St. Thomas University to host 2024 CCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The National Championship will be hosted by St. Thomas University in 2024.
The Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) institution will host the event in Fredericton, NB, from Nov. 6-9, 2024.
“Our host committee is excited to be a part of this celebrated tradition of hosting student athletes at their highest level of competition,” said Eric Moffatt, Acting Director of Athletics at St. Thomas University. “We will build from our experience of hosting previous CCAA Championships and are dedicated to making it the very best national event while showcasing the ultimate collegiate sport experience.”
All CCAA Championship matches will take place at the Grant-Harvey Turf Field, a state-of-the-art synthetic grass field in Fredericton.
The tournament will feature eight teams from across Canada: Conference champions from the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST), Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC), Ontario Colleges Athletic Assocation (OCAA), Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) and ACAA, as well as a CCAA wildcard team and the host Tommies.
“St. Thomas has gained a well-earned reputation of hosting excellent ACAA, CCAA and U Sports Championships and will be at their best once again in the fall of 2024,” said David Munro, CCAA Men’s Soccer Convenor. “There is no doubt the City of Fredericton and the surrounding areas will throw outstanding support behind this CCAA Championship and make it a memorable event for everyone.”
The Tommies recently hosted the 2022 ACAA Soccer Championships and in 2020, St. Thomas played host to the CCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship. The Tommies also hosted CCAA Men’s Volleyball in 2005 and CCAA Cross-Country Running in 2010. In 2014, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ hosted the CIS (now U Sports) Women's Hockey Championship at Grant-Harvey Centre.
Led by ACAA Player of the Year Brett Springer, the Tommies captured the ACAA championship title in 2021 and represented their conference at the CCAA Championship, which was hosted by the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, AB.
Head Coach John-Ryan Morrison, in his 9th season at the helm of the St. Thomas Men's Soccer program is excited for the opportunity to host this prestigious event.
"This is huge news for the Fredericton soccer community as we welcome some of the best male college soccer players from across the country to our nationally ranked soccer program and home pitch," said Morrison. "Having coached at two CCAA nationals in the past three years, I know the quality of soccer will impress all of our local soccer fans, and create some new ones."
Josh Oakes (Kitchener, ON), a 3rd year defender, looks to use his experience playing in the summer for FC Berlin in hosting the Soccer Championship on home turf.
"The team and I are very excited to be hosting nationals in the 2024 season as it is a privilege to be the host team to have our friends, family, and community present," mentions Oakes. "It is also an honour to have the chance to show the rest of Canada what St. Thomas has to offer and the community we are built around."
"We've worked hard as coaches to raise our national profile to be one of the best soccer programs in the CCAA, and I think this opportunity represents the biggest announcement in the history of the program," added the Tommies bench boss Morrison.
The build-up for the Tommies soccer program has already begun with numerous new additions for the 2023 ACAA Fall season.
The 2023 CCAA Men’s Soccer National Championship will be hosted by St. Clair College of the OCAA in Windsor, ON, from Nov. 8-11