The U17 Boys final at the 2024 OPDL Gary Miller Charity Shield was a thrilling encounter that saw Ottawa South United and Toronto High Park FC (THPFC) battle fiercely through regular time, penalties, and into sudden death before OSU emerged victorious. The action took place Saturday afternoon at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan, and saw Ottawa crowned champion after a nail-biter of a match.

Both teams came out energized, engaging in fast-paced back-and-forth action from the opening whistle. Several early scoring attempts tested both keepers, setting the stage for an intense afternoon. In the 17th minute, Ottawa’s Reinaldo Abraham came tantalizingly close to opening the scoring, but his free kick struck the post, denying his side an early lead.

THPFC broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute. Evan Murrel sent a well-timed pass down the left flank to Julian Link, who delivered a dangerous cross in front of the Ottawa goal. Amid the scramble, Gus Turnball pounced on the loose ball, burying it to put THPFC up 1-0.

Ottawa responded with renewed pressure, and Abraham attempted another shot in the 41st minute, only for THPFC keeper Liam Glas to make a key save. THPFC quickly countered, with Murrel racing down the field to set up Ethan Paananen, but Ottawa keeper Austin Wood was equal to the task.

The second half began with Ottawa pressing hard. In the 55th minute, Abraham crossed to Ralph Khoury, whose header forced another save from Glas. After a scramble, Maxime Bedard tried again for Ottawa, but Glas stood tall, keeping his team in the lead.

THPFC responded with chances of their own. Luca Levillain sent a shot from the top of the box just over the crossbar in the 56th minute, and two minutes later, Murrel broke free from Ottawa’s defense, only for Wood to charge out and disrupt the play.

Ottawa's persistence finally paid off in the 70th minute. After winning a penalty, Abraham stepped up and calmly slotted the ball home, tying the game at 1-1.

The final minutes of regulation were frantic. THPFC’s Link narrowly missed the net in the 81st minute. Just a minute later, Murrel intercepted the ball and fed it to Joshua Flores, who slotted it past Wood to restore THPFC’s lead at 2-1.

Ottawa refused to back down, and in the 86th minute, Khoury found himself unmarked in front of goal after a well-placed corner kick. With composure, he chipped the ball past Glas to level the match at 2-2 and force penalties.

The shootout was as dramatic as the match itself, with both teams trading goals through regular penalties and into sudden death. In the end, Ottawa South United held their nerve, clinching the win and lifting the U17 Boys Gary Miller Charity Shield.

You can watch the full match on the Ontario Soccer YouTube channel. 

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