North Toronto Nitros is a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario. The club was founded in 1980 as a youth soccer club and added its men's semi-professional club in League1 Ontario in 2016 and its women's team in the League1 Ontario women's division in 2021.
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| Full name | North Toronto Soccer Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Nitros |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Stadium | Downsview Turf |
| Head Coach | Marko Milanovic (men) Billy Wilson (women) |
| League | League1 Ontario |
| 2023 | League, 10th; Playoffs, DNNQ (men) League, 3rd; Playoffs, QF (women) |
| Website | Club website |
History
editThe club was founded in 1980 as a youth soccer club.[1] They updated the club logo in 2019, combining the club logo and Nitros team logo.[2]
Originally a youth soccer club, the team added a men's semi-professional team in League1 Ontario in 2016,[3] playing their home games at the University of Toronto's Varsity Stadium.[4] They played their inaugural match on April 30, 2016, on the road against Vaughan Azzurri, which they lost by a score of 2–1.[5] They defeated Aurora United by a score of 5–0 in their home debut.[6]
In 2018, the club departed the league, going on hiatus.[7] Two years later, they were set to return to the league for the 2020 season and also added a women's team to the League1 Ontario women's division for the first time, providing a full senior high-performance pathway for players based in downtown Toronto,[8] however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was cancelled, delaying their return (and the women's team's debut) to 2021.[9][10] They moved their home field to the Downsview Park turf fields.[11]
Squad
edit- As of 16 April 2023[12]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Seasons
editMen
edit| Season | League | Teams | Record | Rank | Playoffs | League Cup | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | League1 Ontario | 16 | 14–3–5 | 3rd, East (4th overall) | did not qualify | Semi-finals | [13] |
| 2017 | 16 | 11–3–8 | 3rd, East (7th overall) | did not qualify | Round of 16 | [13] | |
| 2018 | on hiatus | ||||||
| 2019 | |||||||
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[14] | ||||||
| 2021 | League1 Ontario | 15 | 1–1–10 | 7th, East (14th) | did not qualify | – | |
| 2022 | 22 | 13–5–3 | 4th | Quarter Finals | – | [13] | |
| 2023 | 21 | 9–4–7 | 10th | did not qualify | – | [13] | |
Women
edit| Season | League | Teams | Record | Rank | Playoffs | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | League1 Ontario | 7 | 4–0–8 | 6th | did not qualify | [15] |
| 2022 | 20 | 10–6–3 | 7th | did not qualify | ||
| 2023 | 19 | 12–2–4 | 3rd | Quarter-finals |
Notable former players
editThe following players have either played at the professional or international level, either before or after playing for the League1 Ontario team:
Men
Women
References
edit- ^ "North Toronto Soccer Club". The Voyageurs. November 15, 2016.
- ^ "A History of NTSC". North Toronto SC.
- ^ "League1 Ontario Growing Again In 2016". League1 Ontario. February 1, 2016.
- ^ Nelson, Norm (May 4, 2016). "Catch Toronto Rush, North Toronto Nitros this season at Varsity Stadium". City Centre Mirror.
- ^ Glover, Robin (May 3, 2016). "April 30, 2016 League 1 Ontario–Vaughan Azzurri vs North Toronto Nitros". Northern Starting XI.
- ^ Cudmore, John (May 17, 2016). "Durham spoils League1 Ontario soccer home opener for Aurora United women". Aurora Banner.
- ^ "2018 League1 Ontario Season To Feature New Format, Divisional Configuration And Several Exciting New Additions". League1 Ontario. March 14, 2018.
- ^ "Three new teams join 2020 League1 Ontario Men's And Women's divisions". Canadian Premier League. November 19, 2019.
- ^ "League1 Ontario cancels Fall season plans for 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions". Canadian Premier League. September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "A Bluffer's Guide to North Toronto Nitros". League1 Ontario. October 20, 2022.
- ^ "North Toronto Nitos". League1 Ontario.
- ^ "North Toronto Nitros". League 1 Ontario.
- ^ a b c d "League1 Ontario Historical Standings Men's Division". Canadian Soccer History Archives.
- ^ "League1 Ontario cancels Fall season plans for 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions". Canadian Premier League. September 4, 2020.
- ^ "League1 Ontario Historical Standings Women's Division". Canadian Soccer History Archives.