Guelph girls soccer team takes different path to nationals

Head coach Dan Di Maria knows there is something special with this crop of girls soccer players.

The Guelph Jr. Gryphons under-15 girls team is coming off its second Ontario Cup win in the last three years, and will represent Ontario at the National Club Championship next month in Quinte West.

But the path to get there was a little different than in previous years.

After two consecutive undefeated seasons in the Western Region Soccer League, the team opted out of the league and went in search for the best tournaments possible to prepare the team for the Ontario Cup.

“The mentality of both the players and the parents, they kind of had to buy into this idea that we don’t have a true fixed schedule,” Di Maria said. “We’re going to train, train, train. But then we’re going to hit these tournaments that are really good tournaments. 

“That was one of our biggest goals here as a coaching staff and the managers, just trying to find that right competition that will prep us for this ultimate goal.”

After placing second in a highly competitive indoor U16 league in the winter, the U15 Gryphons travelled across North America, placing high in spring and summer tournaments in Guelph, Woodbridge, New Jersey and Montreal, all before heading to the provincial championship in Vaughan earlier this month.

Making provincials was one thing. Winning it was a different story.

Guelph won the U13 title a couple years ago, but fell a little short last year at the U14 level. 

The under 15 age group is the youngest bracket at the Toyota National Championships, being held Oct. 9 to 14.

Knowing what was on the line at this age level, Di Maria said the team didn’t forget that defeat last season.

“That kind of motivated the girls to say ‘okay, we know we can do it, let’s do it again at U15 when it really matters, be the first team out of Guelph to win another Ontario Cup and also go to a nationals to represent not only the province, but the City of Guelph at the national level,’” he said.

The Gryphons were full marks against the Barrie Spirit.

With the game tied at two, Guelph ended up winning on penalty kicks to earn the right to play for a national title.

“I think it worked out well,” Di Maria said. “I didn’t hear anything negative from the parents' perspective.

“I think finding that competition is ultimately probably the hardest piece in the whole thing cause you’re not guaranteed that in a league. Any league you join, the way Ontario Soccer works is it’s very hard to actually pinpoint top competition in almost every match, and I think that’s what we were successful in doing, and that’s what prepped the girls for this Ontario Cup run.”

Di Maria said he has been with this group since they were eight years old, and even before that as individual players while helping out his daughters team with Timbits soccer.

Twelve of the original 17 are still on the roster, and there is plenty of excitement on what is to come.

“I just hope (this experience is) something that the girls can carry with them for the rest of their lives, just something they really strive for and hopefully gets them to achieve other goals in their lives,” Di Maria said.

“It won’t always be about soccer, but just something that they can strive for and push themselves towards in future endeavours, and whatever they have to look forward to in their lives.”