December 13, 2022...York United FC Announces Re-Signings of Niko Giantsopoulos and Eleias Himaras (from York United FC website)

Tuesday December 13, 2022...York United FC Announces Re-Signings of Niko Giantsopoulos and Eleias Himaras
(from York United FC website)

YORK UNITED FC ANNOUNCES RE-SIGNINGS OF NIKO GIANTSOPOULOS AND ELEIAS HIMARAS

The goalkeepers return to The Nine Stripes after impressive 2022 campaigns.

York United FC is happy to announce the re-signing of goalkeepers Niko Giantsopoulos and Eleias Himaras.

28-year-old Giantsopoulos - a native of Markham, ON - has put pen to paper on a one-year deal and returns
to The Nine Stripes after an excellent 2022 campaign.

Across 18 games in the Canadian Premier League, he managed six clean sheets: five of those coming
in the first 11 fixtures, before a litany of injuries disrupted the squad and greatly impacted results
during the midway point of the season. Giantsopoulos himself was ruled out for the final nine CPL games
after sustaining a knock to his ankle during an away clash with Valour FC in Winnipeg.

In the Canadian Championship, he particularly enjoyed himself. In a qualifying round assignment on the
road against Atletico Ottawa, he saved one penalty during the shootout as York United booked their place
in the last eight. Next, away to Pacific FC, Giantsopoulos saved twice in another shootout - including
blocking the decisive kick from Marco Bustos - and proved the hero for his side, setting up
a mouthwatering clash with Vancouver Whitecaps in the semi finals.

In total, he's made 30 appearances across all competitions since signing for the club ahead of the
2021 season.

"Niko was having a great season and the injury he got in the Valour game was very unfortunate,"
says Angus McNab, York United FC's CEO/President and GM.

"To that point, if you look at the advanced goalkeeper metrics, his performances were the best in the
league, while his Save vs Expected Save percentage was the best of any keeper in the Canadian Championship.
Add to that his role in the shootout wins vs Ottawa and Pacific and you see how important he was for us
in a memorable cup run."

20-year-old Himaras, meanwhile, has signed a new one-year deal, that includes a club option.

Signed by the team back in July after a spell with Electric City in League1 Ontario, he deputized
impressively for Giantsopoulos in the latter half of the season and made 10 appearances in the CPL
overall - nine of them starts - and managed his first league clean-sheet in a 0-0 draw against
HFX Wanderers.

A native of London, ON, Himaras joined the Toronto FC Academy in 2018 and was named in Canada's squad
for the Under-17 FIFA World Cup in Brazil the following year, starting the team's final group game against
New Zealand. Previously, he spent time with TFC II.

"Elias is a young player with a lot of potential," McNab says.

"Goalkeepers tend to mature a lot later but his ability to throw himself into the game has been exciting
and he's already accumulated a decent amount of experience. He knows he’s got to just turn up and get
better every day now - that’s what we expect of him and, perhaps most importantly, what he expects
of himself."

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