Durham Storm

Durham Storm
Full name Durham Storm Soccer Club
Nickname(s) The Storm,
Durham's Own
Founded 1998 (as Toronto Olympians)
Dissolved 2005
Ground Oshawa Civic Stadium,
Oshawa, Ontario
Ground Capacity 5,000
Chairman John O'Neill
Manager Rob Shaufler
Coach Doug Paterson
League CPSL

The Durham Storm were a Canadian soccer team that last played in the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) in 2005. The club was founded as the Toronto Olympians in 1998 and played in Toronto, Ontario through 2001, before being renamed the Mississauga Olympians for 2002 and 2003. The team relocated to Oshawa, Ontario in Durham Region for the 2004 & 2005 seasons and was renamed Durham Storm.

The team won three consecutive regular season championships from 1998 to 2000 and won the league playoffs, earning the Rogers Cup, once in 1999. They also finished as regular season runners-up in 2001, and were two-time Rogers Cup finalists in 1998 and 2000.

Despite the early success, the team's performance went downhill from 2002 onward, and the franchise eventually folded after the 2005 season.

History

In 1998, the Canadian Professional Soccer League was formed as a result of a merger between the Canadian National Soccer League and the stillborn Ontario Professional Soccer League with the Toronto Olympians entering the league as a new franchise. The Olympians were owned by Tom Michalopoulos, which as a result allowed the club to receive sponsorship money from Coffee Time which Michalopoulos founded.[1] The organization brought in former Toronto Lynx general manager and assistant coach David Gee to coach the newly franchise. Gee's roster consist of a mixture of CNSL alumni and players with USL A-League experience. He brought in the likes of Eddy Berdusco, Dino Lopez, Loukas Papaconstantinou – former Lynx players Gong Lei, Ian Carter, Peyvand Mossavat, and the Toronto Supra's 1997 championship finalist squad players Paul Moore, Chris Handsor, and Gus Kouzmanis.[2] The newly formed club received territorial rights in Scarborough and would call Birchmount stadium their home venue.[3]

In their debut season in the nascent league the Scarborough side dominated the season going undefeated and posting the best goal scoring record and as well the lest amount of goals conceived.[4] Kouzmanis, Berdusco, and Gong Lei each finished as the top three goalscorers for the season. Their undefeated season resulted in a double which included the regular season championship and the Open Canada Cup. The Open Canada Cup finals was played out in a two-game final which involved the Olympians and the St. Catharines Wolves. The first match resulted in a goalless draw, while the second match ended in a 3–0 victory for Toronto.[5][6] In the postseason the Olympians faced the North York Astros in the semi-finals which concluded in a 5–1 victory for Toronto with goals coming from Daryl Holmes, Berdusco, John Matas, and Kouzmanis.[7] The finals consist of battle between the first and second place teams St. Catharines and Toronto – the match finished as a 2–2 draw which led to penalties where the Wolves denied the Olympians the chance of a treble by winning the game 4–2 in a penalty shootout.[8][9]

Darren Tilley played and retired with Mississauga Olympians, and received the CPSL Golden Boot and Rookie of the Year award during his tenure with the club.

At the conclusion of the season Gus Kouzmanis was awarded the CSL Golden Boot and David Gee received the Coach of the Year at the CPSL Awards Banquet.[10] For the 1999 season Gee signed Canadian international Elvis Thomas and Phil Caporella from the Montreal Impact. The 1999 season was a repeat of the previous year with Toronto recapturing the regular season championship once more while making history by becoming the first club in the CPSL to go undefeated two seasons in a row.[11] Four of Toronto's players led the scoring charts with Berdusco leading while Kouzmanis, Thomas, and Matas taking the rest of the top four positions. The club finished once more with the best offensive and defensive record in the league. The Olympians defended their Open Canada Cup title successfully by defeating Toronto Croatia by a score of 3–0.[12] They would face Toronto Croatia again this time in the playoff final where the Olympians would mark another milestone in CPSL history by becoming the first club to win a treble within the league. The match resulted in a 2–0 victory with goals from Thomas and Handsor, the attainment established the Scarborough side as a powerhouse within the league.[13] At the CPSL Awards Banquet the Toronto Olympians received four awards – the organization received the Fair Play Award, David Gee for the second year in a row received the Coach of the Year, Elvis Thomas received the Canadian Soccer League MVP Award and Eddy Berdusco won the CPSL Golden Boot.[14] While Elvis Thomas made history by holding the distinction of being first CPSL player to be called up for the Canadian national soccer team, while playing in the league.

Original Toronto Olympians logo

The 2000 season marked more achievements for the club by successfully defending their regular season title for the third year in a row, and still maintaining the best offensive and defensive record.[15] The Olympians would win the double once more by successfully defending the Open Canada Cup for the third year in a row. In the finals Toronto would face St. Catharines and win the match by a score of 1–0, thus establishing a dynasty for the club.[16] For the postseason Gee strengthen his squad with players like Darren Tilley, and Trinidad and Tobago internationals Densill Theobald and Rick Titus. In the semi-finals the team faced the Glen Shields Sun Devils and won the match 1–0 with a goal coming from Titus.[17][18] The final was contested between Toronto Olympians and Toronto Croatia, where Croatia upset the Olympians by a score of 2–1.[19][20] For their efforts Eddy Berdusco was awarded the Golden Boot for the second year in a row, Bayete Smith was given the Defender of the Year and the team was awarded the Fair Play Award. On June 20, 2001 it was reported that head coach David Gee purchased the club from Coffee Time Donuts meanwhile retaining his position as head coach and general manager.[21] He announced plans to move the franchise to Mississauga after struggling to gain revenue from ticket sales.[22] Throughout the season the Olympians failed to recapture any of the major trophies finishing second behind the Ottawa Wizards in the standings.[23] In the postseason Toronto was eliminated in the semi-finals by Toronto Supra by a score 3–2.[24] They featured in a Consolation Final match against Ottawa and won the match 5–2.[25]

In 2002, the move to Mississauga was completed and their home venue was relocated to Erin Mills Twin Arenas. Gee made several major changes to the roster replacing the majority of veterans with younger athletes. He would retain the likes of Darren Tilley, Paul Moore and Daryl Holmes, while signing promising players like Marko Bendenikovic, Kevin De Surpa, Aaron Benjamin, and Joevannie Peart. The majority of the season was spent battling for the Western Conference title between Toronto Croatia. Mississauga would receive reinforcements during the later half of the season in player loans from the Toronto Lynx – receiving Barbados international Ryan Lucas, David Diplacido, Adrian Serioux, Shawn Faria, Brian Ashton, and signing Trinidad and Tobago international Hayden Fitzwilliams.[26] The Olympians would eventually finish second in the standings and qualified for a playoff berth.[27] Their postseason came to a quick conclusion by being defeated by the North York Astros by a score of 3–0.[28] At the CPSL Awards Banquet the club received the Fair Play Award, while Darren Tilley was awarded the Golden Boot and the CPSL Rookie of the Year.[29]

The 2003 season brought further troubles for the organization as the club was forced to play all their home matches on the road. As the City of Mississauga prevented the team from using the change rooms at Erin Mills Twin Arenas due to renovations.[30][31] New additions were added to the club as Gee resigned from his position as head coach and transferred the responsibilities to Darren Tilley and CPSL's 1999 Coach of the Year Tony Laferrara. The Olympians struggled on the field as they finished second last in the Western Conference failing to secure a postseason berth. The club was also eliminated from the Open Canada Cup tournament after losing 2–1 to AEK London,an amateur team; the season would mark an end of era as their status as a powerhouse within the league.[32]

For 2004, the club was sold and relocated to the east end of the Greater Toronto Area, moving to Oshawa, Ontario to play out of the Oshawa Civic Stadium. The club would be re-branded again, taking their name from Durham Region (of which Oshawa is a part), to become Durham Storm.[33][34] In their first season in Durham, the club would finish last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 2 wins, 1 draw and 17 losses.[35] Followed by a disappointing season in 2005 finishing last place (6th) in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 1 win, 1 draw and 20 losses.[36] On December 12, 2005 the club had its franchise revoked by the CPSL.[37]

Head coaches

Years Name Nation
1998–2002 Gee (soccer), DavidDavid Gee (soccer)  Canada
2003 Tilley, DarrenDarren Tilley & Laferrara, TonyTony Laferrara  England  Canada
2004 Bean , DerekDerek Bean  Canada
2005 Paterson, DougDoug Paterson  Canada

Achievements

Year-by-year

Year League Regular Season Playoffs Notes
1998 CPSL 1st, Eastern Runner-up As Toronto Olympians.
1999 CPSL 1st, Eastern Champions
2000 CPSL 1st, Eastern Runner-up
2001 CPSL 2nd, Eastern Semi Final
2002 CPSL 2nd, Western Semi Final As Mississauga Olympians.
2003 CPSL 6th, Western Did not qualify
2004 CPSL 6th, Eastern Did not qualify As Durham Storm.
2005 CPSL 6th, Eastern Did not qualify

Notable former players

Algeria Benjamin Brown Canada Eddy Berdusco Canada Paul Boyle Canada Jordan Calaghan Canada Trinidad and Tobago Clint Crouch Canada Ivan Galarza Canada Richard Gayle Canada Steve Gill Canada Shane Lawson Canada John Owah Canada Elvis Thomas Canada Ciaron Thomson Canada Loukas Papaconstantinou China David Chee England Darren Tilley Italy Matt Genaro Japan Yasuhiro Sasayama Nigeria Edson Berceda Trinidad and Tobago Brent Martin Trinidad and Tobago Paul Martin Trinidad and Tobago Densill Theobald United Kingdom Fitzroy Caesar United Kingdom Fitzroy Powell United States Mark Fennell

References

  1. ↑ Glover, Robin (September 25, 1998). "Here are the results of the CPSL game between Toronto Olympians and St Catharines Roma Wolves played at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough at 8:00pm. This was considered the final leg of the Cup Final aggregate. The teams were tied 0–0 after a scoreless tie in St Catharines on Wednesday September 16th.". Rocket Robin's Home Page.
  2. ↑ Glover, Robin (July 22, 1998). "Here are the results of the CPSL game between Mississauga and Toronto Olympians played at Wildwood Park in Mississauga at 8:30pm. This was considered a Cup game.". Rocket Robin's Home Page.
  3. ↑ Bailey, Dave (March 27, 1998). "The dance continues for the CPSL – Ontario Division.". Rocket Robin's Home Page. Canada Kicks.
  4. ↑ "Canadian Professional Soccer League (Ontario Division)". Rocket Robin's Home Page. CPSL.
  5. ↑ Granville, Scott (September 17, 1998). "Roma and Olympians Tie One On". Rocket Robin's Home Page. Canada Kicks.
  6. ↑ Bailey, David (September 26, 1998). "Olympians Silence Wolves". Rocket Robin's Home Page. Canada Kicks.
  7. ↑ Glover, Robin (October 4, 1998). "Here are the results of the CPSL game between North York Astros and Toronto Olympians played at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York at 7:30pm. This was considered the 1st game of the 2 game aggregate Playoff Semi-Final.". Rocket Robin's Home Page.
  8. ↑ Glover, Robin (October 14, 1998). "Here are the results of the CPSL game between Toronto Olympians and St Catharines Roma Wolves played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 8:15pm. This was the one game Playoff Final.". Rocket Robin's Home Page.
  9. ↑ Rogers, Alison. "A perfect ending". Rocket Robin's Home Page. The St Catharines Standard.
  10. ↑ Bailey, David (December 18, 1998). "CPSL Awards Night". Rocket Robin's Home Page. Canada Kicks.
  11. ↑ "LEAGUE CUP CHAMPIONS – TORONTO OLYMPIANS". Rocket Robin's Home Page. CPSL.
  12. ↑ Glover, Robin (September 26, 1999). "Here are the results of the CPSL game between Toronto Croatia and Toronto Olympians played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 3:00pm. This was the League Cup Final.". Rocket Robin's Home Page.
  13. ↑ Glover, Robin (October 2, 1999). "Here are the results of the CPSL game between Toronto Olympians and Toronto Croatia played at Civic Stadium in Oshawa at 5:00pm. This was the one game Playoff Final.". Rocket Robin's Home Page.
  14. ↑ Glover, Robin (November 21, 1999). "1999 CPSL Awards Dinner.". Rocket Robin's Home Page.
  15. ↑ "~ Final Standings 2000 ~". Rocket Robin's Home Page. CPSL.
  16. ↑ Glover, Robin (September 24, 2000). "CPSL game between Toronto Olympians and St Catharines Roma Wolves played at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough at 3:00pm. This was the League Cup Final.". Rocket Robin's Home Page.
  17. ↑ "Primus Cup semis – CPSL". Rocket Robin's Home Page. September 30, 2000.
  18. ↑ "Voyageurs Soccer Talk". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  19. ↑ Glover, Robin. "October 1, 2000 Toronto Olympians vs Toronto Croatia". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  20. ↑ RUMLESKI, Kathy. "LFP Sports: Croatia bags Primus Cup by upsetting Olympians". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. The London Free Press. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  21. ↑ LASKARIS, Sam. "Voyageurs Soccer Talk". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Scarborough Mirror. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  22. ↑ LASKARIS, Sam. "Voyageurs Soccer Talk". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. The Mirror. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  23. ↑ "CPSL (Ontario) – League Standings". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  24. ↑ Glover, Robin. "Saturday October 13, 2001 CPSL Toronto Olympians vs Toronto Supra". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  25. ↑ Glover, Robin. "Sunday October 14, 2001 CPSL Ottawa Wizards vs Toronto Olympians". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  26. ↑ Glover, Robin. "September 11, 2002 CPSL Toronto Croatia vs Mississauga Olympians". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  27. ↑ "Monday October 14, 2002 CPSL Final Standings". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  28. ↑ Glover, Robin. "October 18, 2002 CPSL North York Astros vs Mississauga Olympians (by Rocket Robin)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  29. ↑ Glover, Robin. "October 20, 2002 CPSL Awards Dinner (by Rocket Robin)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  30. ↑ "June 6, 2003 CPSL Mississauga Olympians story from Mississauga News". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. The Mississauga News. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  31. ↑ "June 13, 2003 Why Mississauga plays only road games (from CPSL website)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. The Mississauga News. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  32. ↑ "London Ontario Soccer News: OLYMPIANS GO DOWN TO AEK LONDON IN CANADA CUP". londonsoccerweb.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  33. ↑ "Olympians Moving to Oshawa – Canadian Teams & Leagues". Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  34. ↑ Futhey, Paul. "April 18, 2004 CPSL pre-season story on Durham Storm (Paul Futhey)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  35. ↑ Peter Sokolowski, Hans Schöggl & David A. Litterer (July 1, 2006). "Canada – Canadian Premier Soccer League 2004". Rec. Sports Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  36. ↑ Peter Sokolowski (July 1, 2006). "Canada – Canadian Premier Soccer League 2005". Rec. Sports Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Dec 12, 2005 CPSL Toronto Croatia news (from CPSL website)". rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
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