Cambrian College will host the annual Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Provincial Women’s Soccer Championships, which will take place Oct. 26-28, 2017, at the James Jerome Sports Complex.
This event will bring together the top eight OCAA women’s soccer teams to compete for provincial medals and a chance to advance to the Canadian championships. Hosting the championships is also expected to bring hundreds of athletes, fans, and families to Sudbury for exciting and elite soccer action.
“Hosting the provincial championships is an honour and a privilege for Cambrian and for Sudbury,” said Alison De Luisa, Cambrian’s Vice President, Student and Employee Development.
“Sudbury has a very strong soccer tradition, and we’re hoping this caliber of soccer inspires younger athletes in the city to strive for their best. We are also looking forward to showing visitors that Sudbury is a great place to learn, work, play, and live.”
As bronze medal winners in 2016, the Golden Shield women’s soccer squad earned the right to host the provincial championships at home. As host, the team automatically qualifies to play in the championships, and Master Coach Giuseppe Politi has his eyes on gold in 2017.
“Our team has been building experience and breaking records since we earned our first OCAA bronze 2014,” Politi said.
“Cambrian’s women’s soccer team narrowly missed the podium in 2015, taking fourth place, and then returned for a second provincial bronze medal in Windsor in 2016.
“Our players have demonstrated incredible talent and dedication, and we have a lot of depth on the roster,” said Politi.
“We have improved player recruitment and retention strategies in the last three years, and we are going into the 2017 season with incredible momentum and support from our assistant coaches, volunteers, and our fans. We have a lot of work ahead of us and also a lot to look forward to.”
Key contributors to the team’s 2016 success were Sarah Cholewinsky (OCAA Rookie of the Year) and captain Tiffany Johnson, who scored 28 goals in one season and became the OCAA all-time leader in career markers with 62. Johnson was also named a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Soccer All-Canadian.
Cambrian will also stay fresher with fewer miles to log on the road this season. The team has been moved from the East division into Central, meaning that the women will be meeting adversaries such as Humber, George Brown, and Conestoga College; and they won’t likely be meeting their long-time East division nemesis, Algonquin College, until the finals.
