Standouts in soccer
Four men, two women selected to represent Niagara College on allstar soccer squads
The Niagara College men’s soccer team didn’t begin competing for a medal until the Ontario championships got underway Thursday.
However, the Knights already made their presence felt before edging the George Brown Huskies 3-2 in quarter-final action at Fleming College in Peterborough.
At the awards banquet the day before Jordi Amores, Carlos Williams, Andrew Currie, and Sam Robson were named to Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) all-star teams, while Currie was also named West Division defensive player of the year.
“We are extremely proud of our veteran all-stars this season,” Matthew Davies, the college’s director of athletics and recreation, said. “They are leaders for our program and they played key roles in helping lift our men’s soccer program to their winningest regular season in team history.”
Connor Diacur opened the scoring for the Knights at the eight-team men’s tournament in Peterborough by heading into a cross set up by hard work by Alex Latham and Currie on the left side of the pitch.
After George Brown netted the equalizer on a penalty kick, Jacob Therrien punctuated a long run by sliding the ball across the goal mouth and catching the goalkeeper wrong-footed to lift the Knights back into the lead.
Amores buried a corner kick from Currie to round out the scoring for Niagara in the must-win game.
The Huskies made the finish interesting by finding the back of the net in a goal-mouth scramble with a minute remaining in regulation.
Knights head coach Frank DeChellis said it was anyone’s game.
“There were two teams on the field that knew the other was capable of winning and that kept everybody on high alert for 90 minutes,” he said. “We had three quality finishes by three different players via three different scenarios.”
Niagara’s coaching staff let the players “play their own game.
“We set the structure and philosophy at training and place a lot of trust in their decision-making,” DeChellis said. “It may sound risky, but that is our style and they appreciate the freedom.
“After we conceded the late second goal they sorted themselves out with no direction from us and took us safely to the final whistle.”
This marks the third OCAA allstar selection for Amores. The Niagara Falls native and Holy Cross graduate is a driving force behind the Knights’ offensive attack.
From his midfield position, Amores took over games with his ability to maintain possession through defensive tackles, and used his spectacular footwork to set up Niagara scoring chances. Amores was also named a provincial all-star in 2013 and 2014.
Williams was selected an all-star for the second time in his post-secondary career. The St. Catharines native and Governor Simcoe alum led the Knights in scoring this season with six goals in 10 games.
The third-year striker rejoined the Knights in September after a two-year hiatus, and his dominant offensive performance this season saw him move into first place on the Knights’ all-time career scoring list with 15 goals.
Robson, a goalkeeper, is a firsttime all-star. The Milton native finished third in the OCAA with a .917 save percentage. He turned aside 33 shots while allowing just three goals in league play.
Currie, the Knights veteran team captain served as the anchor of the Niagara defensive back four. Game in and game out, the Woodstock native provided the Knights with lockdown defence against opposing teams’ top offensive threats
This is the first all-star selection for Currie, who becomes the first Niagara player to win defensive player of the year honours.
The Knights are making their third straight appearance at the OCAA Championship. They will open the 2017 tournament in a rematch of last year’s bronze medal match against the George Brown Huskies. Kickoff is set for noon Thursday at Fleming College, host of the eightteam tournament.
Winner advances to the semifinals against either Durham or Fanshawe, with the losing team eliminated from medal contention.
Major award winners
Despite being eliminated from the playoffs, Niagara also was wellrepresented in the winners circle at the women’s soccer awards banquet in Sudbury.
Michelle Maecker from Fonthill was named West Division rookie of the year, while Alexis Hebert from Ancaster was named the division’s defensive player of the year.
Maecker, who graduated from E.L. Crossley Secondary School, scored six goals in 10 games, the second most by a women’s soccer player at the region’s community college.
“Michelle began scoring in Game 1 this season,” Knights head coach Rob Lalama said. “She showed improvement in each match.
“We put her at striker out of necessity, but I think she’s a natural winger.
“She has a great attitude and was a big factor for us this season.”
Hebert, simply put, was outstanding for Niagara in 2017. The Waterdown native recorded five shutouts, posting a .938 save percentage, turning aside 58 shots on goal and conceding just four goals against.
She joins Natalie Semenuk, 2015-16, as Niagara players who have earned the defensive player of the year accolade.
“Alexis has been outstanding this year. Once healthy she really showed what a quality keep she is,” Lalama said. “She is one of the most athletic keepers I’ve seen in the OCAA.
“She could always be counted on to make a big save, and she got better every game.”
Despite falling just short of qualifying for the OCAA championship, the Knights appear ready to take the next step as Hebert and Maecker will return with the majority of the 2017 roster.
“I could not be happier for both girls,” Lalama said. “They are both exceptional young women and I am looking forward to seeing their growth moving forward.”