Dec 01, 2009 - 01:51 PM

WINNIPEG, MAN. -- Spending Thanksgiving away from family and friends can be tough. For the Ajax United Magic '93 girls' soccer team, they were more than happy to be in Winnipeg, Man., competing in the U16 Adidas Cup 2009 BMO National Club Championship.

In Winnipeg, the Magic got off to a slow start with a tie against Newfoundland. They followed their opening draw with a win over New Brunswick to set up a must-win game versus undefeated Alberta. The Ajax girls dominated possession and finally scored a late goal to clinch first place in their group of round-robin play.

In their semifinal match, the Magic met a determined team from Nova Scotia, the second-seeded team going into the championship. Again, the Ajax girls dominated possession but couldn't find the back of the net until late in the game. The Magic scored with less than 10 minutes to play to advance to the gold medal game.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Magic's undefeated provincial and national cup runs came to a halt. In the gold medal game, the Magic lost to a very skilled and dynamic team from Quebec. While the lopsided loss on a cold, snowy afternoon in Winnipeg still stings, the girls and their coach have had time to reflect on an outstanding season, capped off by their silver medal at the nationals.

"Since we've been together, our team has never listed winning the Ontario Cup as a goal," said coach Rich Hirst. "Winning the Ontario Cup, and the chance to represent Ontario at the nationals, was our primary focus this year. I'm extremely proud of our team for putting in the extra work and accomplishing what we set out to do."

Like many teams, the Magic battled injuries throughout the season. They didn't let the injuries discourage them from their ultimate goal to attend nationals.

"It takes a great level of commitment and sacrifice to play on the Magic," added coach Hirst. "The girls spend many hours per week training and practising throughout the year and must also maintain a high academic standing."

Another focus for this Ajax team is their College Bound Program. They regularly visit university campuses and attend prestigious showcase events across Canada and the United States. Over the past year, they competed in such high profile events as the Disney College Showcase (Orlando, Florida), the Crossroads of America College Showcase (Carmel, Indianapolis) and the Umbro Top-Rated College Showcase (Mississauga).

Through these events, many of the girls have made important contacts with university and college coaches across North America. Winning the Ontario Cup and bringing home silver from the nationals will help open doors for them.

Team members include Ashley Martin, Chelsea Santos, Emily Hutton, Brittany Woodhouse, Yazmin Ongtengco, Lia Foster, Cassandra Wiltshire, Emily Greenop, Erin Lee, Veronica Torres, Liberty McKague, Kaitlyn Keon, Jennifer Eimers, Rachel Moore, Dana Forbes, Alicia Tamburro, LeShaune Gayle and Shannen Jainudeen. The head coach is Richard Hirst, assistants Mark Lee and Tony Tamburro, manager Diane Wiltshire, trainer Shambe Mutungi.

The Magic has competed in the Ontario Youth Soccer League for the past three seasons and will continue to do so next year. The OYSL is the highest level of league of competition in Ontario for youth soccer, for boys and girls beginning at the age of 14. They are anxious to defend their provincial title next summer and gain additional exposure to post-secondary opportunities at a number of showcase events.