Scarborough Mirror: Proud Olympians Poised for Title
Run
by Winnipeg Fury
Proud Olympians poised for title run
By SAM LASKARIS
Special to The Mirror
The Toronto Olympians can add some more hardware to
their already-impressive trophy case in the next few weeks.
The
Scarborough-based club, which competes in the Canadian Professional Soccer
League (CPSL), is in its fourth year of existence.
So far the Olympians
have won three consecutive CPSL regular season titles. And they've also captured
three straight league cup (a season-long tournament) championships.
The
club also won the league's playoff title once, in 1999. Thus, the Olympians have
won seven of the nine major awards they've been eligible for since their
inception.
The Olympians, who plan to move to Mississauga starting with
the 2002 campaign, are hoping to win some more trophies before they vacate their
current home at Birchmount Stadium.
The Olympians' trophy quest begins
this weekend in Ottawa. The club is one of four clubs participating in the
league's cup playoff tourney.
The local side will meet Toronto Supra in a
semifinal match Saturday. The other semifinal features the host Ottawa Wizards
against the St. Catharines Roma Wolves.
The two winners will advance to
Sunday's championship final.
But the Olympians will travel to the
nation's capital without five key players. Coach David Gee appears to be taking
that news in stride.
"You just deal with the cards you've been dealt," he
said.
One of the Olympians' top defenders, Bayete Smith, will be
unavailable as he's getting married Saturday in Scarborough. Two other Olympians
will also miss the game as they'll play key roles in the wedding.
Striker
Elvis Thomas is Smith's best man while midfielder Danny Ziannis, the club's
captain, is a member of the wedding party.
Gee said there's a chance
Thomas and Ziannis might venture to Ottawa if the Olympians advance to Sunday's
final.
The Olympians will also be without goalkeeper Brian Bowes and
midfielder Courtney Dennis.
Bowes will be in the U.S. as he's attending
training camp for the Kansas City Attack of the newly created Major Indoor
Soccer League.
Meanwhile, Dennis is flying to Jamaica Friday after the
death of a close friend.
The Olympians are currently holding down first
place in the 12-team CPSL. The local side, which has one regular season game
left, has posted a 15-5-1 record, good for 46 points.
Ottawa, which has
two games remaining, is one point back of the Olympians, thanks to its 14-3-3
mark.
The Olympians can win the regular season title by defeating the
Wizards in their final game, set for Oct. 7 in Ottawa.
By placing among
the top four finishers, the Olympians will also take part in the league's
playoff tourney, scheduled for Oct. 13 to 14 in St. Catharines.
Gee, who
has been the Olympians coach since their first season, said he is proud of what
his side has accomplished this year.
Besides coaching, Gee also purchased
the club early this year.
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