The Niagara Region's best high school soccer players will converge on Youngs Sportsplex on Wednesday, June 7th for the 4th Annual Niagara Region Soccer Showcase. Hosted by the Niagara College Knights the event will feature 88 of the top boys and girls high school players from 22 area high schools ranging from across the Niagara Region.
The evening will consist of a pair of showcase matches, with the girls kicking things off at 6:00pm followed by the boys at 8:00pm. Student-athletes representing high schools from across the Niagara Region will be split into a pair of teams for each of the games, which are designed to showcase the skill and athleticism of the area's best soccer stars.
This marks the fourth year of the annual event which began back in 2014. Originally conceived by Knights men's soccer assistant coach Rino Berardi, the showcase now serves as a highlight event on the Niagara Region high school soccer season calendar.
"The showcase allows us to project NC's soccer culture into the high school ranks and give Niagara Region's high school soccer scene a chance to celebrate another successful season" said Knights men's soccer head coach Frank DeChellis. "Rino's brainchild has grown into an anticipated event among high school coaches. Without their support, and the support of the entire soccer community this game would be impossible to present."
The soccer showcase served a launching pad for a series of high school showcase events all hosted by the Niagara Knights. Since 2014 the soccer matches have been joined in 2015 by boys and girls high school volleyball showcases, and a pair of basketball games hosted for the first time in December of 2016.
The soccer showcase is designed to shine a light on the accomplishments of Niagara's high school soccer standouts, many of whose achievements that are under appreciated due to the busy months of May and June. Additionally 21 members of the Knights men's and women's soccer programs since the 2015 season were participants in showcase.
Most notably both of the 2016-17 overall Niagara College rookie of the year award recipients Kara Latham (Welland) and Jacob Therrien (Welland) were participants in the event.
"Meeting many new faces and some future teammates got me excited about going to Niagara and playing" said two-time showcase MVP and Welland Centennial graduate Kara Latham. "Knowing there would be so many great opportunities to be a part of, the showcase game turned out to be just the beginning of the college experience."
"It was an amazing experience to be able to play in and game and be around a great group of players" added the 2016 boys showcase MVP Jacob Therrien.
In addition to recognizing the region's best soccer players, the event will also support the Niagara College Student Adminstrative Council student food bank. Adminssion is free, while participants and spectators are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to the event.
Admission to the event is free, however spectators are encouraged to bring a piece of used sporting equipment in support of the Welland Hope Centre.
Date: Wednesday, June 7th, 2017
Time: 6:00pm – Girls; 8:00pm – Boys
Location: Youngs Sportsplex (570 River Road, Welland)
TEAM BLUE (GIRLS)
GK Linsay Horton - Notre Dame
GK Mackenzie Drost - Holy Cross
#2 Mikayla Minken - Centennial
#3 Kaitlin Pressley - Thorold SS
#4 Paige Clements - EL Crossley
#5 Lauren Frasca - Notre Dame
#6 Kayla Bevaqua - Notre Dame
#7 Sarah Roberts - Lakeshore
#8 Taylor Girhiny - St. Paul
#9 Sophia Al-Kayad - St. Francis
#10 Genny Frick - Denis Morris
#12 Hannah Teutenberg - St. Paul
#13 Eryka Sneath - Thorold SS
#14 Katie Holle - Grimsby
#15 Alanna Poplinksi - EL Crossley
#16 Jenna Webb - Sir Winston Churchill
#17 Cierra Lundy - Notre Dame
#18 Paige Epp - Grimsby
#19 Stephanie Isherwood - Denis Morris
#20 Emily Caldwell – Lakeshore
TEAM WHITE (GIRLS)
GK Tamara Edwards - Eden
GK Breanna Habinski - Ridgeway Crystal Beach
#2 Carlee Ibey - St. Michael
#3 Natasha Desjardins - Jean Vanier
#4 Madi O'Brien - Beamsville
#5 Kassandra Nolet - AN Meyer
#6 Chloe Nolet - AN Meyer
#7 Andie Gordon - St Francis
#8 Jordan Gabriele - Sir Winston Churchill
#9 Cris Ieraci - St. Michael
#10 Madison Small - Governor Simcoe
#11 Julia McPhail - Jean Vanier
#12 Grayson Rouse - Eden
#13 Hannah Muileboom - Ridgeway Crystal Beach
#14 Rebekah DeHaan - Smithville Christian
#15 Madilin Roberts - Governor Simcoe
#16 Sarah O'Rourke - Holy Cross
#17 Emily Pasco - St. Michael
#18 Bryanna Wilson - AN Meyer
#19 Terin Hultink - Smithville Christian
#20 Genele Cain - Beamsville
#21 Annie Ibey - St. Michael
TEAM BLUE (BOYS)
GK Sam Zappitell - St. Michael
#2 Ryan Narr - St. Michael
#3 Matt Morris - St. Francis
#4 Nick Pringle – Governor Simcoe
#5 Henry Allen - Sir Winston Churchill
#6 Andrew Baldin - St. Paul
#7 Nathan Dunleavey - St. Paul
#8 Tamas Kalenda - EL Crossley
#9 Matt Delima - St. Paul
#10 Umby Campana - St. Paul
#11 Alex Makubuya - St. Francis
#12 Ethan Keus - EL Crossley
#13 Matt Bugnoculo - AN Meyer
#14 Jordan VanHerwynen - Smithville Christian
#15 Gavin Derksen – Grimsby
#16 Luca Hounsell - Grimsby
#17 Jonathan Buist - Smithville Christian
#18 Nick Morrison - Centennial
#19 Alberto Rodriquez - AN Meyer
#20 Dainon Bango - Governor Simcoe
#21 Caleb Crawford - Sir Winston
#22 Zach Harrietha - DSBN Academy
#23 Owen Clavel - DSBN Academy
TEAM WHITE (BOYS)
GK Michael Troiani - Blessed Trinity
GK John Lidster - Jean Vanier
#2 Patrick Alvarez - Blessed Trinity
#3 Gavin DiMaria - Holy Cross
#4 Ivan Peso - Holy Cross
#5 Sam Barrios - Denis Morris
#6 Samuel Tomaino - Blessed Trinity
#7 Alejandro Puentes - Holy Cross
#8 Sebastian Argudo - Holy Cross
#9 Noah Diegidio - Notre Dame
#10 Lucas Therrien - Notre Dame
#11 Evan Charnock - Denis Morris
#12 Tommy McCartney - Lakeshore
#13 Ethan Burrison - Niagara Christian
#14 Josh Ferrara - Port High
#15 Christian Rodriguez - Niagara Christian
#16 Ian Cushnie - Beamsville
#17 Taylor Desmarais - Port High
#18 Mohamed Mohamed Elsadiy - Denis Morris
#19 Nattie Dawit-Côte - Jean Vanier
#20 Nick Beauregard - Lakeshore
#21 Dean Miller - Port High
