2002_Canadian_Professional_Soccer_League_season
2002 Canadian Professional Soccer League season
Football league season
The 2002 Canadian Professional Soccer League season was the fifth season for the Canadian Professional Soccer League. The season began on May 23, 2002, and concluded on October 20, 2002, with Ottawa Wizards becoming the first expansion franchise to win the CPSL Championship (known as the Rogers CPSL Cup for sponsorship reasons) by defeating the North York Astros 2–0.[1] For the first time the final was hosted at Esther Shiner Stadium, which granted the hosts the North York Astros a wildcard match.[2] As the league was divided into the Eastern and Western Conferences the Wizards clinched the Eastern title, while Toronto Croatia won the Western Conference. The expansion of the league saw the return of professional soccer to Hamilton, and the addition of another Toronto franchise.[3][4] On February 26, 2002, the CPSL signed a player agreement deal with the Toronto Lynx of the USL A-League, which provided the Lynx access in order to use CPSL talent and provide players an opportunity to play at a higher level.[5][6]
| Season | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Ottawa Wizards |
| Regular Season title |
|
| Matches played | 133 |
| Goals scored | 456 (3.43 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Darren Tilley (Mississauga Olympians) |
| Best goalkeeper | George Azcurra |
| Biggest home win | Ottawa Wizards 8-1 St. Catharines Wolves (July 7, 2002) |
| Biggest away win | North York Astros 0-8 Mississauga Olympians (June 16, 2002) |
| Highest scoring | Mississauga Olympians 6-4 St. Catharines Wolves (July 19, 2002) |
← 2001 2003 → | |
For the second straight season the CPSL expanded to 14 clubs to include the Hamilton Thunder and Metro Lions. Due to the increase of teams the CPSL management split the league into two Conferences the Eastern and Western.[7] The Toronto Olympians moved to Erin Mills, Mississauga, which opened the Scarborough territory to the Metro Lions.[8] Changes occurred in the York Region territory with Glen Shields changing their team name to Vaughan Sun Devils in order to fully represent the city of Vaughan. Meanwhile, their rivals the York Region Shooters were sold to Tony De Thomasis, and relocated the team to their original home at Highland Park in Aurora. While former Hamilton Bulldogs president Cary Kaplan was hired as a Management Consultant for the league.[9]
|
|
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa Wizards | 19 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 55 | 13 | +42 | 47 | Qualification for Playoffs |
| 2 | Montreal Dynamites | 19 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 44 | 34 | +10 | 36 | |
| 3 | Metro Lions | 19 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 36 | 23 | +13 | 35 | |
| 4 | York Region Shooters | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 29 | 33 | −4 | 28 | |
| 5 | Durham Flames | 19 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 28 | 44 | −16 | 23 | |
| 6 | Vaughan Sun Devils | 19 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 27 | 35 | −8 | 29 | |
| 7 | Toronto Supra | 19 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 23 | 48 | −25 | 16 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto Croatia | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 23 | +13 | 34 | Qualification for Playoffs |
| 2 | Mississauga Olympians | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 49 | 30 | +19 | 32 | |
| 3 | Hamilton Thunder | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 31 | 24 | +7 | 28 | |
| 4 | St. Catharines Roma Wolves | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 35 | 41 | −6 | 24 | |
| 5 | North York Astros | 19 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 22 | 42 | −20 | 18 | Qualification for Playoffs |
| 6 | Brampton Hitmen | 19 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 27 | −8 | 17 | |
| 7 | London City | 19 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 39 | −17 | 13 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Wildcard
| October 8, 2002 | Mississauga Olympians | 3–2 | Hamilton Thunder | Toronto, Ontario |
| 8:00 ET |
|
(Report) |
|
Stadium: Centennial Park Stadium Attendance: 50 Referee: Manuel Orellano (Ontario |
| October 16, 2002 | Montreal Dynamites | 1–3 | Metro Lions | Kingston, Ontario |
| 9:00 ET | Kyt Selaidopoulos  30' |
(Report) |
| October 18, 2002 | North York Astros | 3–0 | Mississauga Olympians | Toronto, Ontario |
| 8:05 ET |
|
(Report) | Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium Attendance: 100 Referee: Mike Lambert (Ontario |
Semifinals
| October 19, 2002 | Ottawa Wizards | 1–0 | Metro Lions | Toronto, Ontario |
| 2:05 ET | Samir Karaga 83' |
(Report) | Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium Attendance: 125 Referee: Manuel Orellano (Ontario |
| October 19, 2002 | Toronto Croatia | 0–1 | North York Astros | Toronto, Ontario |
| 4:05 ET | (Report) | Guillermo Compton Hall 89' |
Stadium: Esther Shiner Stadium Attendance: 150 Referee: Domenic Rosetto (Ontario |
Rogers CPSL Championship
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rogers CPSL Championship MVP:
- Guillermo Compton Hall (North York Astros)
|
Assistant referees:
|
The 2002 CPSL All-Star match was arranged by the German consulate general in Toronto to have TSV 1860 Munich of the Bundesliga to come to Canada.[27] London City head coach Jurek Gebcznyski was selected to assemble an All-Star roster with Dave Benning, Victor Cameria and Steve Nijjar serving as his assistant coaches. Jimmy Douglas was appointed the general manager for the team.[28]
| CPSL All-Stars | 0 - 6 | TSV 1860 Munich |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Assistant referees:
|
- Full article: CSL Golden Boot[29]
| Position | Player's name | Nationality | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darren Tilley |  England |
Mississauga Olympians | 20 |
| 2 | Kevin Nelson |  Trinidad and Tobago |
Ottawa Wizards | 18 |
| 3 | Mladen Dikic |  Croatia |
Toronto Croatia | 14 |
| 4 | Carlo Arghittu |  Canada |
St. Catharines Wolves | 13 |
| 5 | Gus Kouzmanis | Canada |
Vaughan Sun Devils | 13 |
| 6 | Khalid Mensah | Canada |
Montreal Dynamites | 13 |
| 7 | Abraham Osman |  Uganda |
Ottawa Wizards | 12 |
| 8 | Kevin De Serpa | Canada |
Mississauga Olympians | 8 |
| 9 | Tom Kouzmanis | Canada |
Vaughan Sun Devils | 8 |
| 10 | Kurt Mella | Canada |
Brampton Hitmen | 8 |
A list of the 2002 CPSL Executive Committee.[30]
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| President & Chairman: | Vincent Ursini | Canadian |
| League Administrator/Director of Media: | Stan Adamson[31] | English |
| Director at Large: | Walter Kirchner |  Romanian |
| Director of Discipline: | Clifford Dell[32] | Canadian |
| Director of Officials: | Tony Camacho |  Portuguese |
| Administrative Co-ordinator: | Josie Storto | Canadian |
| Treasurer: | Peter Li Preti | Canadian |
| Legal Counsel: | Ira Greenspoon | Canadian |
The annual CPSL awards ceremony was held on October 20, 2002, at the Hollywood Princess Convention in Concord, Ontario.[33] Where the Mississauga Olympians received the most accolades with three wins. Darren Tilley a former English football and USL A-League veteran was given both the CSL Golden Boot and Rookie of the Year. After accumulating the fewest card bookings they received the Fair Play award, their third in the club's history. Toronto Croatia went home with two awards with George Azcurra adding his third Goalkeeper of the Year award to his resume. While Domagoj Sain was named the Defender of the Year.
Abraham Osman of the Ottawa Wizards became the first player to receive the MVP in two straight seasons. After a mediocre start to the season the Metro Lions utilized the services of Aldwyn McGill as manager, who transformed the expansion franchise into a title contender.[34] While Michael Lambert's work as a match official was recognized by the league with the Referee of the Year award.
| Award | Player (Club) |
|---|---|
| CPSL Most Valuable Player | Abraham Osman[35] (Ottawa Wizards) |
| CPSL Golden Boot | Darren Tilley (Mississauga Olympians) |
| CPSL Goalkeeper of the Year Award | George Azcurra (Toronto Croatia) |
| CPSL Defender of the Year Award | Domagoj Sain (Toronto Croatia) |
| CPSL Rookie of the Year Award | Darren Tilley (Mississauga Olympians) |
| CPSL Coach of the Year Award | Aldwyn McGill (Metro Lions) |
| CPSL Referee of the Year Award | Michael Lambert |
| CPSL Fair Play Award | Mississauga Olympians |
- Baines, Time. "Triple the fun for Wizards". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- "North York and The Astros look to October: Esther Shiner Stadium will be the site of the CPSL playoffs". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. 2003-08-22. Archived from the original on 2003-08-22. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- Peters, Ken. "CPSL preseason story on Hamilton Thunder from The Spectator". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- Laskaris, Sam. "Scarborough Mirror-Guardian May 5th, 2002 Preseason story on Metro Lions". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Scarborough Mirror-Guardian. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- "CPSL signs Player Agreement with Toronto Lynx". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. February 16, 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-08-05. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- Da Costa, Norman. "Hartrells defy odds to keep Lynx alive". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Toronto Star. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- "Expanded CPSL will kick-off 5-month Campaign". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. April 14, 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-06-05. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- Laskaris, Sam. "Soccer team eyes move to Mississauga". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Scarborough Mirror. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- "CPSL retains hokey executive". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. Archived from the original on 2003-10-28. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- "CPSL - Hitmen Ready for Action". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Brampton Guardian. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "Durham Flames". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. Archived from the original on 2002-12-25. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "London City". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. Archived from the original on 2002-12-25. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "Thunder gets burned by Durham Flames". hamiltonthunder.com. August 9, 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-08-10. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "Metro Lions Football Club 2002". www.caribbeanstars.com. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "CPSL - Toronto Croatia vs Montreal Dynamite". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Mississauga News. June 12, 2002. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "Dynamites News: A new head coach for the Dynamites". Dynamites Official Website. May 3, 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-08-23. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "All time coaches". North York Astros Soccer Club Powered by Goalline Sports Administration Software. Archived from the original on 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- Laskaris, Sam (May 7, 2002). "CPSL - Astros preSeason story from the Mirror-Guardian". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- Wallace, Jim (June 5, 2002). "CPSL - St Catharines Roma Wolves vs Hamilton Thunder". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "St Catherines Roman Wolves". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. Archived from the original on 2002-12-25. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- Brown, Joel (June 16, 2002). "CPSL - North York Astros vs Mississauga Olympians from Mississauga News". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Mississauga News. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- Laskaris, Sam. "Supra squad eyes Etobicoke as possible relocation site". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Mirror-Guardian. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
- Glover, Robin (March 23, 2002). "CPSL rumours". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "Thunder Struck". Vaughan Sun Devils / Glen Shields Soccer Club. May 23, 2002. Archived from the original on 2006-05-25. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- "inforoster". yorkregionshooters.net. Archived from the original on 2003-02-12. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- cucumilstein (2006-07-14). "Compton Hall Guillermo". En Una Baldosa (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2020-01-21.
- Rumleski, Kathy. "London Free Press CPSL column April 26th, 2002". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- Glover, Robin (May 15, 2002). "International Friendly CPSL All-Stars vs TSV Munich 1860". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- "League statistics 2003-2002". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. 2003-11-21. Archived from the original on November 21, 2003. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
- "CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League: Executive Committee". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. 2002-12-11. Archived from the original on 2002-12-11. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- "2001 - May 8 - Stan Adamson". May 8, 2001. Archived from the original on November 24, 2001. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- "2001 - April 17 - Message from DOO; Volunteers; Dell". April 17, 2001. Archived from the original on November 8, 2001. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- Glover, Robin (October 20, 2002). "CPSL Awards Dinner". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2017-06-03.
- Laskaris, Sam (October 23, 2003). "CPSL Season review of Metro Lions from Scarborough Mirror". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Scarborough Mirror. Retrieved 2017-06-03.
- "Featured player: Abraham Osman of Ottawa Wizards". CPSL - Canadian Professional Soccer League. 2003-08-10. Archived from the original on 2003-08-10. Retrieved 2016-12-31.