They came in with the best record in OCAA soccer, and after two hard-fought games, the Algonquin men’s soccer team proved they were the best team in Ontario. They capped the weekend with a 1-0 extra-time win over the Humber Hawks (6-0-2) to capture their first provincial gold medal since 2010.
“We just battled,” said head coach Mike Gagliano. “Guys with injuries, guys that were sore. We went from a battle yesterday to a battle today and we came out on top. That’s all you could ask of the guys, it was absolutely brilliant, everyone came together.” Kishoyian Kipusi found the back of the net late in the first half of extra time on a feed from Jemuel Paul, and it would be the only score the Thunder needed. Led by goalie Simon Brown, the tournament MVP, the team desperately clung to the lead for the final 15 minutes, despite fierce pressure put on by the Hawks.
“Our team always plays with a lot of heart,” said Brown. “we didn’t have most of the possession today, but certainly when we had it, we finished out chances when we needed to. I knew we were going to push through for the last 20 minutes, because we’ve worked all season for that.”
Algonquin found it difficult to create chances early with high winds blowing in their face for the first half of the game. When opportunities did present themselves, each team took their chances missing them.
“We knew our defensive shape was good enough so we just said ‘let’s defend for the first 45’,” said Paul. “We knew we could bring it home in the next half. We didn’t; so we said ‘this is where our fitness comes in, this is where we bring in the work.’”
Players collapsed on the field following the win, not only exhausted from the gold-medal game, but the semi-final game on Friday. Algonquin fell behind 2-0 to the Sheridan Bruins before scoring four straight goals to move on 4-2. Abe Kamara had two goals for the Thunder, while Isaac Johnson and Trevor Turner each had one.
“I expected nothing less,” said Stephane Emard, who was named OCAA player of the year on Oct. 23. “This is team has come together in a short time. We’ve stuck together, we worked hard. Previously we’ve had some tough times in the past years. We have a rich history, it’s nice to get it back on track.”
Algonquin will see Sheridan again, as they will host the CCAA National Championship on Nov 5-8.