securing revenge for last year’s games.
Head coach Michael Aquino expressed his happiness after the match.
“That was an excellent performance from our boys,” Aquino said. “We had some good success.”
He highlighted the clean sheet after conceding goals in their last two games.
Conestoga head coach Stuart Mackie said his team couldn't attack precisely.
“The targets are on our back, so to speak,” Mackie said of last season’s gold medal.
Pinto said he couldn’t be happier after being decisive in the game. The Hawks deserved the win and got revenge from last year.
“My third year to help the team is an amazing feeling,” Pinto said. “We got the job done.”
After their victory, the Hawks visited St. Clair at Windsor, Ont., on Sept. 21 to get a win away from home, again with a 2-0 score. The win extended their unbeaten streak, and they got two wins in a row for the first time this season.
Their next game will be played against the Lambton Lions this Saturday, with the team looking forward to its second win in a row at home.
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