Soccer season has arrived in Guelph, and it's a new era in League1 Ontario. But footy fans in the Royal City will have to wait a few weeks before either Guelph United teams play a home game at Centennial Bowl.
Both the men’s and women’s teams begin their seasons on the road this weekend.
The men travel to Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton on Saturday at 8 p.m. to play Hamilton United. The women open up its season against NDC Ontario in Vaughan Friday at 9 p.m.
The men’s home opener goes Monday, May 20 against Blue Devils FC at 7 p.m.
The women’s home opener will be part of a doubleheader afternoon with the men on Sunday, May 26. The women compete against North Mississauga at 2 p.m., followed by the men’s game against Scrosoppi FC at 5:30 p.m.
The men’s team will also play one game in Cambridge on May 11 at 2 p.m. against Burlington.
You can view the full schedule on the League1 website.
Both the men and the women will be playing in a newly formatted League1 Ontario, now composed of multiple playing divisions and a more international feel in terms of structure.
Both teams have qualified for their respective Premier Divisions, the top divisions for League1.
With the new alignment, the men’s Premier Division is composed of 12 teams instead of the 21 teams in the overall League1 table last year.
The women’s Premier Division will have 10 teams instead of the 19 last year.
Each team will compete against a team within its own division twice – one home and one away game – and the top team in the regular season will be named league champions, eliminating the playoff schedule altogether.
The champions will then be the League1 representative for a national competition featuring Canadian soccer teams from other leagues.
The last place team will be relegated to a second division, and the ninth place team will have to compete in a one-game playoff against one of the second division teams to avoid relegation.
Guelph’s two reserve squads – one men, one women – will compete in a newly formed third division called League2 Ontario.
The men’s contingent have much of its core returning to the fold, including goalkeeper Carter Robart, defender Cole Fernandez and Harvey Merchant and leading scorer Jared Agyemang.
The team has also signed former Halifax Wanderer defender Luke Green.
The 2021 league champs are looking to rebound after losing in the first round of the playoffs a year ago to Vaughan Azzurri.
The women, who missed the playoffs last year with a 7-3-8 record, will have a new coach leading the way in former Electric City FC coach Randy Ribeiro.
Ivan Joseph, who was Guelph’s sideline boss a year ago, stepped away for personal reasons but remains with the team.
On the pitch, leading scorer Victoria Hinchcliffe leads a group that includes 12 new players.
One of the new players is the returning forward Olivia Brown, who led Guelph in scoring in 2022.
As well, goalkeeper Elizabeth Brenneman returns after a one-year absence.
