HIGH ACHIEVERS WEEKEND WRAP: Ottawa South United shines with record 4 gold medals, 1 silver at OPDL finals

By Martin Cleary

The Ottawa South United Force soccer program certainly knows how to put the finishing touches to an outdoor season.

Billed as the unofficial No. 1-ranked soccer club in Ontario, OSU lived up to the hype by claiming half of the available 2024 Ontario Player Development League post-season playoff titles.

Ontario Soccer staged eight age-group finals last weekend with teams playing for the Gary Miller Charity Shield at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan. The league-ending championship also doubled as a fundraiser with monies donated to the SickKids VS.

OSU entered seven teams in the 2024 provincial youth league for girls and boys in the U14, U15, U16 and U17 categories. Their play throughout the regular season was impressive, posting three first-place finishes and having a combined record of 67 wins, six ties and eight losses.

When it was time for the championship games, OSU qualified a club record five teams to play for the OPDL titles. And in the end, OSU won four championships, including three by overtime penalty kicks, and one silver medal.

Club president Bill Michalopulos was ecstatic by the results for OSU, which was created two decades ago and has steadily grown by optimizing player development through a professional approach to hiring quality full-time staff, board members and volunteers.

“What I said to the guys after was it was an amazing weekend 20 years in the making,” he explained in a phone interview on Tuesday. “What happened over the last weekend was an accumulation of our work progress over the years.”

The girls’ U17 final was an all-Ottawa affair for the gold medal as OSU and Ottawa TFC tied 1-1, before OSU claimed the title, after a 5-4 decision in penalty kicks.

Ottawa TFC opened the scoring early in the second half, when Rachel Gopalakrishnan used a precise kick to put the ball in the lower corner of the net. Shortly after Ottawa TFC missed an opportunity for a second goal, OSU’s Mia Ugarte evened the match, which eventually went to deciding penalty kicks.

Goalkeeper Charlotte Murray-Martin was beaten four times in a row and then made four consecutive stops to win the eight-round shootout for OSU.

After playing to a 2-2 draw in regulation time in the boys’ U17 final, OSU and Toronto High Park FC, the top two teams in the regular-season standings, required sudden-death penalties to determine the champion.

OSU trailed throughout the exciting final as Reinaldo Abraham tied the game 1-1 at the 70th minute and Ralph Khoury deadlocked the match at 2-2 in the 86th minute before the Force emerged as champions in the six-round shootout.

The boys’ U15 final also needed penalty kicks, after OSU and Woodbridge played to a 0-0 tie. There were plenty of scoring chances, but no celebrations.

Goalkeeper Aidan Dehartog made several clutch saves in the penalty kicks for OSU as his teammates scored four times for a 4-2 decision and the victory.

After dominating the first half of the girls’ U16 final by putting five of its seven shots on the net, OSU carried that momentum in the second half. Cindy Yang scored two rapid-fire goals (61st and 62nd minute) for a 2-0 decision over Pickering. Ava Blinn earned the OSU shutout.

The girls’ U14 final saw OSU earn the silver medal, after Brampton S.C. posted a 3-2 victory. Zeina Zibara scored both goals for OSU.

GEE-GEES SURVIVE OUA WOMEN’S SOCCER SEMIS, WILL STAGE FINAL

The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees will play host to the OUA women’s soccer final on Saturday at noon against the Nipissing University Lakers.

The Gee-Gees, who will be aiming for their 12th provincial title since 1996, had a tough semi-final battle to reach the championship game. After tying the University of Guelph Gryphons 1-1 in regulation and overtime, the Gee-Gees made three of their four penalty kicks to post a 3-1 decision.

Allana Oriente took a pass from Jenna Matsukubo to score Ottawa’s only goal in the second half of regulation time to even the match 1-1.

The Gee-Gees took 13 of their 24 shots in the second half and outshot the Gryphons 10-2 in the two overtime periods.

Nibo Dlamini, Maya Smith and Sabrina Mangiaracina scored the shootout penalties for the Gee-Gees, while fifth-year uOttawa keeper Cassidy Joslin stopped three Guelph attempts.

“I’m so happy to be in this position right now,” Joslin said via the Gee-Gees. “My team fought for me. I kept saying just get us to PKs and I’ll do my thing. Getting our ticket to nationals for a third year in a row and having the opportunity to win an OUA title for the third year in a row is amazing.”

RAVENS, GEE-GEES OPEN OUA BASKETBALL SEASON ON POSITIVE NOTES

The 2024-25 OUA basketball season is underway and the Carleton University Ravens and University of Ottawa Gee-Gees men’s and women’s teams are off to an impressive start by each winning their first two games at home.

Justin Ndjock-Tadjore combined for 40 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and five steals as the Gee-Gees men’s team defeated the University of Windsor Lancers 85-65 and the Western University Mustangs 86-81.

Brock Newton added 17 points and Jacques-Melaine Guemeta counted 13 points, six rebounds and five assists for Ottawa against Windsor.

Ankit Choudhary connected on seven of his 10 three-point shots and finished with 29 points against Western along with four rebounds and three assists. Guemeta also contributed 23 points.

The Carleton Ravens scored 20 or more points in all eight quarters to turn back Western 97-75 and Windsor 96-66.

Emanuel Milon posted the Ravens’ only double-double of the weekend with 20 points and 12 rebounds against Western. Augustas Brazdeikis chipped in with 18 points and six rebounds, and Daniel Smith came off the bench for 15 points and two rebounds.

Xavier Spencer led the charge for the Ravens against Windsor with 24 points, eight assists, three rebounds and two steals, while Brazdeikis added 15 points and six rebounds.

Aubrey Dorey-Havens used his 15 minutes of floor time well with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal. Domac Domac also registered 14 points along with nine rebounds.

The Gee-Gees women’s basketball team notched a pair of comfortable victories, defeating Windsor 77-54 and Western 92-57.

Veteran Natsuki Szczokin collected 15 points, six assists and four rebounds against the Lancers and 14 points, eight assists, five steals and three rebounds against the Mustangs. Alissa Provo had equally impressive numbers with 13 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals in the Windsor game and eight points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block against Western.

Victoria Brideau topped the charts for the Gee-Gees against Western with 17 points, five steals, four rebounds and two assists. Emily Payne had 15 points, four blocks, three rebounds and two assists.

Teresa Donato came off the bench to play a significant role as the Ravens women’s team defeated Western 91-59 and Windsor 67-66.

Donato scored 20 points and added two rebounds in 20 minutes against Western, while Jacqueline Urban had a matching 20 points, but nine rebounds.

Nathalie Francis had 10 points and 10 rebounds, but it was her final two-point basketball with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winning basket against Windsor. Donato stepped up with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists. Kyana-Jade Poulin had 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists against eight turnovers.

GEE-GEES OUSTED IN OUA FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS

The OUA football season ended in the quarterfinals for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, after a 26-15 loss to the University of Guelph Gryphons.

The Gee-Gees fell behind 18-4 at half time, but rebounded in the third quarter with a converted touchdown, a field goal and a single to cut the deficit to 18-15. But Guelph controlled the fourth quarter scoring a converted touchdown and a single to secure the win.

Zachary Copeland kicked field goals from 29 and 19 yards for the Gee-Gees as well as two singles and a convert, after Matt Mahler’s two-yard touchdown run.

Jaxxon Brashear led Ottawa on defence with six solo tackles and four assisted tackles, while Marc Djonay Rondeau had six tackles and one assist plus one sack and two tackles for lost yardage.

Gee-Gees quarterback Josh Janssen completed 19 of 31 passes for 229 yards and two interceptions. Noah Avery was his top receiver with eight catches for 93 yards. Charles Asselin rushed the ball 15 times for 65 yards.

OTTAWA RUNNERS HELP QUEEN’S EARN OUA CROSS-COUNTRY MEDALS

Ottawa runners played important roles as Queen’s University Gaels won the men’s team title and placed second in the women’s team standing at the OUA cross-country running championships.

Will Cox of Ottawa placed fifth overall in the eight-kilometre individual race and was third among Gaels’ runners as Queen’s ran away with the men’s team title.

Elizabeth Vroom and Olivia Baggley, both of Ottawa, placed 12th and 18th respectively in the women’s individual race, which counted towards Queen’s second-place team finish.

Zach Sikka was the top University of Ottawa runner in the men’s race in 44th as the Gee-Gees were 12th as a team. In the women’s race, Melina Hamel led the Gee-Gees with a 34th-place result as Ottawa also was 12th on the team list.

Meanwhile at the Atlantic University Sport cross-country running championships, Ottawa’s Ivy Bialowas helped the No. 2-ranked University of New Brunswick Reds to a third-place team result. Bialowas finished 10th overall in the women’s race, was second among Reds runners and was named to the second AUS all-star team.

Running for the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat, Kyle Porter of Ottawa was 50th in the men’s individual race at the Canada West cross-country running championships.

Ottawa’s Katie Newlove, the defending Canada West and U Sports women’s champion, didn’t compete for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the conference championships.

LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST

· Ottawa student-athletes Rachel Cullum, Mathea MacRae, Mika Matsukubo and Jiggy Schonfeld as well as Elena Pinkerton of Wakefield were on the Queen’s University roster as the Gaels lost the OUA women’s rugby final 26-24 to the University of Guelph Gryphons.

· Mary Lencz and Isabella Beck of Ottawa scored within almost three minutes of each other to give the University of Waterloo Warriors a 2-0 win over the University of Guelph Gryphons in the OUA women’s field hockey final. York University Lions outscored the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-0 on penalty flicks to earn the bronze medal, after the teams were deadlocked 1-1 in regulation and two overtime periods.

· Former Gloucester Skating Club athlete Kaiya Ruiter of Calgary placed eighth overall in women’s singles at Skate Canada International. She was seventh in the short program and 10th in the free skate.

· In a match of two undefeated rinks, Ava Acres of the RCMP Curling Club outscored Katrina Frlan of the Huntley Curling Club 7-2 in the final of the Athena Slam in Dundas, ON., which is part of the Junior Slam Series. Charlotte Wilson of the Rideau Curling Club took third place with a 7-2 decision over Jaymeson Galardo of Stroud. Both scheduled eight-end matches stopped after six ends.

· The City of Ottawa Ringette Association, the Ottawa Rowing Club, the R.A. Centre Judo Club and the Seaway Surge baseball club of Kemptville have been awarded Community Coaching Grants by the Coaches Association of Ontario to help keep sports accessible, affordable and safe. Each grant has a value up to $1,000.