Teams
  Brampton Vaughan London Mississauga Durham Ottawa St. Catharines Richmond Hill  TORONTO |  Toronto Olympians Toronto Supra North York Astros York Region Shooters Glen Shields Sun Devils |
| Season | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Champions | St. Catharines Wolves |
| Regular Season title | Ottawa Wizards |
| Matches played | 132 |
| Goals scored | 441 (3.34 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Kevin Nelson (Ottawa Wizards) |
| Best goalkeeper | George Azcurra Luciano Miranda |
| Biggest home win | Montreal Dynamites 9-2 Durham Flames (September 2, 2001) |
| Biggest away win | Glen Shields Sun Devils 1-8 Toronto Supra (June 3, 2001) |
| Highest scoring | Montreal Dynamites 9-2 Durham Flames (September 2, 2001) |
← 2000 2002 → | |
The 2001 Canadian Professional Soccer League season was the fourth season for the Canadian Professional Soccer League. The season began on May 25, 2001 and concluded on October 14, 2001 with St. Catharines Wolves defeating Toronto Supra by a score of 1-0 to win their second CPSL Championship (known as the Rogers CPSL Cup for sponsorship reasons) . [1] The final was hosted in St. Catharines with Club Roma Stadium as the venue, while the match received coverage from Rogers TV. [2] [3] The season saw the league expand to a total of 12 teams, and went beyond the GTA and Ontario border to include a Montreal and Ottawa franchise. [4] Throughout the regular season the Ottawa Wizards became the first club to end the Toronto Olympians league title dynasty. [5] The CPSL also launched the CPSL Soccer Show with Rogers TV providing the broadcasting, and granting Rogers naming rights to the CPSL Championship. [6] [7] Other major sponsors included the Government of Canada, which served as the sole sponsor for the CPSL Rookie of the Year Award. [8] The league also announced a working partnership with the Canadian United Soccer League a task force originally started by the Canadian Soccer Association in order forge a unified professional structure with the cooperation of the Canadian franchises in the USL A-League to launch a Canadian first and second division domestic league. [9] [10]
All 8 clubs from the previous season returned, and the league expanded to include 4 new entries the Brampton Hitmen, Montreal Dynamites, Ottawa Wizards, and Toronto Supra all began play this year. [11] [12] Oshawa Flames changed their name to the Durham Flames in order to represent the entire Durham Region, and received sponsorship from Danone. [13] [14] Toronto Croatia transferred their home venue from Centennial Park Stadium to Memorial Park in Streetsville, Mississauga. [15] Changes to the CPSL executive management committee saw former Director of Media Relations for the Toronto Lynx Stan Adamson appointed to the position of CPSL Director of Media and Public Relations. [16]
| Brampton Vaughan London Mississauga Durham Ottawa St. Catharines Richmond Hill TORONTO | Toronto Olympians Toronto Supra North York Astros York Region Shooters Glen Shields Sun Devils |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa Wizards | 22 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 51 | 16 | +35 | 51 | Qualification for Playoffs |
| 2 | Toronto Olympians | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 50 | 21 | +29 | 46 | |
| 3 | Toronto Supra | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 44 | 22 | +22 | 41 | |
| 4 | Montreal Dynamites | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 46 | 32 | +14 | 39 | |
| 5 | St. Catharines Roma Wolves | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 43 | 28 | +15 | 38 | |
| 6 | Toronto Croatia | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 32 | 29 | +3 | 35 | |
| 7 | Glen Shields Sun Devils | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 30 | 43 | −13 | 27 | |
| 8 | Brampton Hitmen | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 28 | 41 | −13 | 26 | |
| 9 | North York Astros | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 30 | 32 | −2 | 24 | |
| 10 | Durham Flames | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 39 | 53 | −14 | 24 | |
| 11 | York Region Shooters | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 29 | 58 | −29 | 15 | |
| 12 | London City | 22 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 19 | 66 | −47 | 9 |
| October 12, 2001 | St. Catharines Wolves | 2–1 | Montreal Dynamites | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 8:15 ET |
| (Report) | Selaidopoulos  18' | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium |
| October 13, 2001 | Toronto Olympians | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Toronto Supra | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 1:00 ET |
| (Report) |
| Stadium: Club Roma Stadium Attendance: 300 Referee: Mike Lambert (Ontario) |
| October 13, 2001 | Ottawa Wizards | 0–1 | St. Catharines Wolves | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 3:00 ET | (Report) | Gary McGutchan 43' | Stadium: Club Roma Stadium Attendance: 300 Referee: Amato De Luca (Ontario) |
| October 14, 2001 | Ottawa Wizards | 2–5 | Toronto Olympians | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 12:00 ET |
| (Report) |
| Stadium: Club Roma Stadium Attendance: 300 Referee: Gord Arrowsmith (Ontario) |
| St. Catharines Roma Wolves | 1–0 | Toronto Supra |
|---|---|---|
| John Sozio 116' | Report |
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Rogers CPSL Championship MVP:
Assistant referees: |
For the 2001 season the CPSL administration arranged two all-star matches for the league. In order to prepare for the 2001 Jeux de la Francophonie the Morocco national under-23 football team expressed a desire to play a solid Canadian team. Subsequently, the Canadian Soccer Association requested the CPSL to arrange a select team for the match. [32] The second match consisted of a CPSL All-Star team against C.S. Marítimo of the Primeira Liga. [33]
| July 6, 2001 | CPSL Selects | 1 - 1 | Morocco U-23 | Carp, Ontario |
| 7:30 pm | Willy Giummarra 61' | Report | Omar Share 53' | Stadium: OZ Optics Stadium |
| July 25, 2001 | CPSL All-Stars | 0 - 4 | C.S. Marítimo | London, Ontario |
| 7:30 pm | Report |
| Stadium: Cove Road Stadium |
| Position | Player's name | Nationality | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Nelson |  Trinidad and Tobago | Ottawa Wizards | 23 |
| 2 | Abraham Osman |  Uganda | Ottawa Wizards | 17 |
| 3 | Samuel Afriyie |  Canada | Toronto Supra | 15 |
| 4 | Frank Zumpano | Canada | St. Catharines Wolves | 14 |
| 5 | Eddy Berdusco | Canada | Toronto Olympians | 12 |
| 6 | Bruno Nue | Canada | Montreal Dynamites | 12 |
| 7 | Ryan Gamble | Canada | Toronto Supra | 11 |
| 8 | Gary Hughes | Canada | St. Catharines Wolves | 10 |
| 9 | Peter Curic | Canada | Toronto Croatia | 9 |
| 10 | Dejan Gluscevic |  Serbia | North York Astros | 9 |
The 2001 CPSL Executive Committee. [35]
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman: | Vincent Ursini | Canadian |
| Director of Operations: | Chris Bellamy [36] | Canadian |
| Director of Discipline: | Clifford Dell [37] | Canadian |
| Director of Officials: | Tony Camacho |  Portuguese |
| Treasurer: | Peter Li Preti | Canadian |
| Legal Counsel: | Ira Greenspoon | Canadian |
The annual CPSL awards ceremony was held on October 14, 2001 at Club Roma in St. Catharines, Ontario. [38] Expansion franchise Ottawa Wizards received the most awards with 3 wins. [39] Trinidadian journeyman Kevin Nelson went home with both the Golden Boot, and the Rookie of the Year. [40] [41] [42] While his teammate Abraham Osman was given the MVP. [43] George Azcurra shared his second Goalkeeper of the Year award with Luciano Miranda.
Kurt Ramsey of the North York Astros won the Defender of the Year, and former Montreal Impact manager Zoran Jankovic went home with the Coach of the Year. Amato De Luca who later refereed matches at the international level and Major League Soccer was named the Referee of the Year. [44] Durham Flames received the Fair Play award.
| Award | Player (Club) |
|---|---|
| CPSL Most Valuable Player | Abraham Osman (Ottawa Wizards) |
| CPSL Golden Boot | Kevin Nelson (Ottawa Wizards) |
| CPSL Goalkeeper of the Year Award | George Azcurra (Toronto Croatia) Luciano Miranda (North York Astros) |
| CPSL Defender of the Year Award | Kurt Ramsey (North York Astros) |
| CPSL Rookie of the Year Award | Kevin Nelson (Ottawa Wizards) |
| CPSL Coach of the Year Award | Zoran Jankovic (Montreal Dynamites) |
| CPSL Referee of the Year Award | Amato De Luca |
| CPSL Fair Play Award | Durham Flames |
C.N.S.C. Toronto Croatia is a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, that plays in the Supergroup Open Division in the Canadian Academy of Futbol. The team's colours are red, white and blue, similar to those of the Croatian national football team.
Eddy Berdusco is a Canadian retired professional soccer player. A former forward, he began his career in the Canadian Soccer League, where he finished as the third all-time highest goalscorer. After the demise of the CSL he spent some time abroad in Europe, China, before returning to North America to play with the Milwaukee Rampage. Berdusco would spend the remainder of his career in the Canadian Professional Soccer League, winning several team championships with the Toronto Olympians, and retiring with the Toronto Supra in 2002.
St. Catharines Roma Wolves, are a Canadian soccer team, founded in 1967. The team currently plays in the semi-professional League1 Ontario in both the men's and women's divisions. The club is a former member of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL), where it fielded a professional team from 1998 to 2013, and now operates youth teams in the Peninsula Soccer League. Teams play out of Club Roma in St. Catharines, Ontario in the Niagara Peninsula. The team's colours are dark red and white, mimicking those of the famous Italian club A.S. Roma.
The Durham Storm were a Canadian soccer team that last played in the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) in 2005. The club was founded as the Toronto Olympians in 1998 and played in Toronto, Ontario through 2001, before being renamed the Mississauga Olympians for 2002 and 2003. The team relocated to Oshawa, Ontario in Durham Region for the 2004 & 2005 seasons and was renamed Durham Storm.
The 2004 Canadian Professional Soccer League season was the seventh season for the Canadian Professional Soccer League. The season began on May 24, 2004 and concluded on October 11, 2004 with Toronto Croatia defeating Vaughan Shooters 4–0 to capture their second CPSL Championship. The championship was hosted for the first time at Victoria Park Stadium in Brampton, Ontario, which granted the Brampton Hitmen a wildcard berth. In the regular season the Toronto Supra clinched their first Eastern Conference title, while Hamilton Thunder secured their second Western Conference title. Though the league decreased in membership they managed to expand to the Windsor - Detroit territory with the addition of the Windsor Border Stars.
The 2003 Canadian Professional Soccer League season was the sixth season for the Canadian Professional Soccer League. The season began on May 24, 2003 and concluded on October 5, 2003 with the Brampton Hitmen defeating Vaughan Sun Devils 1-0 to capture the CPSL Championship. The victory marked Brampton's first championship title, and the final was played at Cove Road Stadium in London, Ontario. During the regular season the Ottawa Wizards and the Hamilton Thunder won their respective conferences. Ottawa became the second CPSL franchise to go undefeated throughout the regular season.
The 2000 Canadian Professional Soccer League season was the third season under the Canadian Professional Soccer League name. The season began on May 26, 2000 and concluded on October 1, 2000 with Toronto Croatia defeating Toronto Olympians 2-1 to claim their first CPSL Championship. The final was hosted at Cove Road Stadium for the first time. Throughout the season, all eight clubs from the previous year returned, while the Olympians secured their third straight regular season title. The league received sponsorship from Primus Canada, which granted Primus naming rights to the CPSL Championship, and Vincent Ursini was appointed the CPSL Chairman.
The 1999 Canadian Professional Soccer League season was the second season under the Canadian Professional Soccer League name. The season began on May 28, 1999, and concluded on October 2, 1999, with Toronto Olympians defeating Toronto Croatia 2-0 to claim their first CPSL Championship. The Olympians made history by becoming the first club in the league's history to achieve a treble. For the second straight season, they went undefeated for the entire season. The league also introduced their first All-Star match where the CPSL All-Stars faced the CSA Development team.
The 1998Canadian Professional Soccer League season was the inaugural season under the Canadian Professional Soccer League name. The season began on May 31, 1998, and concluded on October 14, 1998, with the St. Catharines Wolves defeating the Toronto Olympians in 4-2 victory in a penalty shootout to claim the first CPSL Championship held at Centennial Park Stadium in Toronto, Ontario. Though Toronto was denied the treble they still managed to go undefeated the entire regular season, and dominate the league with the best offensive and defensive record.
Sergio De Luca is a Canadian professional soccer coach and former player.
Salvatore Borgh is a Canadian former soccer player who played his entire career in Canadian Professional Soccer League, and the USL A-League.
Laryea Adjetey is a Ghanaian retired footballer who played in the USL A-League, and the Canadian Professional Soccer League.
Stuart Black is a Nigerian-born Canadian former soccer player who began his career in the Canadian National Soccer League, and finished off his career in the USL A-League, and the Canadian Professional Soccer League.
Leonardo Simon is a Canadian former soccer player who played in the National Professional Soccer League, Canadian National Soccer League, and the Canadian Professional Soccer League.
Gary Hughes is a Canadian former soccer player who played in the USISL Select League, and the Canadian Professional Soccer League.
The 2003 Open Canada Cup was the 6th edition of the Canadian Professional Soccer League's open league cup tournament running from mid May through early September. London City defeated Metro Lions 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the final played at Cove Road Stadium, London, Ontario. The victory gave London their first piece of silverware and brought an end to the Ottawa Wizards Canada Cup dynasty. The 2003 edition of the Canada Cup was a historical milestone achieved by the CPSL by opening the tournament to all Canadian professional and amateur clubs in order to provide a potential candidate for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup and a $10,000 reward for the champion. The last time a Canadian club competed in the Champions' Cup was in the 1976 CONCACAF Champions' Cup represented by Toronto Italia of the National Soccer League the predecessor league of the CPSL.
Gentian Buzali is an Albanian former footballer who played in the Canadian National Soccer League, USL A-League, Canadian Professional Soccer League, and the Western Ontario Soccer League.
Isa Bulku is an Albanian former footballer who played in the USL A- League, and the Canadian Professional Soccer League.
Ervin Ryta is an Albanian former footballer who played in the Western Ontario Soccer League, USL A-League, and the Canadian Professional Soccer League.
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