Hellas SC is returning to the BMO National Championships Challenge Trophy competition after winning the MSA Cup on Saturday. Hellas SC won 1:0 after extra time over Lucania. Hellas SC is back-to-back MSA Cup champions.

The championship goal was scored early in the second frame of extra time. The goal was in fact recorded as a Lucania own goal, although Hellas SC’s Vinny Ferlaino was the man responsible for applying the pressure and panic on the Lucania defence. Ferlaino was named most valuable player.

'The pressure was just enough for us to score the goal,' said Hellas SC coach Kostas Vailas. On the play, it was Tom Foderaro who crossed the ball into the Lucania box.

Hellas SC reached the final after winning 4:0 over Winnipeg Juventus in the semi-final stage on 13 August. Lucania SC, meanwhile, won 2:1 over Sons of Italy.

In the final, Hellas SC’s starting XI featured goalkeeper Dylan O’Connor, defenders Billy Economou, Dimitri Ifandis, Edin Kurbegovic and Tim Mullen, midfielders Foderaro, Jordan Goetting, Jorge Mendez, Trevor Perrault and Yiannis Tsalatsidis and forward Andy Giesbrecht. Ferlaino was one of the substitutes used in the match.

'We were much better looking than Lucania in the first half,' said coach Vailas. 'After some injuries we made substitutions for the second half and the game was more balanced.'

Last year, Hellas SC finished in eighth place at the BMO National Championships in St. John’s, NL. Fourteen players from last year’s squad were still on this year’s roster for the Manitoba Cup final.

Also of note, there are two Challenge Trophy winners on Hellas SC’s roster. Mullen won the 2001 Challenge Trophy with Halifax King of Donair, helping that team become the first Nova Scotia club to win the senior championship. Goetting, meanwhile, won the 2000 Challenge Trophy with Lucania in Saskatoon, which in fact marks the last time the competition was held in Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Soccer Association will host the 2009 BMO National Championships this 7-12 October in conjunction with Saskatoon Adult Soccer Inc. Both the Challenge Trophy (senior men) and Jubilee Trophy (senior women) competitions will take place in Saskatoon, SK.

So far in 2009, British Columbia’s West Van FC, Saskatchewan’s Huskie Alumni and Manitoba’s Hellas SC have qualified for the Challenge Trophy competition. British Columbia’s Surrey United and Manitoba’s South End United have qualified for the Jubilee Trophy competition.

BMO Financial Group is proud to support soccer at all levels across Canada, from grassroots to Canada’s national teams. Starting with sponsorship of more than 400 Canadian youth teams to the title support of elite youth players at the BMO National Championships, through to the professional-team support (Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC) and sponsorship of the Canadian men’s and women’s national soccer teams, BMO Financial Group is serious about Canadian soccer. For more information on BMO’s support of soccer in Canada, visit bmosoccer.com.