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Player Development Conference Presentations are now posted

Archives

May 8, 2008
Kanata Soccer 1990 Boys College Commitments, Athletic/Academic Scholarships
This team has attended many showcase events in Canada and the US ove rhte past year. This has paid off greatly, with a bumper crop of scholarships for the boys. <details> Congratulation on all your hard work, boys! It has really paid off.

October 17, 2007
Kanata Soccer welcomes new Head Coach, Mario deRoia
Mario currently holds a Provincial B Licence. Mario has been coaching soccer for over 10 years, 8 of which have been at the competitive level. Mario has played soccer for 18 years, playing at the competitive level the last few years in Toronto.  Mario holds a Child and Youth Worker diploma, and has worked as a behavioural teacher for the Catholic and Public School Board. Mario plans to attain his National B licence in the upcoming year.

Mario is the Head Coach for ages 4 - 9 and will also be coaching a U13 Boys winter development program and the new Women's Development program.

Welcome aboard, Mario!

Danone Cup, 2007
Congratulations to four soccer players who got their start in Kanata who made the final cut of the local Danone Cup/Coupe Danone tryouts.

From top left, the players are Thomas Bissett, Jaden Chayra, Quinn Mahoney and Emma Arsenault.

November 7, 2007
Alysha Bonnik

Kanata Soccer is proud to announce that Alysha Bonnick, member of the Kanata Soccer 2007 U21 Women's team, has been named Rookie of the Year in her conference. Alysha attends the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri on a full scholarship and plays for the Missouri Tigers. Congratulations, Alysha!

Kanata U15 Regional Girls win promotion to OYSL
On September 29th and 30th the Kanata U15 Regional Girls travelled to London to play in the OYSL Promotion Tournament, qualifying for the OYSL in dramatic fashion. Travelling with only 14 of the 17 team members, the girls started with a 2-2 tie against the western regional champions London, coming from 2-0 down late in the game. In the second game on Saturday, Kanata faced the central regional champions Newmarket and lost a close game 1-0. This set up an intense final game on Sunday against Mississauga Dixie, the southern regional champions. With Kanata needing a win and Dixie needing only a tie, it all looked lost when Dixie scored with 3 minutes remaining. Showing great heart and determination Kanata tied it up a minute later and scored the winner 3 minutes into injury time on a penalty. Congratulations to all the girls on a fantastic effort!

August, 2007
Kanata U16 Girls Win Gold in Scotland
The Kanata U16 OYSL Girls soccer team travelled to beautiful Stirling, Scotland in the first weekend of August to play in the Loch Lomond Youth Soccer Festival. The team stayed, along with six hundred youth soccer players from Scotland, Ireland, England, Norway, South Africa and the US at Stirling University which is nestled in the Ochil Hills approximately an hour west of Edinburgh.

Travelling with 11 players and 15 family members the girls were off to a flying start defeating local side Falkirk Ladies FC 7-2 in their first friendly.

Kanata borrowed three players for the tournament from Falkirk and the girls continued to shine defeating Rygge of Norway 6-0, Turrif FC of Scotland 3-1 and Celtic FC of Scotland 5-0

The final proved a more daunting task as Kanata faced Lakewood Athletic of Ireland. The Irish had also gone undefeated in the preliminary round and featured five youth national team players. The game was a hard fought, intense encounter played in pouring rain. Kanata was experiencing some injury problems and early on saw one of their players stretched off with an injury. This reduced the team to 11 players for the remainder of the match. The first half featured chances at both ends with neither team being able to break the deadlock. In the second half the lack of substitutes started to tell in the Kanata legs. They were forced to defend for much of the half, but the defence dug in their heals and limited Lakewood to outside shots.

Tied 0-0 the game went to penalties. It took seven penalty kicks, but finally Kanata prevailed with a 4-3 win.

The trip was a fantastic success on and off the pitch, with the team taking in the sights of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Loch Lomond and Bridge of Allen as well as making good friends with several boys and girls teams from numerous countries. Thanks to all the girls and parents for a wonderful time and to Excel International for organizing the trip. A special thanks to the Johannesburg U12 boys Crusaders of South Africa for their vocal and colourful support and a very special thanks to Kerry Kennedy, Jenny Godfrey and Sheryl Gallagher from Falkirk Ladies FC for joining our team. Well done ladies

Kanata Girls U11 Division 1 White Lightning Strike Again
Congratulations to the Kanata Girls U11 Division 1A White Lightning for bringing home the silver medal from the Cumberland tournament. The girls have been undefeated in their first six league games and the preliminary game of the East Region shield. Our keepers and defense have seven shut outs and the lowest goals against average in the city. They carried their unbeaten streak through the first four games of the Cumberland tournament before finally losing the final game. Great work girls. We’re really proud of you!

June 23, 2007
West Ottawa Hyundai 14/15 Girls Tournament

West Ottawa Hyundai hosted their first annual fun tournament for the Kanata Soccer 14/15 girls house league division. The weather was great and a fun day was had by all, with the "Blue Slammers" taking home the trophy at the end of the day. Thanks West Ottawa Hyundai!

Kanata 89/90s place 2nd at Erie, Pennsylvania College Showcase.

Over the US Memorial Day weekend, the Kanata 90s Lightning traveled to Erie, PA to take part in the Erie Memorial Day Shootout College Showcase. Drawn into a very tough group which included last year's champ and Pennsylvania West's #2 ranked Pittsburgh Strikers and Ohio North's #3 team Cleveland FC, the Lightning swept the round robin without conceding a goal. Despite dominating for 75% of the game, the Lighting only managed a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh before finishing a perfect first day with a 3-0 over FC Elite of Ohio. This left the team in the position of requiring only a point in their 3rd game against a very talented Cleveland FC team. The game proved a classic with the Lightning scoring an early goal and then barring the door for the remaining time.

The semi-final opponent, Soaring Capital from NY, proved a tough opponent and a see-saw game ended 4-2 for the Lightning. The Memorial Day final proved anti-climactic for a Lightning team who was clearly fatigued and now missing 3 midfielders to injury. An early goal and a dubious penalty just before half proved too much to overcome over a very fit and organized BC United team. Despite dominating possession and creating several clear chances, the Lightning could not claw back. The final ended 3-0.

Kanata Soccer boys picked in the top 10 in region for the Danone Nations Cup

On September 17, 2006, over 200 local soccer players participated in the Danone Nations Cup Fun day. The Danone Coaches were looking for the top 10 players to represent the Ottawa area. Three Kanata Lightning Boys made the list: Thomas Bissett (1996), Stephen Veenema (1995) and Dylan Lawrence (1995). The boys will now move on to the Ontario tryouts to see who will represent Ontario on the Danone Nation Cup Team. Once the team is chosen, the players will then participate in several practices prior to a tournament to be held in Lyon, France. Congratulation on this remarkable feat, boys. Good luck with the Ontario tryouts this spring.

Sincerely, The coaches, families of Thomas, Stephen and Dylan and the entire Kanata Soccer Club

Congratulations to our U9 Boys team which won bronze at the Mississippi Invitational Soccer Tournament in August

May 14, 2006

Congratulations to our U13 Regional Boys team which won Gold at the Oshawa Kicks Tournament, May 13 and 14.

February 22, 2006

Kanata U14 Boy, Troy Pennycooke, selected to join Sheffield United Academy. For the past several years Troy has been heading over to England one or two times each year to train in the Sheffield United Youth Academy. They have always been impressed with Troy's performance, and this year have offered Troy the opportunity to train with them for the entire season. This will give Troy a great base for the all-important U15 year, at which he can be identified to play professional football (soccer) in the English league. Sheffield United is sitting in second spot in the English first division, known as the Coca-Cola Championship League. Good luck in England, Troy!

Former Kanata Soccer member, Kenny Caceros, wins scholarship at US university. Kenny, who currently plays for the Ottawa Fury as centre midfielder, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the University of Maine in the Fall of 2006. Caceros follows in the footsteps of another Fury player, midfielder Martin John, who joined the Black Bears in 2005. Maine, an NCAA Division 1 school, play their soccer in the America East conference. Kenny has accepted a place in the Faculty of Education and Human Development at Maine where he will study Kinesiology and Physical Education. He is a 17 year old grade 12 student at Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Kanata. An all-round athlete and student, Kenny, was awarded a black belt in Karate at age 8. At high school, he was athlete of the year two years running and MVP of the School soccer team for 5 consecutive years.

Before joining the Fury in the Fall of 2002, Kenny played his early soccer with the Kanata Soccer Club where he was coached by Marc Betournay and Phil Turtle. He was a member of the Eastern Ontario District squad in 2002 where he worked with coach Chris Roth who subsequently became his initial coach at the Fury.

January 12, 2006
Three Kanata Girls Selected to Regional Program

Emily Dowsett, Jenna Fleck and Katie Wasylko, from the Kanata Soccer 2005 U12 Premier team, have been chosen to participate in the Ontario Soccer Association’s Region 5 development program. The goal of this program is to prepare selected players for the opportunity to be scouted by the Ontario U14 provincial team next fall. Region 5 is composed of two districts – Eastern Ontario (EODSA) and Southern Ontario (SOSA). “These girls now have an excellent opportunity to take a step up the player development ladder. If they train and progress well they have a chance to be selected next fall into the Ontario provincial program and represent their province against the rest of Canada,” said Technical Director Joel MacDonald. The three girls have been coached at Kanata by Steve Mann. Congratulations Emily, Jenna and Katie and good luck!

November 24, 2005
Alysha Bonnick Plays for Canada

Kanata Soccer sends congratulations to Alysha Bonnick on being selected to play for the U17 Women’s National Team this past September in Saint John’s, Newfoundland. “I was surprised when I got the phone call,” said sixteen-year-old Alysha who got to experience a week of training and three games versus the German U17 Women’s National Team. “The Germans were really good. They were really fast and quick with one and two touch passes.”

Alysha was eligible to play with girls her own age on the U16 Canadian team but missed their camp due to her participation in the 2005 Canada Summer Games with Team Ontario. In that tournament Alysha, who is two years younger than most of the players there, scored three goals and helped her team to a bronze medal.

Alysha began her soccer career under the tutelage of her dad Winston at the age of seven in Cumberland. “I don’t remember much about my first year but I do remember scoring on my own net. I remember my mother laughing at me when I did it.” From those early days Alysha came to Kanata in 2003 where she played as a fourteen-year-old for the Club’s U16 OYSL team. This will be her third year in a row playing in Ontario’s highest league for club teams as she represents Kanata at the U18 level. Alysha has been involved with Team Ontario and the provincial program since 2003. This past summer and prior to her playing at the Canada Games she helped her U16 Ontario team win gold at the National All-Star championships. As a result of her play at these championships she was scouted by Ontario’s National Training Centre staff, who are responsible for selecting and developing potential players to play for Canada.

Alysha trains and plays five days a week and spends almost every weekend in Toronto. She also follows an individual training program of weights and fitness which she does on her own time. At sixteen Alysha has already garnered some impressive achievements and her goals for the future are no less timid. “My goal is to play for the Women’s National Team. I want to play in the Olympics for Canada. I’d also like to play college soccer in the US and a few schools have already begun to contact me but I haven’t made any decisions yet.” Kanata Soccer wishes Alysha good luck and we look forward to cheering her on in her future challenges.

November 1, 2005
Kanata Boys Selected to Regional Program
Kanata Soccer is proud to announce that Simon Brown, Brent McKean and Kieran Spring from our summer 2005 U12 Boys Premier team have been selected to participate in the Ontario Soccer Association’s Region 5 development program. The program prepares selected players for the opportunity to be scouted by the Ontario U14 provincial team next fall. Region 5 is composed of two districts – Eastern Ontario (EODSA) and Southern Ontario (SOSA). “This is a super opportunity for these boys to take a step up the player development ladder. If they train and progress well they have another great opportunity to take a step up next fall into the Ontario provincial program,” said Technical Director Joel MacDonald. The three boys have been coached at Kanata by Peter Derham. Congratulations Simon, Brent and Kieran and good luck!

October 26, 2005
Kanata Soccer U10 Boys Div 1 team wins ERSL Shield.

Congratulations, boys!

September 8, 2005
Joel MacDonald Appointed Kanata Soccer Technical Director

September 8, 2005 (KANATA, ON) Continuing its tradition of encouraging, developing, and promoting excellence in soccer, Kanata Soccer is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Joel MacDonald as the Club’s new full-time Technical Director.

Joel played at the elite level in his home province of Prince Edward Island through high school and started his coaching career at the tender age of 15.   Since then, he has continued to concentrate on coaching. After having attained his National “B” license in 2003, Joel is now working towards certification as an Ontario Soccer Association Instructor and attaining his National “A” license. Joel’s coaching certifications and experience are supplemented and complemented by his Masters Degree in Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of New Brunswick. This experience and training stood him in good stead in his work in the PEI Grassroots Development program, ensuring that young players in PEI had a good start to their soccer careers.    His experience is not limited to working with the youngest soccer players. Joel has coached at all levels, ranging from designing and coaching youth development programs to coaching the coaches as a Provincial Instructor. He has recently returned from the Canada Games as the coach of the PEI provincial team.

“When we started our search for a Technical Director we were surprised at how many well-qualified candidates there were.” said Kanata Soccer Club President, Maury Hill. “We believe that Joel has the qualities we were looking for to ensure that Kanata Soccer continues on its quest to be the best Club in Eastern Ontario. Joel’s passion for the game and his ability to encourage that passion in our players and coaches is an excellent fit”

Joel is thrilled to be in the soccer hotbed of Ottawa, saying “it is wonderful to see the opportunities that are available to our soccer players. I am especially pleased to see that the soccer community can participate year round – this can only encourage the excellence that Canada is starting to show to the world on the international stage and that clubs like Kanata Soccer are promoting through their developmental and recreational programs.”

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August 30, 2005
Kanata Soccer Men's Div 1 team wins Promotion to Premier
The Kanata Lightning has struck the big time in the Ottawa Carleton Soccer League.

For the second time in three years, Kanata’s senior men’s team earned promotion up the OCSL ranks and this season it resulted in a first-ever men’s premier berth for the club in 2006. The Lightning accomplished the feat by posting an impressive record of 11 wins, three draws and four losses in men’s competitive first division play.

After a 10-game unbeaten run to open the season, a late slip cost the team top spot and a repeat of the championship performance the then-Wizards turned in two years ago in the second division, the hard-working Lightning could still boast the top defensive record in the group with a stingy 16 goals allowed in 18 games.

Paced by top-scorer Jordan Bridal’s eight league goals, Kanata’s output of 45 strikes also ranked near the division’s best and allowed the Mike Watson and Alan Clason-coached bunch to finish as league runners-up.

The 2005 Kanata Lightning: Front row, from left, Tony Deluca, Damian Wong, Paul Leonard, Ian Moses, Ray Canton, Franck Desormière, Rick Patricio, Mike Watson. Back row, from left, Jordan Bridal, Chris Yzerman, Tim Wong, Misha Costescu, Mike Roossien, Adam Knight, Rob Dijkerman, Alan Clason. Missing, Paul Bowie, Gord MacDonald, Kyle Washington, Mike Zanetti, Mark Mitchell, Mark Mathies, Mark Burger.

Kanata wins Bronze at the Masters International Soccer Tournament!

Join us in sending congratulations to our Kanata Women's team who travelled to Edmonton to compete in the 2005 World Masters Games. The women advanced to the Bronze medal round after a heartbreaker of a loss in the semi-finals. They won their division with a record of 4-0, with 33 goals for and 0 goals against, and continued that form in the Bronze medal finals, beating the North Okanagan Utd by a score of 7-0.    Let's look for gold in Sydney in 2009!

January 20, 2005
Kanata Soccer Technical Director Appointed Head
Coach of Toronto Lynx, United Soccer League

Thursday, January 20, 2005 (KANATA, ON) Kanata Soccer’s Technical Director, Hubert Busby Junior, has been signed as the new head coach of the Toronto Lynx men’s team. The team plays in the first division of the United Soccer League, the highest professional level available in North America. Hubert assumes his new role with the Toronto Lynx on March 1.

Kanata Soccer Club President, Maury Hill, said “when we brought Hubert on as Technical Director we knew that he was a young man on his way up. We appreciate what he brought to the Club, refining and promoting our programs both for players and coaches, making Kanata Soccer the premier Club in Eastern Ontario. Now, as he moves on to new challenges and opportunities, we offer our congratulations and best wishes.”

Hubert is determined to stay affiliated with Kanata Soccer. “This Club gave me the opportunity to make the transition from Player to Coach. I’ve invested my blood, sweat and tears into this Club, and I do not intend to let the Club down.” Hubert will be in Kanata until March 1^st, which will allow him to complete the tasks required to ensure there is a smooth start to the summer season. He will be assisted in this task by two of our Executive Directors, Lloyd Rose, Director of Representative and Dave Gilmour, Director of Development.

Hubert plans on establishing a formal relationship between the Toronto Lynx and Kanata Soccer. “The basis for soccer’s success in Canada is the youth program. Their enthusiasm for the game is what nurtures and supports the higher levels of soccer in this country. I see Kanata Soccer players benefiting from a relationship between the Lynx and the Lightning. Even the team colours are the same!”

Kanata Soccer Club President Maury Hill is available for interview or comment.