Wizards get 3rd title of season

Wizards 2, Astros 0
 
Darren Desaulniers
The Ottawa Citizen; with files from Canadian Press


Monday, October 21, 2002

The Ottawa Wizards are a glittering bunch this morning.

For the first time in the five-year history of the Canadian Professional Soccer League, one team has captured all three league trophies.

Thanks to a 2-0 victory over the North York Astros in yesterday's Rogers Cup playoff final yesterday at North York, the Wizards are that team.

Robin Hart scored the winning goal late in the first half and the Astros' Slobodan Ilic miscued to score in his own net in the 80th minute.

Ottawa goalkeeper Sa Brahima Treore collected his 14th shutout of the season.

The Wizards had earlier won the League Cup for regular-season supremacy after going 15-2-2 for 47 points, 13 more than the second-place Toronto Croatia (10-5-4). They also scored 55 goals and allowed 13.

At the end of September, the Wizards also won the final of the Canada Cup, a yearlong tournament independent of league play. They capped that run with three consecutive playoff wins, outscoring their opponents 5-0.

"I'm on top of the world right now," forward Abraham Osman said last night.

Last year, their first in the CPSL, the Wizards won the Canada Cup and League Cup.

"We won everything that came our way, and it was hard work and dedication that did it," Wizards general manager Jim Lianos said. "These players train solidly five days a week and that's what counted in the long run."

© Copyright 2002 The Ottawa Citizen