Gryphons Complete Undefeated Weekend

May 30, 2005

The London Gryphons W-League squad came home from a weekend road trip with a win and a tie from two matches.

The Gryphons tied Chicago 1-1 on Friday night and defeated Fort Wayne 3-1 on Saturday.

The Gryphons provided this report:

The London Gryphons of the USL W-League played Chicago on Friday night May 27 2005 in Chicago. Arrived at the field and had a shortened warm-up but came out blazing. Chicago scored first but we quickly responded. Gryphons end up dominating the game but could not finish any other opportunities. Chicago’s strong and tall defensive line on a small pitch which we couldn't penetrate as the game went on. The game went 110 minutes with O/T and finished in a 1-1 tie.

Saturday in FT Wayne at Hefner Stadium we started very poor as the O/T game the night before took it toll the game at half was to be 0-0. Then in the second half the Gryphons turn it on to dominate and finish with a 3-1 result which included a fantastic Robyn Brady volley for the third goal and two stunners by Kim Dimitroff. The Gryphons end their 3rd season game with no losses and sit in second place behind Detroit which has played one more game.

LONDON CITY WIN OPENER

LONDON CITY WIN OPENER
London City prevented what would have been a perfect first night at Windsor Stadium on Saturday, handing Border Stars a 1-0 defeat in front of a large crowd in ideal conditions for the opening game of the Canadian Professional Soccer League season.

It was the opening game in the 33rd season in professional soccer for London since the teams launch in February of 1973.

By contrast, this was the opening game of season number two for Border Stars following their inaugural 2004 kickoff, a successful debut by winning the Open Canada Cup and a third-place finish (tied for second) in the CPSL'S Western Conference.

London defender Marco Peeters struck the lone goal, a well-placed header past Border Stars' goalkeeper Anthony Santilli off a corner kick from midfielder Gentjan Dervishi. The goal came at the 60th minute mark of an end-to-end game in which both teams had sufficient scoring opportunities to win.

Haider Al Shaibani gained a shutout in the London goal.

Woman's Pyramid of Play

The Ontario Soccer Association To Conduct
"Women's Pyramid For Play" Meeting

May 5, 2005
The Ontario Soccer Association (OSA) will be holding a "Women's Pyramid For Play Meeting" at the Holiday Inn at the Toronto Airport on Saturday afternoon, April 2. The primary purpose of the meeting it to review the top of the "Women's Pyramid For Play" in Ontario. Attending the meeting will be representatives of the OSA's League Management Committee, the Ontario Women's Soccer League, Canadian Professional Soccer League, Ottawa Fury Soccer Club, Toronto Lynx Soccer Club, Sudbury Canadians Soccer Club and London Gryphons Soccer Club. The four soccer clubs are members of the United Soccer League's W-League.

This is the first of what is intended to be a series of meetings to assess the current "Women's Pyramid For Play" structure and to discuss possible changes to the Pyramid For Play to benefit female soccer players in the province. The current Pyramid recognizes the W-League at the top with the Ontario Women's Soccer League (OWSL) immediately below the W-League. The OWSL operates Provincial Divisions at the "open age'" and "Under-21" age classifications. It also operates Regional Divisions and Multi-Jurisdictional District Divisions - again at both the "open age" and "Under-21" age classifications. Its Regional Divisions serve the Central Region and South Region but in the past, teams from the West Region have also participated in the OWSL's Regional Divisions. Below the OWSL are four District Leagues: Ottawa-Carleton Soccer League, Toronto S.A. Women's District League, London & Area Women's Soccer League and the South Western Ontario Women's Soccer League. All other women's leagues in Ontario are Club League which operate for recreational teams only.

The Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) has indicated interest in becoming part of the "Women's Pyramid For Play" by operating a Professional Women's Division which would be slotted above the W-League (which is an amateur league). The CPSL applied to the OSA in May 2004 for permission to operate a Professional Women's Division to commence in the 2005 season. However, the CPSL withdrew its application on November 5, 2004. In the latest discussions with the CPSL, the league has advised the OSA that it will be submitting an application to operate a Professional Women's Division to commence in the 2006 season; however, no application has been submitted to date. The CPSL's intent is to occupy the same place in the Women's Pyramid that it occupies in the "Men's Pyramid For Play" in Ontario where it is ranked as the top league within Canada and just below the United Soccer Leagues internationally.

The CPSL has also advised the OSA that it is considering operating a tournament in the 2005 season for District Women's All-Star Teams which is expected to serve as a pilot for its league slated to start in 2006. However to date, the OSA has not received an application for such a tournament. The OSA's League Management Committee has some serious concerns about the negative impact of such a tournament on the current "Women's Pyramid For Play" structure and specifically, on the OWSL. The CPSL's tournament plans call for weekend games spanning three months (June to August) which begins to take the shape of a league competition. However, the OSA is prepared to discuss this proposal as soon as an application is received.

In January, the Hamilton Avalanche Soccer Club submitted an application to play in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) - a rival league to the W-League in the USA. However, the Avalanche were unable to obtain club affiliation with the Hamilton & District S.A. and consequently, its application was not eligible to proceed.

Signs of strain are already evident in places like London where the London Gryphons (W-League), London City (CPSL) and London United (OWSL Provincial "Open Age" Division) are competing for the same top players. The OWSL fears that London United (which was a finalist in the 2004 Ontario Cup - Provincial Women's Soccer Championship) will lose out against its higher profile W-League and CPSL opponents.

The League Management Committee intends to address the following questions at the April 2 meeting.

1. Is the Women's Pyramid already too "top heavy" with the W-League and OWSL at the top and with only four District Leagues at the bottom (as compared to the Men's Pyramid which includes 12 District Leagues)?
2. Are there too many top level women's leagues being formed?
3. Can women's soccer in Ontario support the W-League (four teams with expansion plans for six teams), CPSL (a 10-12 team women's pro league), WPSL and the OWSL (with 12 teams in its top provincial "open age" division and another 6 teams in its provincial "Under-21" division)?
4. What is the impact on the OWSL regarding W-League expansion, introduction of a 10-12 team CPSL league, and team(s) in the WPSL?
5. Is it time for a professional women's league in Ontario?
6. What impact would playing in a professional women's league have on an individual player's NCAA eligibility?
7. From where do the players come to play in a professional women's league? Does Ontario have enough quality women players to support a women's pro loop if the younger elite players opt for NCAA eligibility?
8. Should the OSA be supporting its teams in USA league(s) or should The OSA be supporting a league developed and controlled by Canadians?
9. Is there a place for the WPSL in Ontario?
10. Should the OSA let the market decide by approving teams to play in the W-League, WPSL, CPSL and also endorsing the continuation of the OWSL as its Provincial Women's League and "let the strongest league survive"?
11. What is the best structure for the women's Pyramid For Play in Ontario?
12. Do we need a master plan for women's soccer in Ontario?
13. Can all parties involved in "high level" women's soccer (ie., OWSL, W-League Teams, CPSL) work together and develop a plan for an effective Women's Pyramid For Play in Ontario?

What are the short term and long range plans of all these leagues? In order to answer that question, in mid-February, the OSA requested Position Papers from the CPSL, OWSL and each of the W-League Clubs. The following three Position Papers have now been received from these groups:

1. Postion Paper from the Canadian Professional Soccer League
2. Position Paper from the Ontario Women's Soccer League
3. Position Paper from the W-League