Men's soccer bow out in OCAA playoffs

The Fanshawe College men's soccer team was defeated by George Brown 4-3 in the quarterfinals of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) playoffs. Head coach Paul D'Hollander said the Falcons should have came out on top.

“This was a game we should have won,” D'Hollander said. “We had a one goal lead with fifteen minutes to go, but with our inability to close out games, and our lack of discipline resulted in us losing our momentum. That shouldn't happen at this level.”


George Brown capitalized on their offensive chances and the Falcon defense had three or four costly defensive errors permitting three breakaways, D'Hollander said.

“It was still a great turnaround year for us, but our mental lapses were our undoing,” D'Hollander said.

The Falcons improved upon last years dismal season, and finished in a tie for second place in the OCAA West division with a 4-1-3 record.

D'Hollander said that this season was still a success despite the result, and has high hopes for next year.

“We had a good young group of rookies this year, and higher expectations will be placed on them for the next season,” D'Hollander said.

“We'll be in search of a new goalie next year and several defenders as well.”

D'Hollander one important aspect the team improved upon this season was the element of team building and fellowship, something that D'Hollander said will be a good building block for next year.

“Our team harmony was drastically improved upon and it was a very welcoming experience for our rookies,” D'Hollander said.

The OCAA playoffs will continue without the Falcons, as Algonquin plays Sheridan in one OCAA semifinal, and Humber will compete against George Brown in the other semifinal contest. Sheridan College will host the tournament on October 27 to October 28.