Croatia Hamilton Enjoys Record Setting Season
Frank Perin – Although the Croatia Hamilton men’s soccer team has been around for over 50 years, the 2009 version may have been one of the club’s all-time best. Fans have to go back to the 1970s when they were a professional club plying their trade in the National Soccer League to remember a team as skilled as this one.
Croatia was promoted from the Hamilton and District Premier League in 2004. The ground work for the current squad then began and led to three straight second-place finishes in the Ontario Soccer League South Region Division. Finally, in 2008, the team finished undefeated in 18 league games to finish first and earn promotion to the OSL’s Provincial Division.
Along the way, Croatia captured three Hamilton Spectator Cup titles, with back-to-back wins in 2004 and ’05, and another championship in 2007. The prestigious Spec Cup is the oldest soccer trophy in North America.
But none of what happened in the recent past could compare to the medal haul they enjoyed in 2009. In their first year at the highest level of soccer in the province, Croatia Hamilton only suffered three losses in 22 league games to finish atop their division. Added to their Provincial West Division title was their fourth Spectator Cup in six years, and their first Alf Beese Provincial League Cup.
To culminate their successful 2009 season, head coach Ronnie Davidson was chosen as OSL Coach of the Year, former Toronto Lynx (United Soccer League) All-Star Jamie Dodds was named the league MVP, and forwards Jason Shannon and Dani Jankovic won the leading goal scorer and rookie of the year trophies, respectably. 2007 and 2008 goaltender of the year Ante Brala was the only notable absentee as he just missed out on his third straight award.
Along with the men’s team’s successes, the organization has turned things around at the grass-roots level. Dedicated members have volunteered their time to coach and develop children in the rebuilt youth soccer program, which has grown to over 500 boys and girls in the past five years.
With the help of fundraisers and sponsors, the non-profit Croatian Sports and Community Centre of Hamilton Inc. will have two youth fields ready for play by the start of the 2010 season at their new home, which will also include a banquet facility and picnic area. President Mark Vuksan and the executive board members have also planned the addition of a youth house league for children aged 4-7 to help ease their transition into organized soccer.
Information about all of Croatia Hamilton’s teams can be found at www.hamiltoncroatia.com.
