Welland Soccer Club

Welland’s U10 Boys Target team faced off against Niagara United Soccer Club in a very close battle. The Wizards, sponsored by Foundation Waterproofing by Moe, were able to find space on the attack and close space while defending. This type of play allowed the Wizards to remain unbeaten this season with a strong 2-1 performance. The team started the game off strong and scored the first goal. After Niagara United tied the game, Welland was able to find the back of the net for a second time. The Welland Wizards played a strong defensive game in the second half. Niagara United was held in the game with the strong play of their goalie, as the Welland Wizards created many scoring chances. This game was textbook with relentless attacks and speed from forwards, midfielders distributing the ball around well with pressure and the defence were able to keep the attacks to the outside. Rwan was able to hold the net, eliminating rebounds. Welland goals scored by Luca Landell who was sprung by the midfield, and he was able to go around the goalie. Second goal by Preston Gallela proving hard work, determination and a never give up attitude pays off.

Mike Knapp Ford’s U9 Boys Target team played the St. Catharines Jets Target on July 25th. Coach Jon said the boys had another excellent game today with great passing and even some wonderful headers throughout the game. Welland took this match 3-0 with goals scored by Leyton Bradnam off a corner kick from Charlie Lee, another Leyton Bradnam goal on a wonderful pass from Sawyer Harpwood and Preston De Waard finding the back of the net from a kick in by Charlie Lee. A big shout out to Kendrick for dropping back out of position and stellar defensive play. Another shut out by an excellent goaltender Jacksen Ryan. The team played solidly, showed high energy and effort throughout the entire match.

The U15 Girls Target team had a weekend to remember at the Rochester Tournament! Welland, sponsored by Centennial Construction, went undefeated all weekend and had a great time bonding as a team (especially at Dave & Buster’s). The team was really put to the test as two of their opponents were an age group older! Game 1 the Wizards faced Gates Metros FC U16 where Rosie Kassardjian and Maude Law both found the back of the net for a 2-1 win. Game 2, Welland squared off against Kingston United’s U16 team and this game ended in a 1-0 win with Wizards goal being scored by Kaya Mellen. Final game against Grimsby’s U15 was a nail-biting back a forth battle ending in a 1-1 draw after full time forcing the match into penalty kicks. Emily Lamb scored the goal during regular time but it was off to penalty kicks which the rule of the tournament was it was a 3-goal shootout. Kalista Tkachuk, Makena Carranza and Emily Lamb all made sure their shots found the back of the net. Welland keeper Madelyn Leonor stood on her head stopping all three of Grimsby’s shots giving the Wizards the win and tournament victory!

On July 22nd the Wizards U11 Girls Target team battled hard against Niagara Falls United White in a local league match. Welland, sponsored by Rynberk Landscaping, learned how to face adversity and not let it bother them throughout this entire game. Adrianna Charrois' effort was through the roof and the entire team worked as a solid unit. Abrielle Ryan netted the lone goal for Welland because of excellent hustle to get a rebound from Vesper Rynberk’s shot off the post. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough as Welland lost 2-1.

On July 23rd, the U12 Girls Youngs Insurance/Welland Chevrolet Wizards faced off against West Lincoln. The Wizards dominated from the kickoff, maintaining total ball possession and quickly getting on the scoreboard.

Mila Valleriani led the charge, scoring three goals to bring her league-leading total to 15. Nalyah Kyeni made several dangerous corner kicks, one of which was beautifully finished by Mila. Avery Vanarnhem and Isabella Barnes each added a goal by surprising the goalie with one-touch shots. Adessa Bello scored her first goal of the regular season, sparking jubilant celebrations from the bench and spectators.

Sarah Kim, Elisheba Bogale, and Sabrina Guglielmi rotated in the center midfield, controlling play and showing glimpses of Andrea Pirlo in his prime. Alice Flatman showcased her speed, contributing to both offensive and defensive plays throughout the game.

With U11 Wizards goalkeeper Avery Wagner filling in for the injured Julia Fortier, the Wizards secured a shutout thanks to Avery's brilliant performance in net. Jaelynn Valovich, also from the U11 team, joined the defense and was absolutely solid.

The final score was 6-0 in favor of the Wizards, cementing their position as the sole first-place team in the league with 30 points. The girls will be back in action on Tuesday, July 30th, against Pelham at Centennial Park.

Wellands U11 Girls Target team headed to the Fairport New York Tournament on July 19th. Welland, sponsored by Rynberk Landscaping, played three games throughout a very hot day. It was exciting to watch as a parent, coach and fan! From the team bonding both on and off the pitch to the effort the girls put in Coach Sonney was extremely proud of these girls and what they had accomplished. Game one was a 5-2 loss against Brighton with Welland goals scored by Callegih Maracle netting both. Game two was a draw against Fairport with Wizard goals scored by Maracle and Rynberk. The final game of the day Welland with a 2-0 win over the Blaze and goals scored again by Maracle and Rynberk. Throughout the tournament the team had exceptional passing and an outstanding defensive performance by Barrick, Benoit, Bradnam and Valovich.

July 17th was a fantastic showing for the U10 Boys target team coached by Sean Neamtu. Welland, sponsored by Foundation Waterproofing by Moe was fired up to play league opponent and rival Club Roma Black. From the moment the team stepped on the pitch for warmups they were clearly dialed in. The boys were lightning with their attack, had amazing and quick ball movement, and applied constant pressure throughout the game. Although Roma did score their only goal of the game within the first minute of play, that clearly did not affect the mentality of the Wizards. Greyson Neamtu answered back and tied the game quickly, setting the tone for the rest of the night. The team had five different goal scorers, all because they shared and moved the ball well. The constant pressure from the Wizards overwhelmed Club Roma all night. Other goals for Welland were scored by Luca Landell (2), Preston Gallela, Jameson Gaunt, David Giammarco making it a 6-1 final!

Wellands U12 Girls target team was back in action July 16th against local league opponent Pelham. The highlight of this game was definitely the quick thinking and ball movement around the pitch of the Wizards entire team their defensive play. Opening scoring was almost two identical plays! Nika Milenkoff throw in to Isabella Barnes who fed Mila Valleriani who made a patient play in the 18 to score 1-0. Nika made a throw in to Isabella who tipped it to Mila for a breakaway 2-0. Keeper Julia Fortier took a back pass then quickly pushed it up to Elia Cargnelli over to Sabrina Guglielmi cross to Valleriani who collected her hat trick! In the final minutes, Alice Flatman found a breaking Sarah Kim who fed Nika Milenkoff at the top of the nine and she placed home the final tally 4-0. Wellands keeper Julia Fortier's relentless kickouts kept the play most of the game in the Pelham end and securing yet another shoutout! It was windy that game finished with a crack of thunder and parents and players got to their vehicles just before the pounding rain!

On July 16th the Welland U9 Boys target team took on rivals the Club Roma Wolves. The Wizards, sponsored by Mike Knapp Ford, took control of things early and the boys were locked in for the full match. Coach Jon said “I’m so proud of the boys tonight. They played what is probably the best game they’ve played, and against a solid team at that”. EVERY SINGLE TEAM MEMBER played their role to precision. They had excellent ball movement, positive communication, high energy, accurate shooting, took care of defensive responsibilities, and above all else teamwork. It was the boys leading each other on the pitch. The coaches hardly needed to say a word from the bench, they just enjoyed the show alongside the parents and fans. Welland took this game 8-0 with goals scored by Jackson Sainsbury (assisted by Nico Graziotto); Leyton Bradnam (assisted by Charlie Lee); Preston de Waard (assisted by Sawyer Harpwood); Leyton Bradnam (assisted by Nico Graziotto); Charlie Lee (unassisted off a corner kick, off the goalie’s hands and into the net); Charlie Lee (off a kick in from the side and off a defender from the other team); Nico Graziotto (after an assist from Lendrick Newell and playing “ping pong” with the goalie - he shot 3 times in a row - stopped by the goalie twice, went in the third time); Nico Graziotto (assisted by Jaxon Lafleur after a kick in from Charlie Lee).

The Welland Youngs Insurance Brokers and Welland Chevrolet Wizard U12 Girls attended the 2024 Clarence Classic NY Soccer Tournament this past weekend. The Wizards girls played in this fantastic weekend event last year and ended up Finalists. They opened up Saturday morning to the Chilli Fire from Rochester, a target team they lost against in an indoor friendly in January. About half way through the first half, Mila Valleriani opened the scoring from a nice passing play from Elisheba Bogale and Sabrina Guglielmi. Then Nika Milenkoff placed a free kick on Mila V’s foot and she made a nice dangle to put Welland up 2-0. Another Milenkoff/Valleriani play found Avery Vanarnhem who potted the third tally. The Fire kept coming though and scored a beauty from the 18. Elia Cargnelli made a perfect throw in to Mila V who nailed her 3rd of the match. Welland keeper Julia Fortier played outstanding all game and made a great save off the 2nd Chilli penalty shot which gave the Welland girls some momentum. Kenzie Russell made a great pass to Alice Flatman who patiently tapped it over to Isabella Barnes, 5-2 Wizards win! Game 2 was up against another Rochester area target team, Hilton Heat. They were very physical, but the Wizard girls held together and played very well as a defensive unit. Mila V. scored twice and a beautiful shot outside the 18 from Sarah Kim made it a 3-0 final. Kudos goes to Addessa Bello, Nalyah Kyeni and Elisheba Bogale who defended the Heat strikers all game keeping them off the score sheet. Sunday’s semi-final matched the Welland girls against the same Hilton Heat team. The game plan was executed with brilliance and the girls again, shut down the Heat defensively and gained a 1-0 win from a Valleriani break out and amazing cross that found Barnes who one timed it into the back of the mesh 1-0 Welland!

The Finals was another match up against the Chilli Fire and it was an incredible end to end game. A solid Kyeni corner found Avery V. who made it 1-0, then the Wellanders were awarded a penalty shot and Sarah Kim pounded into the back of the net 2-0. The 2nd half was an all-out battle. Keeper Julia Fortier who played lights out all weekend, made a solid tackle outside her 18 saving a breakaway goal, but went down in injury. Kenzie Russell stepped up as the back up keeper and kept the ball out of the net for the rest of the half with some awesome saves and great kickouts! The Welland U12 Wizard girls took home the hardware in the sweltering heat at the 2024 Clarence Classic!!!

This is Theo Wiley and he has been chosen as our Player of the Week for the Tim Hortons U6 division. Theo has a clear passion for soccer, he works hard each week, listens to his coaches and his skills have improved dramatically. Congratulations Theo and we look forward to seeing you grow here at the Welland Soccer Club!

Our U4 Tim Hortons division player of the week goes to Charlotte Cosgrove. Charlotte shows up every week with an eagerness to learn, participates in everything the coaches ask her to do and works hard to improve. It is obvious she loves soccer as she is always smiling and we love having her be a part of our Welland Wizards! Congratulations Charlotte!

The Welland Wizards U18 Boys came up just short in their quest to hoist the Ontario Cup on Sunday afternoon at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan. A solitary Mississauga Dixie SC goal late in the first half was the decisive moment in the match. The Wizards pressed for an equalizer late in the game but were unable to find the net with a couple of opportunities. The Welland Soccer Club would like to congratulate the Tailgates Bar & Grill Wizards on their terrific achievement in the 2024 Ontario Cup Tournament. Today's team was Goalkeeper: Nathan Scetta; Defenders: Kensin Lambert, Owen Bradford-Andrew, Owen Wentzell, Domenic Talarico, Ephraim Bello; Midfielders: Owen Corcoran, David Ospina, Nick DiSanto, Michael John Brophy, Jakub Fedak, Carlos Rodriguez-Serra, Tyler Buchan, Filip Arnold; Forwards: Jakub Labanowicz, Justin Narvaez, Aiden Azzopardi, Giacomo Bisirri; Coaches: George Bello and Aurelio DiSanto

Wizards U11 Girls Target team, sponsored by Rynberk Landscaping was back in action this week against local league opponent the St. Catharines Jets. The theme of this game was effort and that they did. Right from the start the players that were able to attend this match knew they would have their work cut out for them as their bench was short. Coach Sonney couldn’t be prouder of these girls as they gave it their all and the final score of 4-1 (loss for Welland) did not reflect how outstanding they played and most certainly how hard they tried! Wellands goal was scored by Calleigh Maracle with a shot from the top of the box. Aloia Mollo and Vesper Rynberk showed their leadership on the field and kept the team going with their effort.

Last week Wizards U12 Girls Target team took to the pitch versus league opponent Lincoln. Welland, sponsored by Youngs Insurance Broker and Welland Chevrolet had another stellar outing. These players have been on fire so far with this game being no exception. From Julia Fortier earning another shutout in this game all the way to our strikers, this team is improving each week and showing each other just what being a good teammate is all about! Welland took this game 2-0. Their first goal came from a great tic-tac-toe play starting with Kenzie Russell passing it to Nahyla Kyeni who made a beautiful cross to Mila Valleriani. She buried it. Sarah Kim started the second goal sequence with a tackle, landing the ball on Mila V’s foot who made a great pass to Isabella Barnes who easily found the back of the net! Great effort by all players and a big shoutout to Elia Cargnelli was the outstanding player of the game for the Welland Wizards!

The U18 Boys are up next. It’s Welland Wizards vs. Dixie SC Mississauga for the 2024 MilkUp Ontario Cup. ⚽🏆

Watch the match live through our Match Centre: ontariosoccer.net/news_article/show/1314262

Welland Soccer Club Dixie Soccer Club Mississauga MilkUp Ontario

It's Ontario Cup Final Day for the U18 Welland Wizards sponsored by Tailgates Bar & Grill. Good luck to the Wizards as they take on Mississauga Dixie in the championship game. The game will be broadcast live at 12:30pm on the Ontario Soccer YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com//streams) Log in and cheer on the boys as they look to bring home the title!

⏰ GET READY for the 2024 MilkUP Ontario Cup Finals, happening today for the U18s and U21s! 🏆

See kickoff times below, and visit the 2024 MilkUP Ontario Cup Match Centre to watch the Finals LIVE on our YouTube channel 📺🔗: ontariosoccer.net/news_article/show/1314262

MilkUp Ontario The Kitchener Soccer Club Richmond Hill Soccer Club Welland Soccer Club Dixie Soccer Club Mississauga Ancaster Legacy Football Club Woodbridge Soccer Club KNSC Lions (Kleinburg Nobleton Soccer Club)

The Welland Wizards U18 Boys have advanced to the Ontario Cup Final after a 3-0 win over London St. Thomas Croatia today in Vaughan, Ontario. The team will play Mississauga Dixie tomorrow in the Final at 12:30. The game will be broadcast on Youtube for those that would like to follow along. We'll send along a link for the game once it's available. Congrats Wizards!!

It's Ontario Cup Semi-Finals Saturday at The Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre Stadium in Vaughan. Good luck to coach George Bello and the U18 Boys!

On July 12th the U8 Boys team took on Welland rivals Club Roma. The team, sponsored by Tree Amigos Landscaping and Elevate Automotive, played an aggressive game had great ball control and controlled the pace of the match. This was an emotional game for the team. Everyone wore a #30 on their jerseys for Maximus Zappitelli who had to spend some time at McMaster Hospital but thankfully is on the mend and will be back to celebrate the win with the boys next week. Each time we scored the boys pointed to the #30 on their sleeve. These boys have yet to lose a game. A couple ties and the rest wins. Still Undefeated. Coaches Brian, Chi, Nyc and Drew were very proud of the boys and how they showed up for the game. Welland goals were scored by Oliver Hutchison who gave the boys a very early lead and they never looked back. Next it was Nathan Bilbili who cleaned up a nice rebound in front of the net. After that, Jax Shorthouse made no mistake when attacking a rebound to find the back of the net. Final goal scored by Elijah Wrighton who blasted it from just outside the box, it was a bullet! These games are ALWAYS action packed and fast paced. Very exciting for U8, the atmosphere was electric. Final score of the game was 4-1.

Announcement to our Members – Welland Soccer Club On Tuesday, July 16th, the Welland Tribune printed an article about the Welland Soccer Club (WSC) becoming independent from the City of Welland. We want to assure our members that this transition, which has been in progress for nearly 2 years, is backed by the City of Welland and Oak View Group (OVG...

Mike Knapp Ford’s U9 Boys Target team travelled to the Grimsby Gateway Festival July 6th for a day packed full of exciting moments. The team played a total of 5 games with many great plays by Jaxon Lafleur and Kendrick Newell to keep their team in the games. Jacksen Ryan earned 3 shutouts, with assistance from great defensive plays by Leyton Bradnam, David Giammarco, Peter Forte and Levi Bulmer. There were 3 “player of the game” awards (decided by opposing coaches) handed out and those went to Jackson Sainsbury, Jacksen Ryan, Nico Graziotto. Game 1 was against St. Catharines Jets (1-0 for Welland); Game 2 against Hamilton TFC (2-0 for Welland); Game 3 was against Oshawa Turul (5-0 for Welland). That was good enough to push the Wizards to the semifinals where they met a strong opponent in the Olympic Flame FC. This match ended in a draw taking the game to penalty kicks, Welland won moving them onto the finals! The boys had battled hard all day, and the final game was no different, unfortunately NF Titans Blue took home the trophy with a 3-2 victory over the Wizards. Coach Jon said other coaches complimented our team for being “a tactically amazing team”. It was difficult to lose in the finals, but the boys learned a lot about the importance of sportsmanship and keeping your head up.

July 4th was a successful outing for the U9 Boys Target Wizards. Welland, sponsored by Mike Knapp Ford, hit the ground running on a very hot night with an early lead against the Grimsby Griffins. Coach Jon was impressed with their effort and said they played extremely well defensively to help goalkeeper Jacksen Ryan earn a shutout. Parents commented on the game as they said it was a “fun one to watch”. Welland ended up taking the match 4-0 with goals scored by Charlie Lee, Levi Bulmer, Leyton Bradnam and
Jackson Sainsbury.

The Welland U4 division is sponsored by longtime supporter of our grass roots program Tim Hortons. This week our “Tim Hortons Player of the Week” is Marcus DeCaria. Marcus has been with the club for a bit now and has really shown growth to not only his current coaches but also previous coaches and his family! Marcus works hard each week, learning new skills, listening to his coaches and always happy to be at our club. We look forward to seeing what the future has in store for you Marcus and congratulations on being our player of the week.

July 7th was a day to remember for the U12 Welland Chevrolet and Youngs Insurance Brokers Girls team. They faced local rivals Roma Wolves and showed up to the pitch with a clear goal in mind, to win this game. The team started off strong and never looked back. They took the lead early with a great build up starting with a tackle by Kenzie Russell to Sabrina Guglielmi who then passed to Elisheba Bogale making a fantastic right cross to Avery Varanham, she made no mistake finding the back of the net. Second goal came from Avery’s challenge on the goalie which resulted in a rebound and Nalyah Kyeni scored. Third goal was a gorgeous corner kick by Alice Flatmann to Sarah Kim and ending up on Varanhams foot to finish it. Russel had a strong throw in to Avery who shifted to her left foot, shot top corner making it 4-1. The highlight of the game was when Nika Milenkoff broke a tackle, ran up from half with some fancy footwork and pounded into the left side from the 18-yard line making it 5-1. Roma felt defeated at that point and the Wizards went on to take the game 7-1. The middle of the field was controlled very well by Addessa Bello and Sarah Kim, they settled things and moved the ball around nicely. Julia Fortier was showing her stuff with solid net keeping!

We are pleased to announce that Academy coaches from Rangers FC are returning to Welland to lead their high performance camp.

Here are the details:

The high performance training camp will run at the Youngs Sportsplex in Welland from July 22nd to July 26th. Academy coaches from the Glasgow club will be onsite to instruct the players through the 5-day session. Each day will include 3 hours of high-intensity training - which will certainly be a highlight of the summer! Cost per player is $400 and is available for boys and girls aged 8 to 15 (birth year 2009 to 2016). Registration is limited, so be sure not to miss out. (NOTE: a camp-specific kit will be included with each player registration - shirt, shorts and socks)

To register, log in to wizardssoccer.powerupsports.com and look for the Welland Wizards-Rangers FC Training Camp option.

We will be determining the split between morning session and afternoon session once we know the breakdown in player's ages.

The Welland Youngs Insurance Brokers and Welland Chevrolet Wizard U12 Girls attended the 2024 Grimsby Soccer Tournament on Sunday July7th. The Wizard girls opened up to a target team from Barrie. After a strong throw in from Nika Milenkoff, Nalyah Kyeni controlled the ball and passed over to Mila Valleriani who opened the scoring. Avery Vanarnhem potted the next two tallies from Elisheba Bogale and Sarah Kim. Welland keeper Julia Fortier played solidly all game and made a huge kick out that ended up on Sabrina Guglielmi's foot and she made the final tally with a 4-0 win preserving Fortier's shoutout bid.

Game two against league rivals Niagara United Blue proved to be a tight contest as anticipated. No scoring in the first half with the teams battling back and forth. Then Avery Vararnhem opened the scoring! Next up was a great defensive clear from Addessa Bello who found a breaking Mila Valleriani who made a mouth dropping dangle and placed the ball perfectly in the back of the mesh for a 2-0 win!
Game 3 had the Welland ladies up against a visiting team from Windsor. They proved to be no match for the Wizards. First up was Mila Valleriani scoring from a nice pass from Isabella Barnes. Then Kenzie Russell made a perfect pass up to Alice Flatman who tapped in goal 2. The next three in a row went to Vararnhem with a couple of strong passes from Elia Cargnelli! The team played well for their 3rd of the day taking the win 5-0 with another Julia Fortier shout out and pushing them into the semi-final.

The cross-region rivals Niagara United Blue made it into the semis with a tight win over Hamilton Croatia and both teams were ready to tackle each other again! The 2nd game of the day between these two Niagara Region girls U12 power houses proved to be a nail biting up and down the field battle. Finally, with no scoring the game went into penalty shootouts. Wizards made no mistakes and Welland keeper Julia Fortier made a fantastic save on the 7th round of kicks, pushing the Wellanders into the Finals!

The final game after a short rest was against another league rival Roma Wolves. The Wizards although tired from the days heat, played well and scored with a nice Bello pass to Bogale who tapped it over to Valleriani 1-0 Welland. Unfortunately, in the last seconds of the match, the Wolves found themselves in a breakaway and made the final 1-1. Another shootout for the Welland ladies did not go their way with a very tight loss of 6-5 in the shots. Huge Kudos goes out to Julia Fortier for an amazing tournament taking home 5 shutouts! Although disappointed in the final result, the ladies felt good about their efforts from the day over all and look forward to continuing their league play and the upcoming Clarence NY tournament against some quality teams from Western New York.

The Welland Wizards Under-18 Boys sponsored by Tailgates advanced to the Ontario Cup Semi-Finals after a 3-1 victory over the reigning champion Vaughan Azzurri on Saturday evening at the Youngs Sportsplex. Vaughan took the lead in the first half when a free kick found its way into the Welland net. Owen Corcoran equalized for the Wizards early in the second half with a back-heel goal. The Wizards took the lead from a corner kick that found Owen Bradford-Andrew who headed the ball beyond the Azzurri keeper. The game was on the line when Vaughan was awarded a penalty - but a brilliant Nat Scetta save kept the Wizard lead intact. Kuba Labanowicz finished off the game with a late goal to wrap up the win.

The semi-finals and finals are set for July 20th and 21st at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre in Vaughan. Welland awaits the winner of Saturday's game between York Jets Olympiacos and London Croatia in the semis.