TORONTO, ON – Ontario University Athletics hasn’t had much to show for in men’s soccer, accolades-wise, recently. York and Carleton, the conference’s representatives at last month’s National Championship, bowed out at the first time of asking. No OUA school has laid claim to a nationwide title since 2015. 

However, over the last three Canadian Premier League-U Sports Drafts, OUA tops the charts with 17 draftees.

There are a multitude of reasons as to why this might be the case, not the least being that many OUA players also ply their trade in League1 Ontario. Whatever the rationale for selecting more players from OUA, coaches and front offices alike still hold the league in high regard for churning out potential CPLers.

So, given that out of the 204 players who declared for the Draft, 79 are from OUA (the most of any conference),  I thought it would be an exciting exercise to do a mock draft of the first round using just players from the 20 universities that make up the division. The Draft order this year was determined by the CPL regular season standings for the bottom three and the playoff ranking for the top five. Valour FC is on the clock.

Valour FC: Pablo Hempelmann-Perez  (Queen’s)

Despite the Queens Gaels ultimately disappointing in the playoff season, Hempelmann-Perez was one of the reasons they even got to that stage. Playing as a second striker to Matthew Ciavarro, he was a key aspect of an aggressive, potent offensive unit. His work rate is high, constantly finding the effort to press tightly and flip plays on their heads. Oh, and of course, he can score a golazo if it is asked of him. Hempelmann-Perez led OUA in goals + assists last year, with 17. He also led the conference in shots with 44, proving that the Gaels trusted him to take shots and have the ball at his feet when it counts.

Valour desperately needs some offensive life. They weren’t lively often last year, and someone like Hempelmann-Perez, who can bridge the midfield of Diego Gutierrez and Dante Campbell to the strike force of flashy signing Shaan Hundal and the skillful Pacifique Niyongabire, would be very beneficial to Phil Dos Santos’ system.

Vancouver FC: Tyler Attardo (York)

 Attardo is a familiar name to CPL fans, as he burst onto the scene back in 2019 when he scored 4 goals in 15 games for Valour. Since then, he’s been always moving, akin to his play style. Fling the ball over the top to him and he can track it down. His playmaking skills are also good, and he can finish from all sorts of distances.

With Alejandro Díaz’s loan soon to expire, and Hundal departing, the striker role has opened up. Attardo could link up with former no. 1 pick Gabriel Bitar in either a front two or three. Plus, the Eagles are heading into their encore season, so a pinch of CPL experience would be welcomed.

Atletico Ottawa: Colin Gander  How may he assist you? With 5 for the TMU Bold this season, the former Halifax Wanderer stepped into his own as one of OUA’s best passers. A potent partnership with Chris Campoli was a thorn in the side to even the best defenders. What makes Gander special is his ability to whip in a cross while in transition, sometimes out of nothing. A trusted outlet to down the field fast, Gander helped build up plays from the back quickly.

Ottawa’s signature counter-attacks rely too much through the middle of the pitch, something that was exploited by rivals down the stretch. They need someone like Gander to move the ball around the field.

York United: Dino Bontis (Western)

Bontis’ 2023 was utterly remarkable, stepping into the role as one of OUA’s best shot-stoppers. 50 saves was only 3rd-best, but it’s about when those saves came that made the difference.  He guided Western to a playoff victory, going on the road against a tough Guelph side and keeping the Mustangs in the contest with 7 saves. They lost to York in the quarterfinal after extra time, but he still spectacularly made 10 stops.

If York United needs two things this offseason, it’s goalkeepers and U-21 players. Bontis checks both those boxes. And given that he’s only a sophomore, locking down his U SPORTS rights would be a wise move.

HFX Wanderers: Matthew Ciavarro (Queen’s)

Ciavarro can capitalize on many different types of scoring opportunities, with or without the ball. A high-octane forward, he pops out of nowhere at times, swiping the ball from right under the feet of defenders. He’s a solid finisher too, glued to the central channel

Halifax doesn’t have many positional needs, but as it stands the only centre-forward on the roster is Tiago Coimbra, who is still developing. Patrice Gheisar will certainly want to diversify the ranks at the no. 9 position.

Pacific FC: Luca Piccioli (Carleton)

The hero of Carleton’s OUA championship, scoring twice in the Final, is one of the standouts heading into draft day. He finished with 9 goals, good for 6th in the conference, but the sheer variety that he can score is dangerous. The Ravens man for spot kicks and free kicks has pure power in his right boot, which was on full display at the aforementioned championship game. His tight finish in the same game also exemplified his range. Carleton did their best to consistently dish him the ball, it evolved into their game plan. He can distribute but likes running the pitch with the ball at his feet, even if he is double-teamed.

Piccioli would bring something different from current talisman Easton Ongaro, that being a good dribbler to couple with finishing. There are already plenty of cooks in the kitchen, and it’d be a tough ask of James Merriman to manage Piccioli alongside attackers like Adonijah Reid, Kekuta Manneh, and Ayman Sellouf.

Cavalry FC: Russell Stewart (Toronto)

 Stewart just fits the Tommy Wheeldon Jr. mould. Wheeldon Jr. loves to let his players just play, bringing the best out of their skill sets. Stewart is exactly the type of player one would want to let loose: bombing down the touchline, swerving around defenders, and orchestrating give-and-goes in midfield. 

When the Toronto Varsity Blues gave him the ball, good things happened. Stewart is often seen as a right midfielder in the U of T setup but finds his way into all pockets of the pitch. He’s great for dragging the ball into the box with himself, floating in crosses when it’s needed but largely dribbling his way into dangerous areas.

The Cavs don’t necessarily need another player like that, especially with Shamit Shom and Ali Musse on the right flank already. But adding another talent into the mix, especially in a year with more fixture congestion, isn’t bad.

Forge FC: Christian Zeppieri (York)

Truth be told, Forge doesn’t need anyone from this Draft, and whoever they take, it’s unlikely that they earn a contract. Though Zeppieri could be the one that they’d at least want in camp to take a few glances at. Coming from Carmine Isacco’s school, Zeppieri could easily adjust to Bobby Smyrniotis’ very technical system. He appeared in every single match for the York Lions in 2023, scoring 4 times and establishing control in the midfield.

Forge already has Kyle Bekker, Noah Jensen, and Alessandro Hojabrpour. The latter is often thrown onto the defensive side of the game, while Bekker and Jensen attack, meaning Zeppieri would likely be a depth piece. That said, Bekker is 33, and although he hasn’t slowed down yet, adding a continental competition into the mix next year might force him onto the bench to rest a little more.