OCAA MEN'S RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

For the first time in Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) men’s rugby history, it will be an all Greater Toronto Area (GTA) final as the Humber Hawks (Etobicoke) and Seneca Sting (North York) are set to meet in the 2007 OCAA Championship gold medal match hosted by Rugby Canada on Saturday, November 10, 2007. The match will be featured as part of Rugby Canada’s OCAA/OUA Championship Celebration to be played at Fletcher’s Fields in Markham, ON.

The OCAA championship game will start at 12:00 pm, following the conclusion of the OCAA bronze medal match between the Mohawk Mountaineers (Hamilton) and Fleming Knights (Peterborough). Kick-off for the opening match will be at 10:30 am which will open up the festivities.

The Seneca Sting will make their return to the gold medal game after beating the defending champion Mohawk Mountaineers 35-15 in semi-final action. After winning five consecutive provincial titles from 2001-2005, the Sting failed to qualify for the gold medal game last season after losing in the semi-finals to the Mountaineers. This year’s squad is gearing up for another crack for provincial supremacy when they take to the pitch on Saturday.

After Seneca’s sub-par year in 2006, the team stormed back to the top in 2007, winning the regular season championship with a record of 8-0 and going on to outscore their opponents 243-45. During an impressive nine day span in October, Seneca knocked off the top three teams in the OCAA propelling them to first place in the league standings. The Sting’s line-up features a core of returning players from last year’s side that have been focused on the OCAA championship from the season’s opening kick-off in September.

Head coach Robert McArthur has assembled a team that features a lot of depth on both sides of the ball. Seventeen players have made the scoresheet this season, led by fourth year centre Dave Prentice who scored a team high seven tries during the regular season. Second year teammate James Bayes will handle the kicking duties for the Sting, as he has converted on ten tries this season while adding four penalty kicks.

Seneca will face the Humber Hawks in the Championship final, who will make their second straight appearance in the title match. The Hawks picked up their first medal in men’s rugby last season, narrowly losing to the Mohawk Mountaineers 11-7 in the championship final. Humber looked as if they were going to take the lead in the final minutes with several scoring attempts but Mohawk’s defence stood strong and time eventually ran out on the Hawks.

The Hawks line-up features 15 returnees from last season’s silver medal team, who have their sights set on the 2007 provincial title. The team has been described as a very athletic squad with a lot of quickness. They wear down their opponents by playing hard until the final whistle. Humber enters the match with an 8-1 record and boast the league’s top offence and defense scoring a total of 288 points and allowing a league low 27 points during the regular season. The Hawks shut out the Fleming Knights 27-0 in their semi-final tilt.

Leading the way for Humber is Woodbridge native Adam Chianello. The third year fullback had one of the finest offensive seasons in OCAA history, scoring 101 points to lead the league in scoring. In the semi-finals, Chianello led the Hawks on the scoresheet once again scoring two tries and adding a convert to secure the Hawks ticket to the championship game. Head coach Carey French will also rely of the services of veteran players Andre Rose-Green, Brayden Hamilton-Smith and Dale Essue to lead the Hawks to their first provincial title.

“Lots of hard hits, open tackles, energy and emotion. I think that best sums up what you will see in the OCAA rugby final when Seneca and Humber hit the field,” comments Shannon Wright, Men’s Rugby Senior Convenor. “Only two points separated them in the standings and just one point was the difference in their lone meeting of the season. This is simply the best two teams in the OCAA deciding who really is the better team. Add in the cross-town rivalry and the desire both teams have to be champions and this looks to have the makings of a great game. From a league standpoint, it also is a strong showcase to see how far college rugby has developed over the past few years.”

In their only meeting in the regular season, it was a defensive struggle in rainy conditions as Seneca went on to defeat Humber 6-5. On Saturday, fans can expect another tight match-up with the provincial title on the line and hopefully better weather with the forecast calling for sunshine and cool temperatures.

The Championship bronze medal game will feature the Mohawk Mountaineers and Fleming Knights. The defending champion Mohawk Mountaineers will look to 2006 scoring champion James Cumpson to lead the Mountaineers offensive attack. Cumpson finished second in league scoring with 83 points in eight games this season, propelling him to second in the OCAA career scoring race with 142 points.

After having their consecutive medal streak snapped at eight years last season, the Fleming Knights will look to get back onto the medal podium. The Knights’ line-up features nine returning players, who might have their last chance at a provincial medal on Saturday. Fleming defeated Mohawk 21-14 in Hamilton in their regular season match-up. Fans can expect a high-scoring affair with plenty of hard hits as both teams have plenty of experience on the roster.

For more information, please visit the Championship website at http://www.rugbycanada.ca/2007oua-ocaa/. For advanced tickets, please e-mail the OCAA at dennis@ocaa.com.

SEMI-FINAL RESULTS:
Seneca defeated Mohawk 35-15
Humber defeated Fleming 27-0

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE:
Saturday November 10, 2007 @ Fletcher’s Fields (Markham)

OCAA Bronze Medal Game – Mohawk vs. Fleming - 10:30 am
OCAA Gold Medal Game – Humber vs. Seneca - 12:00 pm
OUA Bronze Medal Game - 12:00 pm
OUA championship game - 2:00 pm

Rogers Television (York Region) will be broadcasting the OUA and OCAA Men’s Gold Medal Games from Fletcher’s Field in Markham this Saturday, November 10th starting at 8:00 pm.

The OCAA governs intercollegiate sports and promotes physical activity in its member institutions through quality athletic and campus recreation programs. It offers 15 varsity sports to 30 member institutions throughout Ontario. For more information on the OCAA visit www.ocaa.com.