- Churchill Arms FC
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Churchill Arms FC 
Nickname(s) The Islanders Stadium UPEI Sports Comlex Coach John Diamond League PEI Senior Soccer League 2010 1st 
Home colorsAway colorsChurchill Arms FC is a senior men's amateur soccer club from Charlottetown, PEI. The team is comprised mainly of current and former UPEI Men's Soccer players. They were the 2008, 2009 and 2010 provincial representative for Prince Edward Island at the BMO Canadian National Soccer Championships and were the 2010Challenge Cup champions [1].
Contents
History
NSSL
From 2000-2007, the team was known as Breakers FC/VUFC.
In 2007 and 2008 the team played in the Nova Scotia Soccer League due to a lack of a premier league on Prince Edward Island. As Avondale Islanders, the team finished 3rd (2007) and 4th (2008) in the NSSL, did not compete in playoffs, and represented PEI at the BMO National Championships. In 2008, the Islanders defeated Nova Scotia representative Halifax City in a shootout to advance to the bronze medal game[2]. Avondale then won the club's first national medal with a 3-2 victory over BC's Gorge FC.
MSSL
In 2009, there was a move away from the Nova Scotia Soccer League due to travel concerns between provinces. The team joined with Moncton and Fredericton Picaroons Reds to form a Maritime Senior Soccer League. In its inaugural season, the PEI and NB Canada Games teams also entered the league to gain experience for the 2009 Canada Games. The Islanders again represented PEI at the national championships, winning their second bronze medal in as many seasons with a shootout win over the defending national champion, Calgary Callies. The score was 0-0 at the end of regulation and overtime.[3]
National Championship
In 2010, the Maritime League folded and the Islanders were left to play an exhibition schedule and league games versus the PEI Selects. The PEI Selects team had been created because New Brunswick was not able to send a representative to the 2010 BMO Nationals, thus Prince Edward Island (as host) had the right to send a second team. The PEISA scheduled a 2-game series to determine the "representative" team and the "host" team. The series was played on August 22 and 25, 2010. Churchill Arms defeated PEI Selects (later named Hunter's Ale House) 2-1 in the first match and 1-0 in the second match.[4] Josh Vessey scored the winning goal in both Challenge Cup matches.[5]
At the BMO Canadian National Soccer Championship tournament, third-ranked Churchill Arms was in Group B with (2)Royal Select Beauport from Quebec, (5)Holy Cross/Kirby from Newfoundland & Labrador, (6)Halifax Dunbrack from Nova Scotia, and the host (10)Hunter's Ale House. In the opening match, Michel Daoust came on as a substitute in the second half and scored two goals to lead Churchill to a 2-0 victory over Holy Cross. Matt Lally recorded the clean sheet after having to stop two half-breakaways in the first half. The Islanders continued strong the following day with a hard-fought 1-0 win over rival Halifax Dunbrack in windy conditions, placing the PEI team atop Group B with six points. Veteran midfielder Brett Norton headed home a perfectly-placed Ken Morrison free-kick in the 11th minute, and solid play from the Churchill backline and keeper Matt Lally ensured the clean sheet. An uneventful scoreless draw with Royal Select from Quebec the following night left only provincial rivals Hunter's Ale House standing in the way of Churchill's first appearance in a national gold-medal match. Hunter's came prepared to play on a bitterly-cold Sunday afternoon, but a second-half goal from Ryan Anstey sealed the victory and sent Churchill Arms to the national final.[6] Keeper Andrew MacCormack recorded the clean sheet.
Churchill Arms FC finished the 2010 tournament by winning the first national championship in Prince Edward Island soccer history.[7] The Islanders met strong Gorge FC squad from British Columbia in the final, the same club they had defeated in the 2008 bronze medal match in St. John's.[8] Both teams were very strong defensively, and it was no surprise that, despite a few scattered scoring chances from both sides, the gold medal would be decided in overtime. The first fifteen-minute OT period saw some good possession from Churchill, but it was Gorge FC that almost had the go-ahead goal as Michel Daoust had to head a shot off Matt Lally's goal line to preserve the 0-0 score. As both teams seemed to be preparing for an upcoming shootout, fullback Graham Ashworth was able to break through the Gorge midfield and slide a through-ball to an on-running Brett Norton, who made no mistake in pushing the ball past the BC keeper to make it 1-0 for the PEI squad. As Gorge pushed to find an equalizer, Ryan Anstey was able to make a fast counter-attack and tuck home Churchill's second goal, ensuring a 2-0(OT) victory for the Islanders. Team captain Jonathan Vos accepted The Challenge Trophy, and keepers Matt Lally and Andrew MacCormack shared the BMO Top Goal Saver award. Churchill Arms FC did not allow a single goal all tournament.[9]
Team Sponsors
2001-2007: Breakers/Velvet Underground (Charlottetown, PE)
2008-2009: Avondale Golf Club (Avondale, PE)
2010: Churchill Arms (Charlottetown, PE)
2011-present: Soccerstop (Charlottetown, PE)
Year-by-Year
Year Division Team Name League Regular Season Playoffs Nationals Venue Nationals 2001 n/a 2002 Senior Amateur Breakers PEI Challenge Cup 2nd Runner-up St. John's, NL n/a 2003 Senior Amateur Breakers PEI Challenge Cup 1st Champions Quebec City, QC 8th 2004 Senior Amateur Velvet Underground FC PEI Challenge Cup 1st Champions Charlottetown, PE 7th 2005 Senior Amateur Velvet Underground FC PEI Challenge Cup 2nd Runner-up Calgary, AB n/a 2006 Senior Amateur Velvet Underground FC PEI Challenge Cup 1st Champions Surrey, BC 5th 2007 Senior Amateur Velvet Underground FC NSSL 3rd n/a Halifax, NS 9th 2008 Senior Amateur Avondale Islanders NSSL 4th n/a St. John's, NL Bronze 2009 Senior Amateur Avondale Islanders MSSL 1st n/a Saskatoon, SK Bronze 2010 Senior Amateur Churchill Arms FC PEI Challenge Cup 1st Champions Charlottetown, PE Gold 2011 Senior Amateur Soccerstop Edge FC PEI Challenge Cup 1st Champions Brossard, Qc 8th Players
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No. Position Player 2 
DF Rob Aiken (UPEI Panthers Alumni) 3 DF Jared Murphy (UPEI Panthers) 6 MF Jonathan Vos (UPEI Panthers Alumni) 7 DF Dylan MacDonald (UPEI Panthers Alumni) 8 MF Matt Thomson (UPEI Panthers Alumni) 10 FW Ryan Anstey (UPEI Panthers Alumni/Toronto Lynx Alumni) No. Position Player 12 DF Nathan Snowie (UPEI Panthers Alumni) 17 MF Dan McAleer (UPEI Panthers) 29 MF Josh Vessey (UPEI Panthers) Former players
- Brett Norton (2004-2010)
- Jordan Chandler (2004-2010)
- Andrew MacCormack (2004-2010)
- Nathan Beck (2008-2010)
- Paul Craig (2008-2010)
- Morgan DesRoches (2008-2010)
- Michel Daoust (2007-2010)
- Mark MacGillvary (2007–2008)
- Jeff Ellis (2005–2006)
- Timma Kalinowski (2007–2009)
- Ben Paynter (2007–2009)
- Mozzi Gyorio (2006-2007)
- Bart Vermunt (2005–2009)
- John Smith (2002–2009)
- Tim McLeod (2007–2009)
- John Sutton (2003–2004)
- John Andrew Rousseau (2003–2004)
Awards/Honors
2010
BMO Challenge Cup Champions
Sport PEI Team of the Year (tie with Team PEI Women's Curling, silver medallists at the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts - Kathy O'Rourke, Tricia Affleck, Erin Carmody and Geri-Lynn Ramsay)
Sport PEI Coach of the Year (John Diamond)
PEI Soccer Association Team of the Year[10]
PEI Soccer Association Coach of the Year (John Diamond)
PEI Soccer Association Senior Male Player of the Year (Jonathan Vos)
2009
PEI Soccer Association Team of the Year (Avondale Islanders)
2008
Sport PEI Team of the Year (Avondale Islanders)
PEI Soccer Association Team of the Year (Avondale Islanders)
PEI Soccer Association Senior Male Player of the Year (Paul Craig)
References
- ^ http://www.canadasoccer.com/natchamps/challenge.asp
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huZSeGl1rjM
- ^ http://csanationals.com/games_men.php
- ^ "PEI Soccer Forum". http://www.seniormensleague.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=900. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ http://www.canadasoccer.com/nationals/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=4438
- ^ http://www.canadasoccer.com/news/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=4513
- ^ http://www.canadasoccer.com/natchamps/challenge.asp
- ^ http://canadasoccer.com/nationals/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=3797
- ^ http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Sports/2010-10-11/article-1839222/P.E.I.-men-win-national-soccer-title/1
- ^ http://peisoccer.com/news2.php?news_id=337313&lang=
Categories:- Canadian soccer clubs
- Sports teams in Prince Edward Island
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