NDC Ontario look to finish top

There are four L1O games taking place on Friday night – two in the Women’s Premier Division and two in the men’s.

NDC Ontario host Tecumseh in their final match of the regular season. Having beaten North Toronto Nitros 2-0 earlier in the week to move above Vaughan Azzurri, another win for NDC will ensure they finish at the top of the Women’s Premier Division standings.

Elsewhere, Darby are in action in both divisions with the women’s side facing Hamilton United and the men hosting Unionville Milliken. Three points may be too little too late for the women’s chances of playing in the Premier next year, while the men have a 10-point deficit to reduce.

Blue Devils can take a step closer to a top-two finish in the Men’s Premier Division with three points against St Catharines Roma Wolves, as a win will take the Oakville side five points clear of third-place Guelph United.

Key Women’s Premier Division games

Twelve teams take to the field in the Women’s Premier Division on Saturday, many for the last time before the introduction of the new tiered system next season.

Having lost to NDC Ontario on Wednesday, North Toronto Nitros will want to bounce back in their final game of the season against Blue Devils. The Nitros have already guaranteed a playoff finish, while Blue Devils need three points if they are to stand a chance of snatching a 2024 top-division spot away from Guelph Union.

Guelph Union, meanwhile, travel to Alliance United knowing that getting three points is a must. Alliance clinched a playoff spot last night with victory against Burlington, but can finish in third place should they win and North Toronto Nitros drop points, meaning they would then play the sixth-placed team in the playoffs.

North Mississauga against FC London is a huge game. The Panthers sit one point behind the top six and need a win to move ahead of Simcoe County Rovers. FC London, meanwhile, are currently two points behind the top six but crucially they have two games to play – their final one being against Electric City on Tuesday.

Simcoe County Rovers may have to wait until Tuesday to know if they have made it into the playoffs once again. They’ll need to beat BVB IA Waterloo on Saturday and hope FC London drop points in their two remaining fixtures.  

Electric City still have an outside chance of clinching a playoff spot and are one of a few teams with two games still to play this season. They’ll need three points against Burlington on Saturday and against FC London on Tuesday, and to hope the teams above them slip up.

In our final women’s game of the day, St Catharines Roma Wolves travel to Unionville Milliken. The visitors need three points if they are to have any chance of clinching a top-division spot next season as they are 2.25 points behind the dotted line, while Unionville Milliken will want victory in their last home game of the year.

There’s also plenty of Men’s Premier Division action on Saturday with sides in the playoff battle facing one another. It’s fourth against fifth with Electric City hosting Vaughan Azzurri who are a point behind their weekend opponents; both need a positive result to maintain their top-six place.

Just behind them in the standings are North Toronto Nitros and Alliance United who meet on Saturday. The two sides are separated by a single point with the Nitros currently in sixth while Alliance sit eighth, and both could end the weekend either in or out of the top six.

Woodbridge Strikers are six points adrift of the playoffs and need a victory over FC London to try and close the gap on the teams above them. It was a close game when the teams met in 2022 but Woodbridge Strikers were 2-1 winners.

ProStars also travel to Hamilton United; both teams are still in the hunt for a top-division spot on the Road to 2024, so three points will be crucial for either side.

Ten teams in action

First and third in the Men’s Premier Division are both on the fixture cards for Sunday.

Scrosoppi host Sigma as they look for their eighth win in a row, while Sigma are looking to remain in the hunt for the playoffs as we approach the end of the season. Third-placed Guelph United travel to Simcoe County Rovers; both were winless last weekend and are now separated by three points in the standings, with a win for the home team moving them into the top six.

In our other men’s games, Windsor City host Master’s FA and BVB IA Waterloo face North Mississauga.

Vaughan Azzurri host Woodbridge Strikers in the final Women’s Premier Division game of the weekend. The Azzurri may have the chance to clinch first place, but only if NDC Ontario fail to win on Friday night.