College shines spotlight on high school soccer
Niagara College will showcase boys and girls high school soccer with an all-star doubleheader Wednesday night in Welland.
The fourth annual Niagara Region Soccer Showcase, taking place on the turf pitch at Youngs Sportsplex, will feature 88 of the top players from 22 high schools in the region.
“The showcase allows us to project NC’s soccer culture into the high school ranks and give Niagara region’s high school soccer scene a chance to celebrate another successful season,” Frank DeChellis, head coach of the men’s soccer team at the college, said.
Players, who have been nominated by their coaches, will be split into two games designed to shine the spotlight on the skill and athleticism of some of the best standouts from throughout the region.
Actions kicks with the girls showcase at 6 p.m. with the boys battling for Niagara bragging rights two hours later.
Over the years the showcase has also become an audition for coaches at the region’s community college. Since its inception, 21 participants have gone to compete for the men’s and women’s soccer programs at the college, most notably Kara Latham and Jacob Therrien.
Latham, a Welland Centennial graduate, and Therrien, a Notre Dame College School alum, were the overall 2016-17 rookie athletes of the year at Niagara.
“Meeting many new faces and some future teammates got me excited about going to Niagara and playing,” said Latham, a two-time showcase most valuable player.
“Knowing there would be so many great opportunities to be a part of the showcase game turned out to be just the beginning of the college experience.”
Therrien, the player of the 2016 boys showcase, wholeheartedly agreed.
“It was an amazing experience to be able to play in and game and be around a great group of players,” he said.
Rino Berardi, who in the fall will begin his first season as head coach of the women’s soccer team, initiated the showcase in 2014 when he was an assistant coach for the men’s side.
“Rino’s brainchild has grown into an anticipated event among high school coaches,” DeChellis said. “Without their support, and the support of the entire soccer community this game would be impossible to present.”
There’s a charity aspect to the doubleheaders as well. While admission is free, participants and spectators are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to show their support for the Niagara College Student Administration student food bank.
Spectators are also being encouraged to bring a piece of used sporting equipment in support of the Hope Centre in Welland.