After a four-year hiatus, outdoor soccer finally returned to Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) schools. Athletes and coaches throughout the system braved the elements thrown at them during the divisional, regional, quarter and semi-final games. The school communities were rewarded with a beautiful day on Centennial pitch for the City Soccer Championship on June 19, 2023 (Monday).
Match No. 1 was the battle of the North versus the West, with St. Charles Catholic School taking on St. Matthew Catholic School in the Boys’ final. St. Charles was looking to avenge their quarter final first round loss to St. Matthew. The St. Charles Cougars came out strong but could not get the ball past the dominant St. Matthew’s goalkeeper. In the end, St. Charles could not fend off the offensive dominance of St. Matthew. And after a 13-year drought, St. Matthew Catholic School gets to see their name emblazoned on the Boys’ City Championship plaque.
The second match of the day saw two West teams battling it out for the gold medal. The St. Clement Crushers were looking for a four-peat against their arch-rivals, the St. Gregory’s Gorillas. Their first two meetings at the Regionals ended with a split as both teams won a match against one another. Vegas odds had St. Gregory Catholic School as slight favourites in the City Finals. The Crushers knew the key to the win would be a strong start and they capitalized with a goal in the first few minutes of the game. The Gorillas slowly chipped away at the Crushers defenders, tying the game up in the dying minutes. Extra time solved nothing in this heated battle, and we went to the dreaded penalty kicks. The St. Clement Crushers came out with the victory, securing their four-peat.
Congratulations to the TCDSB City Champions:
- St. Matthew Catholic School Boys’ Team - representing the West
- St. Clement Catholic School Girls’ Team - representing the West
Thank you to all the competitors, coaches, convenors, and referees who made the return of Soccer to the TCDSB such a fun and memorable event, especially a huge thank you to Karen Enns and Dave Pagniello for their support.
