Brampton
Guardian: Hitmen End CPSL Season With Win Over Durham
by Winnipeg Fury
Hitmen end CPSL season with win over Durham
ROBIN
INSCOE
Oct. 12, 2001
The Brampton Hitmen completed their inaugural
season in the Canadian Professional Soccer League on a winning note Wednesday
evening at Victoria Park, downing the visiting Durham Flames 3-1.
The win
gives the Hitmen eighth spot in the 12-team league. They finish the season with
a seven-win, 10-loss and five-tie mark.
The Wednesday night win give the
Hitmen two wins in their final three outings of the season. They edged the York
Region Shooters 2-1 last Thursday and fell to the Toronto Supra 4-0 on
Sunday.
Jeff Sousa paced Brampton to their final win of the season. He
scored the first goal of the game to give the Hitmen an early 1-0 lead, and then
added his second of the night to add a little insurance in the second half.
Jailson Dos Santos netted the other Brampton marker, breaking open a 1-1 draw in
the second half.
The Hitmen played their final two games of the season
without four regulars.
Adolpho Mella, Kurt Mella. Ivan Juizisic and
Rodrigo Flores all opted to play for their Toronto Spanish League team instead
of the Hitmen on Sunday and Wednesday.
As a result the Hitmen played
Sunday's contest against the Toronto Supra with just nine players. The
shortstaffed Hitmen were no match for the Supra as they fell 4-0.
"They
were no shows," said a disappointed coach Joe DaSilva. "That should not happen
in this league."
And the foursome was also absent on Wednesday, and that
upset team vice-president Orville Taylor.
"They did not have our blessing
to play in those two games," said Taylor. "They will not be paid for the games
they missed."
According to Taylor, the four players opted to play for
their other team because the Hitmen's season, for all intent and purposes was
over, while the Spanish League team still had an opportunity for
advancement.
Team owner Steve Nijjar was upset by the decision of the
players not to suit up for the CPSL team.
"I'm very, very, hurt,"
admitted Nijjar. "This club took care of its players well. We treated them first
class."
And with the final whistle on Wednesday night, the Hitmen's
inaugural season officially ended.
After a couple of weeks to recuperate,
it will be back to the drawing board for Nijjar and his crew as they start
making plays for the 2002 CPSL season.
"It's been a long season," said
Nijjar, who started building this team a little more than one year ago. "I want
to thank the fans and sponsors who supported us. Hopefully, we can double that
fan-base next season."
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