By Lucas Timmons

timm0051@algonquincollege.com

The Algonquin Thunder men’s soccer team is appealing sanctions that would ban them from this year’s Canadian Colleges Athletic Association championships - even if they qualify as Ontario champions.

Along with the ban, the Thunder are appealing a $1,000 fine for breach of probationary conditions, and midfielder Loui Legakis’ 10-game suspension for the start of next season.

The sanctions stem from incidents on the field during the CCAA championship in Kamloops, B.C., and off the field at the team’s hotel.

The CCAA will hear the appeal on Feb. 11 by video conference.

According the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association, the team was served a letter of probation and fined $500 for verbal abuse of an official and inappropriate conduct and behaviour during the first game.

Legakis’ suspension and the team’s ban came following alleged actions at the conclusion of the gold medal game – Legakis for alleged verbal abuse of an official and the team for poor behaviour including a lack of control by coaches in deterring the poor behaviour, failing to have the entire team present for closing ceremonies, discarding their silver medals on the ground, and property damage and theft at the host hotel.

Ron Port, administrator of athletic operations for the college, was also given a letter of reprimand for not ensuring the proper and highest level of personal conduct of all team members. 

Port said the appeals process was not easy but declined to comment further about the incidents for fear of jeopardizing the appeal. The members of the Thunder have also been advised not to talk and would not comment.

During the championship Thunder captain, Mike Gagliano, wrote a blog for the OCAA website. In his post after the gold medal loss Gagliano wrote, “I would just like to say that all week our team felt as if we constantly had to overcome obstacles. But, we stuck together as a family and dug deep to find a way to get through all of the emotion involved and we really showed the true class of Algonquin College. Guys, you’re all class acts.”

If the ban stands the Thunder will still be able to compete in the OCAA regular season but will not have the opportunity to play in the national finals for the eighth time in the past 11 years.

The incident has not only hurt the Thunder’s reputation but also cost them a coach. Mike Caruso, who had been with the team for 12 years and had just finished his first year as head coach, resigned nine days after the Thunder’s 6-5 loss in the final.

Port told the Times in December that while time commitments were a consideration, the events at the national championships factored largely into Caruso’s decision to leave.

A committee made up of one representative from Atlantic Colleges Athletic Conference or from Sport Etudiant, one representative from either the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference or the British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association and a representative from the OCAA chosen by Port will hear the appeal.

“I am looking for someone with experience at the national level that has experienced a national championship as my peer choice from Ontario,” Port said.

While Athletic Operations current policy is to not comment, Port’s told the Times in December that, “It seems like every year we get to the nationals we get fingered for something. It bothers me and then I have to address things with the team that I don’t even believe are true.”