skip navigation

League1 Ontario Welcomes Three New Clubs to the Women’s Premier Division for the 2021 Season

By Staff, 02/03/21, 11:00AM EST

Share

The League welcomes the following clubs: Guelph Union (Guelph), Tecumseh SC (Windsor) and Waterloo United (Waterloo)

Play. Inspire. Unite. 

League1 Ontario announced today the addition of three new clubs to its Women’s Premier Division for the 2021 season, which will be the seventh campaign for the Province’s top Women’s league (the sixth season was cancelled due to COVID-19).

"Since its debut in 2015, the League1 Ontario Women's Premier Division has represented the top level of domestic club competition for women and with the addition of these three new clubs, the league only gets stronger," said League1 Ontario Director, Dino Rossi

"We are delighted to be able to significantly expand the footprint of the Women's Premier Division across Southwestern Ontario, creating fantastic new opportunities for talented young women to play at the highest level in their home community or region," Rossi added.

The League welcomes the following clubs: Guelph Union (Guelph), Tecumseh SC (Windsor) and Waterloo United (Waterloo)

Guelph Union 

Guelph Union is operated by Guelph Soccer, the leading community soccer club in the City of Guelph.  This new women’s team seeks to ignite ambition and provide exciting new opportunities for players within the community and surrounding area. The club is focused on shaping expectations and thinking differently about how to improve the sporting landscape in the community, providing enhanced opportunities for women in sport and to provide a strengthened player pathway.

“Establishing a League1 women’s program is an exciting next step for our organization and our community. This program aligns with our efforts to get more women and girls playing and remaining in the game. Our vision as an organization is to keep high-level female athletes visible in our community and inspire our players to dream big," said Sara Orrell, GM of Guelph Soccer

Tecumseh SC 

Tecumseh Soccer Club, formed in 1999, is a leading club in Southwestern Ontario and is dedicated to the development, promotion and administration of the sport of soccer while providing quality service, outstanding communication and a commitment to the education of its members.

In 2017, Tecumseh SC joined Ontario’s Talented Pathway as an OPDL License Holder and two years later, Tecumseh SC became one of the first National Youth License Holders designated by Canada Soccer.

“We are excited to complete our female high performance pathway with the addition of a League1 Ontario team. With two established U21 teams, and a large youth OPDL player pool, joining League1 allows us to continue to offer the top level of girls and women’s soccer in Ontario. As a club, our key objectives are to continue to provide players the pathway to maximize their potential and prepare them for the optimal level of competition, whether it be NCAA, U-SPORTS, CCAA or professional," said Daniel Mendonca, Tecumseh SC's League1 Head Coach and GM.

Waterloo United

The Waterloo Minor Soccer Club (Waterloo United) was founded in 1971 and was built around the philosophy to provide a positive learning environment with excellent programs, volunteers, staff, and resources while influencing the ‘Beautiful Game’. In 2021, the club celebrates an historic milestone, that being their 50th Anniversary. The programs that are offered provide an opportunity for children and adults within the City of Waterloo to participate in soccer at various levels.

"Waterloo United is pleased to add a women's team to League1 Ontario. It is important for us to offer this level of competition for both the young men and women of our Club," said Paul Burns, Executive Director.

With an unprecedented number of organizations applying to join League1 Ontario’s Women’s Division, the future of the league appears to be quite bright. 

"There continues to be enormous interest in the province for our Women's league and we expect to pursue more sustainable growth in coming years,” said Dino Rossi.

The following 15 clubs are currently approved to return for the 2021 season:

  • Alliance United
  • Darby FC
  • FC London
  • FC Oshawa
  • Guelph Union
  • Hamilton United
  • North Mississauga SC
  • North Toronto SC
  • Oakville Blue Devils FC
  • Pickering FC
  • Unionville-Milliken SC
  • Tecumseh SC
  • Vaughan Azzurri
  • Waterloo United
  • Woodbridge Strikers

About League1 Ontario

League1 Ontario is the Province of Ontario’s Pro-Am, standards-based, senior soccer league.

Founded in 2014 by Ontario Soccer, the league began with a ten team men’s division, which has now grown to 15 teams in the Women’s Division and 20 teams in the men’s division.  League1 Ontario serves as a critical bridge between the high-performance youth level and the professional levels of the game.

Owned and managed by Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) since 2019 and sanctioned by FIFA through the domestic bodies of Canada Soccer and Ontario Soccer, League1 Ontario’s primary focus is the showcase and development of Canada’s future stars.