Successful soccer teams are often filled with talented defenders.

The Horizon Aigles senior girls and St Charles College Cardinals senior boys’ teams certainly fit that bill as both squads defended their 2023 SDSSAA banners Tuesday at the James Jerome Sports Complex.

And for as much as they were holding on for dear life in the latter stages of the second half, the Lo-Ellen Park Knights junior boys team did the same, eking out a 3-2 win over the St Benedict Bears in the opener of the three game championship set.

“We just had to play our game,” noted Lo-Ellen goalkeeper Jayden Ceming, his team building up a 3-0 first half lead on goals from Miguel Acuna, Frank Nzotungwanimana and Jameson Fabbro and then weathering the second half storm as the Bears rallied behind strikes from Michael Folino and Jason Uloghubui.

Now three-time city champs running, Knights’ coach Paul Hatzis managed to keep his kids grounded even as chaos ensued with the Bears pressing hard. “He knew that we had a lot of talent,” said Ceming. “He just wanted us to control the ball and play both sides, good offense and defense – and that’s what we did.”

While the long-time AAA hockey talent was stepping in as keeper at the high-school level for the first time this spring, familiarity with his surroundings went a long way towards keeping things calm in the midst of it all, working hand in hand with a very solid back-line foursome.

“Honestly, I knew every single one of them,” said Ceming. “They are all close friends of mine. I knew how they played; I had watched them play before. That kind of helped – and we would talk before games.”

The Knights will travel to Sault Ste Marie to contest the NOSSA crown while the Bears remain in Sudbury, set to battle it out for the NOSSA Junior Boys “A” banner on Friday at James Jerome.

After not capturing a Premier Division title until 2022, the Horizon Aigles made it three years running with a 4-1 triumph over the Bishop Alexander Carter Gators, a contest in which the francophone soccer juggernauts were deadlocked at 1-1 at the end of the opening half before really putting the pedal to the metal in the final forty.

“Bishop played such an amazing game and I think that brought up our intensity,” acknowledge Horizon captain Caroline Brunet, the 18 year-old a member of each and every one of the gold medal winning teams. “We had to focus on the small things: being first to the ball, controlling it, making good passes – doing the things that we know how to do.”

“We’ve been down this road (before) and overcame it,” Brunet added. “I think that helped with our morale.”

After dominating the 2023 regular season, the Aigles found themselves pushed in both the semi-final and championship encounters last year. Fast forward twelve months or so and the team that outscored their opponents 18-1 in regular season play in five games this spring finally broke through, receiving a three goal effort from Kiara Levac and a final tally from Brooke Dugas to secure the victory.

“It was hard,” said Brunet. “There was so much pressure on us. We had to remember to play the way that we know that we can, to play to our potential.”

And, of course, one has to avoid the tendency to get down – which is exactly where the first year captain stepped up. “I am not one of the top scorers but on the field, on the bench, I help keep the morale up, suggested the former defender who made the move to midfielder this spring. “During warmups, I will “high five” everyone.”

“That’s my role – not necessarily to be the best player on the field but to make sure that everyone is playing their best.”

As for her positional move, Brunet was thankful for a chance to close out her high-school career with the opportunity to contribute a little more with her two-way play. “I talked to my coach and tried it out (playing midfield) and I found I played a lot better there,” said Brunet.

“Playing both defense and offense, always being involved in the game and having the endurance to do so is something I like.”

As for the NOSSA playdowns, Horizon and Bishop Carter will make their way to Sault Ste Marie while St Charles and Lo-Ellen remain at home.

On the boys’ side, the Cardinals made it six city championships in seven years (backing out 2019 & 2020 – lost to Covid) thanks to their 3-1 triumph over St Benedict. Braxton Ragogna netted a pair of first half goals to show the way for SCC, with Gabriel Sonntag converting on a free kick in the second while Paolo Grossi countered for the Bears.

The St Charles lads will be joined by Lo-Ellen in making the journey to North Bay while St Ben’s and Lockerby carry the SDSSAA “AA/AAA” hopes into the Lock City.

In other local soccer news, the GSSC (Greater Sudbury Soccer Club) U15 Impact boys improved to 4-0-0 with two more wins in YRSL (York Region Soccer League) play last weekend, toppling Newmarket 5-1 before beating Unionville-Milliken 4-1 the next day.

Jared Ferguson-Whitely and Alex Asselin scored two goals each for Sudbury in the win over Newmarket, with Connor Nicholson capping things off.

The GSSC U17 Impact girls played their first home game of the year, knotting things up at 2-2 with visiting Aurora FC as Kynlee Cresswell scored twice for the locals. The team is back in action at home one week from Saturday, battling with Vaughan on June 9th at 3:00 p.m. at Queen’s Athletic Field.

The Impact U16 boys launched their TOSL (Toronto Soccer League) season on the right foot, playing to a 2-2 draw with Thornhill (Lukas Morin – 2 goals) and then blanking the same opponent 3-0 in the rematch as Alessandro Moretta, Masimo Toffoli and Mishal Olanrewaju all scored in support of keeper Juan Calderon.