A group of young soccer champions are being celebrated by the Town of Aurora for winning an Ontario Player Development League championship.
The Aurora 2023 Boys under-15 Ontario Player Development League claimed the top spot in the Gary Miller Charity Shield Champions by defeating Woodbridge 3-1 on penalties in the final, after playing out a tense scoreless match.
“Going into it, we were a bit of the underdog. So it was good to see these guys battle to the end. It was good, they handled the pressure well,” said head coach Johnny Borsellino at a pin presentation July 2 at town hall.
The Charity Shield, a competition run for teams in the Ontario Player Development League, highlights the achievements of the top teams, in each of the different age groups.
The league is a pathway to higher levels for young soccer players in the province. After this success, Borsellino said the team’s talented group of players will likely be making the step up to “university ball” in the coming years.
Much of the team has been playing together since the age of eight, and while the plan was never for the game to come down to penalties, said Borsellino, a number of the players stepped up.
“It was a long journey, and for it to come down to pens for the last game, it was nerve-wracking, it was scary, but it was really nice we were able to come through with the win,” said midfielder Lucas Negri, 16, who was in line to be a penalty taker, before Aurora sealed victory earlier in the shootout.
“Relief, a lot of relief,” said Stelio Katsoris, 15, when asked how he felt after the match. “There was so much tension throughout the game and to have it finally end with us being champions," the young striker added.
Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas paid tribute to the group during Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting.
“Despite defeats, the team remained together, their manager Maricel (Tavares) fostered camaraderie, emphasizing the importance of unity and keeping their bond strong,” he said during the meeting.
“The team's cohesion and resilience was instrumental in their remarkable journey and they were able to beat the odds, securing their well-deserved win.”
