2024 League1 Ontario season (women) explained

Competition:League1 Ontario
Season:2024
Prevseason:2023
Nextseason:2025

The 2024 Women's League1 Ontario season was the ninth of League1 Ontario, a Division 3 women's soccer league in the Canadian soccer league system and the highest level of soccer based in the Canadian province of Ontario. Starting from this season, the league is split into three divisions with promotion and relegation between them.[1] [2]

The Premier division is composed by 10 clubs, the Championship division by 10 clubs, all returning from last season. The League2 Ontario is made up by two conferences containing reserve teams and newly licensed clubs.

League1 Ontario Premier

Competition:League1 Ontario Premier
Season:2024
Winners:NDC Ontario
Relegated:Blue Devils FC
Matches:90
Total Goals:270
Prevseason:2023 (as League1 Ontario)
Nextseason:2025

League1 Ontario Premier will be composed by 10 teams, all coming back from the 2023 League1 Ontario season. Those clubs have qualified to the Premier division by finishing in the top half of the combined standings of the previous two seasons, with the exception of the Electric City FC, which have folded, being then replaced by the Blue Devils FC.[3] [4]

The 10 teams will face each other twice, once at home and once away and the club at the top of the standings will be crowned as League1 Ontario champions and gain a berth for the League1 Canada Interprovincial championship. The last placed team will be automatically relegated, while the 9th placed club will play a playoff game against the 2nd placed club of the Championship to stay in the league.

Clubs

TeamCityPrincipal stadiumHead coach
Alliance United FCMarkham / ScarboroughBirchmount Stadium / Varsity Stadium / Ontario Soccer CentreAngelo Cavalluzzo
Blue Devils FCOakvilleSheridan Trafalgar StadiumNatalie Bukovec
FC LondonLondonTricar FieldGarrett Peters
Guelph United FCGuelphCentennial BowlRandy Ribeiro
NDC OntarioVaughanJoey Lombardi
North Mississauga SCMississaugaChurchill Meadows (Mattamy Sports Park)Bijan Azizi
North Toronto NitrosTorontoDownsview ParkBilly Wilson
Simcoe County Rovers FCBarrieJ.C Massie Field, Georgian CollegeCarli Tingstad
Vaughan AzzurriVaughanNorth Maple Regional ParkCarmine Isacco
Woodbridge StrikersWoodbridge (Vaughan)Vaughan GroveDavid Porco

Standings

Promotion/relegation playoffs

A playoff was played between the 9th placed team in the Premier and the 2nd placed team in the Championship in a single game for a place in the top tier in 2025.

Statistics

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1Samantha MurphyWoodbridge Strikers18
2Jade KovacevicNorth Toronto Nitros16
3April LantaigneNDC Ontario11
Julia BenatiFC London
5Olivia RizakosGuelph United9
6Ally RoweFC London9
7Annabelle ChukwuNDC Ontario7
Jayda ThompsonWoodbridge Strikers
Victoria HinchliffeGuelph United
102 players tied6
Source: League1 Ontario

League Honours

Awards

Award Player Team Ref
Most Valuable Player Woodbridge Strikers
Young Player of the Year (U20) Teegan Melenhorst NDC Ontario
Coach of the Year Garrett Peters FC London
Goalkeeper of the Year Noelle Henning NDC Ontario
Defender of the Year Jadea Collin NDC Ontario
Midfielder of the Year Julia Benati FC London
Forward of the Year Woodbridge Strikers
Golden Boot (Top Scorer) Woodbridge Strikers

League All-Stars

The following players were named League1 Ontario Premier Division All-Stars for the 2024 season:[5] First Team All-Stars

Player Position
Noelle Henning (NDC Ontario) Goalkeeper
Jenny Wolevel (Alliance United) Defender
Sarah Rollins (North Toronto Nitros) Defender
Bryanna Caldwell (FC London) Defender
Jadea Collin (NDC Ontario) Defender
Julia Benati (FC London) Midfielder
Brianne Desa (Vaughan Azzurri) Midfielder
Caitlin Crichton (Guelph United) Midfielder
Teegan Melenhorst (NDC Ontario) Midfielder
Jade Kovacevic (North Toronto Nitros) Forward
Samantha Murphy (Woodbridge Strikers) Forward
Second Team All-Stars
Player Position
Mollie Eriksson (North Mississauga) Goalkeeper
Elise Bell (North Toronto Nitros) Defender
Abby Wroe (Simcoe County Rovers) Defender
Quintin Tostevin (North Toronto Nitros) Defender
Ida Miceli (Woodbridge Strikers) Defender
Alanna Raimondo (Vaughan Azzurri) Midfielder
April Syme (Woodbridge Strikers) Midfielder
Ella Kettles (NDC Ontario) Midfielder
April Lantaigne (NDC Ontario) Forward
Annabelle Chukwu (NDC Ontario) Forward
Ally Rowe (FC London) Forward
Honourable Mentions
Player Position
Gurleen Toor (Alliance United) Goalkeeper
Haley Ward (Guelph United) Defender
Kathleen Kimens (Vaughan Azzurri) Defender
Brooke-Lynne Mitchell (Vaughan Azzurri) Defender
Ava Elgood (Blue Devils) Defender
Cloey Uddenberg (Simcoe County Rovers) Midfielder
Ravina Braich (North Mississauga) Midfielder
Courtney Poon (North Toronto Nitros) Midfielder
Ava Greco (NDC Ontario) Midfielder
Olivia Rizakos (Guelph United) Forward
Aliya Gomes (Simcoe County Rovers) Forward

League1 Ontario Championship

Competition:League1 Ontario Championship
Season:2024
Nextseason:2025

League1 Ontario Championship is composed of 10 teams, 8 of those returning from the 2023 League1 Ontario season, Pickering FC who returned from hiatus, and new expansion club Rush Canada SA. Those clubs have qualified for the Championship division by finishing in the bottom half of the combined standings of the previous two seasons of League1 Ontario.

The 10 teams will face each other twice, once at home and once away for a total of 18 games. The club at the top of the standings will be crowned as Championship division winners and will be promoted to the 2025 League1 Ontario Premier. The 2nd ranked team in the standings will face the 9th placed team in the Premier division to gain promotion into the top division for the next season. The team last in the standings will face the winner of the League2 Ontario playoffs winner to stay in the league.

Clubs

TeamCityPrincipal stadiumHead coach
Burlington SCBurlingtonCorpus Christi CSSNeil Wilson
BVB IA WaterlooWaterlooRIM ParkGreg Jespersen
Darby FCWhitbySouth Courtice FieldStuart Robertson
Hamilton UnitedHamiltonRon Joyce Stadium (McMaster University)Carmine Lancia
Pickering FCPickeringPickering Soccer Centre/Kinsmen ParkFrancesco Carriero
ProStars FCBramptonOntario Soccer Centre / Victoria Park Stadium / Terry Fox StadiumMarco Bonofiglio
Rush CanadaOakvilleRiver Oaks ParkMichael Di Blasio
Scrosoppi FCBishop Reding CSSJohn Yacou
Tecumseh United FCTecumsehAcadémie Ste. Cécile International SchoolMohammed Nabavieh
Unionville Milliken SCUnionville (Markham)Ontario Soccer CentreAlex Morales

Standings

Promotion playoffs

The two losing semi-finalists of League2 Ontario will face against each others, the winner will be promoted to the Championship for the 2025 season.

Statistics

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1Abby KraemerBVB IA Waterloo10
Sahara ZinganoScrosoppi FC
Teagan HandleyProStars FC
4Torrie Grant-ClavijoUnionville-Milliken SC8
5Aalayah Michline-Simone LullyScrosoppi FC7
Mya NewcombeScrosoppi FC
Sophia CabralBVB IA Waterloo
87 players tied5
Source: League1 Ontario

League Honours

Awards

Award Player Team Ref
Most Valuable Player BVB IA Waterloo[6]
Young Player of the Year (U20) Ella Cahill Scrosoppi FC
Coach of the Year BVB IA Waterloo
Goalkeeper of the Year BVB IA Waterloo
Defender of the Year Jaiden McBain BVB IA Waterloo
Midfielder of the Year Scrosoppi FC
Forward of the Year Jaiden Morgan Hamilton United
Golden Boot (Top Scorer) ProStars FC
BVB IA Waterloo
Scrosoppi FC

League All-Stars

The following players were named League1 Ontario Championship Division All-Stars for the 2024 season:[6] First Team All-Stars

Player Position
Natalie Mouradian (BVB IA Waterloo) Goalkeeper
Cassandra Campanella (Hamilton United) Defender
Jaiden McBain (BVB IA Waterloo) Defender
Evana Eyubeh (Scrosoppi) Defender
Priyanka Chakravarti (BVB IA Waterloo) Defender
Taylor Schell (BVB IA Waterloo) Midfielder
Tori Chia (Darby) Midfielder
Danielle Sauve (BVB IA Waterloo) Midfielder
Sahara Zingano (Scrosoppi) Midfielder
Jaiden Morgan (Hamilton United) Forward
Ella Cahill (Scrosoppi) Forward
Second Team All-Stars
Player Position
Marissa Zucchetto (Unionville Milliken) Goalkeeper
Caroline Tepelenas (Unionville Milliken) Defender
Emily Cirone (Darby) Defender
Erin Hedgecock (Hamilton United) Defender
Brooke MacLeod (Tecumseh United) Defender
Mary DiFonzo (Burlington) Midfielder
Teagan Handley (ProStars) Midfielder
Brynn Jurus (Hamilton United) Midfielder
Mackenzie Scott (Pickering) Forward
Della Weir (Rush Canada) Forward
Aalayah Lully (Scrosoppi) Forward

League2 Ontario

Competition:League2 Ontario
Season:2024
Nextseason:2025

League2 Ontario clubs will be divided in regional conferences. Those clubs will be either the "B" team of Premier and Championship clubs or newly licensed clubs.

All teams will face each other team in their conference twice, once at home and once away. The top two teams in each division will advance to the promotion playoffs, with the winner being promoted to the Championship.[7]

Northeast Conference

TeamCityPrincipal stadiumHead Coach
Alliance United FC BMarkhamLaura Gosse
Darby FC BDarlingtonFref Chicoy Daban
Master's FAScarborough (Toronto) Alumni FieldJunior Groves
North Mississauga SC BMississaugaChurchill Meadows (Mattamy Sports Park)Laura Arduini
North Toronto Nitros BNorth York (Toronto)Daire O'Brien
Pickering FC BPickeringPeter Hogg
Simcoe County Rovers FC BBarrieMallory MacDonald
Unionville Milliken SC BUnionville (Markham)Bill Crothers Turf WestBill Markos
Vaughan Azzurri BVaughanPaul De Abreu
Woodbridge Strikers BWoodbridge (Vaughan)Gabe Cremonese

Southwest Conference

TeamCityPrincipal stadiumHead Coach
Blue Devils FC BOakvilleNorth Park TurfNatalie Bukovec
Burlington SC BBurlingtonCity View Park CentreMartinho Kibato
BVB IA Waterloo BWaterlooGregory Jespersen
FC London BLondonCity Wide Sports ParkGarrett Peters
Guelph United FC BGuelphMichael Warden
Hamilton United BHamiltonCarmine Lancia
ProStars FC BBramptonJosef Komlodi
Rush Canada SA BOakvilleRiver Oaks ParkMichael Di Blasio
Scrosoppi FC BMiltonJohn Yacou
St. Catharines Roma WolvesSt. CatharinesBrock UniversityDavide Massafra

Playoffs

L1 Cup

The L1 Cup is a league cup tournament that will be contested by teams from all three tiers of League1 Ontario. The Cup will be returning after a five-season hiatus, having last been played in 2018.

All 22 "A" teams will participate in the five-round knockout competition, which will be played concurrently with the league season. Twelve clubs will enter the first round (all ten clubs from the Championship division, and the two A teams from League2), while all ten clubs from the Premier Division will get a bye to the round of 16.[8] The first round is scheduled to begin on the week of April 15.

Bracket

U20 Reserve Division

The league will continue to operate a reserve division (however, unlike previous years where there were both U19 and U21 divisions, there will be a single U20 division).[7]

Playoffs

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Promotion And Relegation Comes To League1 Ontario. January 25, 2022. John. Jacques. Northern Tribune.
  2. Web site: The 2024 Plan: League1 Ontario Announces Plan To Overhaul Its Competition Structure For 2024 Season . . 13 February 2024. January 25, 2024.
  3. Web site: Davies . Mike . Electric City FC ceases operations in Peterborough after two years . . 14 February 2024.
  4. Web site: Tuan Bui . David . Electric City Football Club Folds After Two Years; Pickering FC Acquires Team Licenses . PTBO Canada . 14 February 2024.
  5. Web site: Premier Division stars celebrated in 2024 awards. November 1, 2024. League1 Ontario.
  6. Web site: 2024 awards continue with honouring Championship standouts. November 22, 2024. League1 Ontario.
  7. Web site: A New Era: A Bluffer’s Guide to the L1ON women’s soccer structure . . 13 February 2024.
  8. Web site: The Grand Return: A bluffer’s guide to the L1 Cup . www.league1ontario.com . League1 Ontario . 14 February 2024.