Held across Canada, these tournaments highlighted the nation’s top college and university soccer talent, and Ontario Match Officials were once again well-represented on the national stage.
Ontario Match Officials were appointed to key roles at the CCAA and U Sports Championships. With 32 medal-match appointments available across all events, Ontario’s Match Officials earned an impressive seven assignments.
CCAA Tournaments
At the CCAA Women’s Championship in Vancouver, B.C., Angelina Baldino and Emelia Schaafsma represented Ontario. Baldino’s exceptional performance earned her the prestigious appointment to referee the Gold Medal game.
Meanwhile, at the CCAA Men’s Championship in Fredericton, N.B., Ontario was represented by Nivin Raizada, Liam Tremblay, Josue Tomas Cascales, and Nicholas Thompson. Raizada was appointed to referee the Bronze Medal game, while Tremblay served as assistant referee for the same match.
U Sports Tournaments
At the U Sports Women’s Championship in Halifax, N.S., Amanda Kwan took on the role of fourth official for the Gold Medal match.
“I believe I was appointed to be the fourth official for the gold medal match because of my performances in the quarter and semi-final matches of the championship,” Kwan explained. “I was trusted to support the National referees, understanding the importance of my role and my strengths throughout the tournament.”
Kwan credited her journey through Ontario Soccer’s talented development pathway and Elite Development Program (EDP) for preparing her for this opportunity:
As a provincial referee identified by Ontario Soccer, I’ve officiated in the top divisions of League1 Ontario, OUA, OCAA, and various competition finals. This year’s experiences prepared me for this opportunity. It was a whole season's worth of ups and downs, reviewing games, and leaning on other referees for support.
The U Sports Men’s Championship, held in Oshawa, Ont., saw stellar performances from Melvin Christopher, Fabrizio Stasolla and Vasyl Dzikh. Dzikh was appointed as the Assistant Referee to the Gold Medal match, while Christopher and Stasolla were assigned to the Bronze Medal match as referee and fourth official, respectively.
Supporting Ontario Match Officials
In addition to these exceptional appointments, Ontario Soccer provided robust support through its development team. Joe Audi served as Supervisor of Officials at the CCAA Men’s Championship, while Amato DeLuca and Carol Anne Chenard guided officials at the U Sports Women’s Championship. At the U Sports Men’s Championship, Match Officials benefited from the expertise of Tony Camacho, John Oliva and Steve Mortimer.
"This was my second time officiating at the U Sports Soccer Championships. The experience was great as I was surrounded by referees, assessors and mentors from across the country. Most notably, fellow Ontarians Amato De Luca, Manager of Match Officials for the competition, and Carol-Anne Chenard, who was there to educate and mentor the group of referees. Having the opportunity to work with referees from the National and Elite Development Program at the highest level of women’s soccer in Canada is something I don’t get to experience a lot of,” Kwan added, on the importance of this opportunity.
Looking ahead, the 2025 U Sports Men’s Championship will be hosted by the University of Toronto, promising another exciting opportunity for Ontario Match Officials to shine on home turf.
Congratulations to all appointed Match Officials, and their mentors, for representing Ontario Soccer with excellence, professionalism, and passion. Your achievements inspire the next generation of Match Officials, and highlight the critical role of officiating in the growth of soccer in Canada.
