By Mauro Cesario

Wednesday, March 20th, 2019

With the 2019 League1 Ontario soccer season quickly approaching, the North Mississauga Panthers have begun signing players to fill out the Black and Red roster. League1 Head Coach Aleks Balta and General Manager Christopher Keem have been hard at work signing 19 players to the Panthers roster so far, with more to come in the coming weeks.

The initial roster currently features eight players who are returning from last year’s squad with many of the players also representing their respective college or university teams as well.

These are the 19 players currently signed to the Panthers League1 Ontario roster:

• Laith Adi (Midfielder)
• Chester Ashby (Goalkeeper) *
• Adam Boafo
• Liam Chong Tai
• Timothy Cordova (Midfielder)
• Ali El Zir
• Yousef Helmy (Midfielder) *
• Jared Maloney
• Luca Montanaro (Wing Back)
• Matthew Morris
• Santos Mujtaba Ameen (Forward) *
• Nicholas Pasutto
• Jordan Prescod (Forward) *
• Nicola Russo (Wing Back) *
• Damion Scott (Defender)*
• Chris Simm (Defender)*
• Ivica Sunjka (Defender)
• Moses Toe (Midfielder)
• Tristan Watson (Striker)*

(* Denotes player returning from Panthers 2018 roster)

Chester Ashby returns to the Panthers goal following a strong season with the Sheridan College Bruins where he backstopped the team to 3rd at nationals. Ashby will be looking to take his collegiate form into the League1 season for the Panthers.

In front of Ashby, Chris Simm will be returning. One of the top defenders in the league his versatility in the defensive third will be vital to helping the young panthers this season.

Nicola Russo and Yousef Helmy featured for University of Toronto’s soccer team this past season helping the Varsity Blues to a third-place league finish in the OUA Men’s soccer season.

Newcomers to the squad – Luca Montanaro, Moses Toe, Timothy Cordova, Adam Boafo, Ali El Zir, Laith Adi, Jared Maloney, Liam Chong Tai, Nicholas Pasutto and Matthew Morris will be looking to make their mark.

Moses Toe, Laith Adi and Timothy Cordova are all capable and versatile midfielders who will look to help bolster the play in the center of the pitch.

With Santos Ameen and Jordan Prescod returning to the side, the two attackers will be vital in creating a link-up with returning striker Tristan Watson in the attack. Prescod finished with two goals in last year’s League1 season for the Panthers and Santos Ameen will look to continue his strong and crafty play in the final third.

The team has had a hard pivot in identity this year, looking to utilize players that have grown up playing at the club. Coach Balta has gone a long way into bringing players back to the Panther Den.

As the Panthers’ roster continues to fill, the team has begun running training sessions in preparation for the League1 season. The NMSC Panthers will kick off their League1 Ontario Men’s season on May 3rd against Unionville S.C. at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. Season Ticket Packages are available here

GO PANTHERS!