On October 29, the Conestoga Condors men’s soccer team defeated Humber College 3-0 to take home its first Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) title since 1979. The win is the most recent in an undefeated season.
Veteran captain Malachi Ramsay, a Business Fundamentals student, led the team’s performance at the OCAA championships with a Most Valuable Player performance. In his fifth year with the squad, and a 2022-23 Conestoga Varsity Athlete of the Year, Ramsay has been part of a long journey which saw the team lose in last year’s OCAA quarterfinals before enjoying this championship run.
Ramsay was also named an OCAA West Division first-team all star for his play throughout the season, and is joined in that accomplishment by Business student Mike D’Angelo, and Luca Romano who is enrolled in the Electrical Engineering Technology (Optional Co-op) program. Also notable throughout the season was Ricardo Alvarado’s contribution. The Fitness & Health Promotion student earned OCAA league and West Division Rookie of the Year honours.
“Finishing the season undefeated with a 14-0 record is rare, especially in the competitive West Division of the OCAA,” said Andrew Bates, associate director, Sport & Recreation. “The Athletics and Recreation department couldn’t be prouder of this team’s achievements.”
According to Bates, this year’s squad is a close-knit group brought together by experiences such as a come-from-behind victory against St. Clair College - a game in which they trailed 3-0 and ended up winning 4-3.
The team is coached by Stuart Mackie, who was honoured by both the OCAA and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) as Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year in 2022.
“The 2023 men’s soccer program has undergone a cultural transformation over the last number of years under Coach Mackie’s leadership,” notes Bates. “He is a true players’ coach who student-athletes respond to and trust in his on- and off-field decision making.”
The squad now sets its sights on the CCAA Men’s Soccer National Championship hosted by St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. Their first match is the quarterfinals against Vancouver Island University on November 8. This is the first time in its history that the men’s program has qualified for this level.
The CCAA is the governing body for national intercollegiate championships, enriching the academic experience of student-athletes by providing leadership, programs and services that foster development through high-level competitive opportunities in sport. The OCAA is the provincial governing body for intercollegiate sports, offering quality programs to pursue athletic excellence.
Conestoga's Athletics & Recreation department offers programming and facilities designed to engage students and enhance their health and wellness through varsity and extramural athletics, intramural sports and fitness classes. The Student Recreation Centre at the Kitchener - Doon campus won a Design Excellence Award from the Ontario Association of Architects and provides a full range of recreation and athletic services. It also houses a 35,000 square-foot fitness centre outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment.