It was Markham City versus Brampton Soccer Club on Saturday morning to kick off the 2023 OPDL Gary Miller Charity Shield. This year, the competition took place on the Outdoor field at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan. The game was heated despite some chilly weather, with Markham ultimately beating Brampton 1-0 for the U15 Girls Championship. 

It was a fairly even first half with both squads taking a handful of shots, but each only getting one on target.  

Brampton’s Nia Noel-Gordon made the first attempt in the 9th minute, but Markham goalkeeper Jessica Petkovski was prepared to make the save. Markham’s Paige Rueffer made the next big attempt in the 21st minute with a shot from just outside the penalty area, missing the left post by just a few inches. 

In the 30th minute, Brampton had a golden chance when Chiamaka Omeze made a great run down the middle on a break away, but Markham’s Jessica Darby trailed closely behind her and managed to get a great tackle to take away the goal scoring chance. A few seconds later, Markham’s Ailish Hennessy went for the counterattack, but Brampton’s defense was also on point. Azaiya Patterson made a tackle from behind, thwarting the play. 

Markham’s Paige Rueffer made one last attempt to put her team on the scoreboard before halftime with a shot in the 35th minute, but Brampton goalkeeper Navreet Brar was ready for the save. 

In the second half, Markham finally opened the scoring when Hennessy tutned past her defender and fired a shot into the bottom right corner, in the 69th minute. 

Brampton tried to tie it up with two good attempts from Ilaria Mele and Saige Uhunmwangho, but Petkovski tipped Mele's shot away from the net, and shooting from the touchline, Uhunmwangho’s shot bounced off the left post. 

The score remained 1-0 at the end of added time, making Markham City the U15 Girls Gary Miller Charity Shield Champions.  Visit the 2023 OPDL Gary Miller Charity Shield Match Centre for a recap of all the weekend’s matches. 

Watch the full game on the Ontario Soccer YouTube channel.

Visit the Ontario Soccer Facebook page to see the full album.