Ontario Soccer’s Ontario Player Development League (OPDL), presented by Toronto FC, officially wrapped up its sixth season over the weekend, as the OPDL Charity Shield match-ups took place at the Ontario Soccer Centre.

The top teams from the boys and girls U-14, U-15 and U-17 divisions competed in one game finals, in front of a packed house at the venue in Vaughan.

The U-17 Girls OPDL Charity Shield featured Ottawa South United taking on North Toronto SC.   

While the OPDL Charity Shield is an integral opportunity to showcase the immense talent found within the OPDL before fellow OPDL members, scouts and families, the Charity Shield also raises money for Ontario charities.

Every dollar accumulated through the $5 admission rate is donated to Ontario charities, as chosen by the winning teams in each match.

 Ottawa South United was playing for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation while North Toronto SC was playing for Sick Kids Foundation.

Both sides would trade chances early on but Juliann Lacassee for Ottawa and Courtney Linn for North Toronto were equal to the task in net, keeping the score locked at 0-0.

The remainder of the first half was spent testing one another’s weaknesses and while there were a few close chances neither side found a way through before the halftime break.

Ottawa South United subbed Anna Demarbre into goal in the second half and she kept things equally steady in the early part of the second half.

Ottawa would finally find a way through in the 57th minute. A perfectly weighted corner kick from Nibonile Dlamini fell to the head of Evelyn Arseneault. Unmarked, she easily nodded the ball into the back of the net for the game’s first goal.

It took less than a minute for Ottawa to add to that lead. Claire Rae did good work to get down the wing for Ottawa and her cross fooled everyone and found its way into the back of the net, making it 2-0.

That would be all they would need as OSU shut things down defensively the rest of the way and they would win the U-17 Girls OPDL Charity Shield.

Visit the Ontario Soccer Facebook page for all the photos from the final.