Sirianni Named OCAA Coach of the Year
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is proud to announce that Luca Sirianni of Seneca Polytechnic has been named its 2023-24 Coach of the Year. Sirianni was at the helm of a Sting team that completed a historic women's outdoor soccer season in 2023.
Seneca has been a powerhouse in the East Division in recent years, having won 25 straight regular season matches at the conclusion of the 2022 season and three straight divisional crowns, all under Sirianni. The Sting were awarded two OCAA silver medals since 2019, and competed at the 2022 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women's Soccer National Championship where they finished in fourth place. Seneca's last OCAA championship came in 2014.
Sirianni had a strong leadership presence entering the 2023 season with student-athletes either returning after taking some time off or continuing their studies after university or taking a second program at Seneca. The regular season began for Seneca in much the same way the 2022 ended, with victories in eight straight matches. But Seneca's 33-match winning streak in regular season play ended on Oct. 11 against a very determined Centennial Colts squad. The Sting lost 3-2, but in hindsight, this outcome was perhaps the proverbial wakeup call.
Seneca concluded the regular season with a record of 9-1 and another East Division championship. The Sting outscored their opponents 85-5, and shut out their opponents in eight matches. Seneca easily advanced through the opening two rounds of the post-season to earn a return trip to the OCAA championship.
A 4-0 win over the St. Clair Saints in the semi-finals put Seneca in a rematch against the Humber Hawks in the gold medal game. Seneca succumbed to Humber 2-0 the previous year and fell behind early 1-0, but three unanswered goals was the difference as the Sting prevailed 3-1, winning the OCAA championship.
Returning to nationals, Seneca set it sights on something no OCAA program had ever done. The Sting scored a pair of second-half goals in the opener to defeat the UKC Blue Devils 2-0. Then with a trip to the CCAA final on the line, Jessica Shears scored two times in the opening 40 minutes against the Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers as Seneca held on to a 2-0 victory.
Becoming the first OCAA team to earn a CCAA medal since 2018 and the first to appear in a CCAA gold medal game since 2009 wasn't enough to satisfy this Sting squad. Batting the Dynamiques de Sainte-Foy to a stalemate for the first 73 minutes of play, Emma Gattoni capitalized on a chance in front of the net to score the most important goal in Sting history. Seneca went on to win 1-0, securing a first-ever national championship for itself and the OCAA. The Sting proved their defensive prowess, not allowing a single goal at the tournament.
This past winter, Seneca went on to have a successful indoor season. Under Sirianni tutelage, the Sting went 8-1 in both regionals and provincials, winning the OCAA championship for the second time in three seasons.
Source: OCAA Communications