A 10-8 record to finish the 2022-23 season was good enough to give the Mohawk Mountaineers the fourth seed in the OCAA West division and a home playoff game. Now, on Feb. 18 the Mountaineers will host the Durham Lords inside the DBARC at 1 p.m.
The OCAA crossover playoff matchup will be streamed on OCAA Live.
It will be a busy day inside the DBARC as men's volleyball will leadoff a tripleheader with women's and men's basketball hosting the St. Clair Saints immediately after at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The Matchup:
The Mountaineers clinched a home playoff game on the final day of the regular season, winning the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Redeemer Royals, who also finished 10-8.
In the second half of the season Mohawk really started to show their strides winning three of their final four games. Their lone loss in that stretch was a five set defeat to the No. 2 nationally ranked Fanshawe Falcons. Earlier in the second half of the season, the Mountaineers also played the Cambrian Golden Shield, the third seed in the west division, to a five set match.
A highlight win for Mohawk this season came in the first half when they swept the current No. 14 nationally ranked Humber Hawks.
Durham enters the match as the OCAA East fifth seed and ended the season with a 10-8 record, losing their final two. It should be noted that half the Lords wins game in 3-0 fashion. On the other hand, five of their eight losses also came in three sets.
Playoff History:
Last season, Mohawk got themselves to the OCAA quarterfinals but lost in five sets to the Canadore Panthers.
The Mountaineers have made the playoffs each of the last four seasons, but haven't claimed a medal since the 2016-17 season when they won it all.
The Lords have made OCAA playoff appearances in three consecutive seasons, but have competed in the OCAA Championship match twice in the last five – winning silver both times.
What Happened Last Time:
Saturday will mark nearly three years since these two last played. Mohawk and Durham played in an OCAA crossover match on February 22, 2020 with the Lords hosting as the top seed in the East. Durham would win that match 3-0.
What's on the Line:
Winner of this match will advance to the OCAA Championship tournament hosted by Fanshawe Falcons between Feb. 23-25. Whoever wins will play the winner of Sheridan and Georgian in the OCAA quarterfinals.
