FEATURED
PLAYER
It's
not for nothing that Phil Ionadi is team captain of Brampton
Hitmen.
He's
had the job since the Hitmen launched three years ago.
And
it's not too surprising that under his guidance the team from
north west of Toronto won the Canadian Professional Soccer League
championship in the season just past.
Toronto
born Phil Ionadi is one of the most amiable players you would
want to meet-a team ambassador par excellence who is equally
adept at furthering the Hitmen cause off the field as he is
winning games on the field.
He
plays the midfielder role-but it's a roving one, often digging
deep in defence when needed then switching to playmaker up front
when the opportunity presents itself.
"It's
setting up goals that I like to do best," he said after
Brampton won the CPSL championship, without even a hint at the
goals he has scored himself.
Ionadi
was the leading scorer for this championship team-fifth in the
league scoring title in 2003 with 12 goals in league and cup
play.
That
contribution would look even more impressive if you count assists.
Ionadi
has played some of the best club soccer in North America-outdoor
and indoor.
He
was noticed as a 17 year old helping Ontario to a silver medal
in the 1993 Canada Games in British Columbia, a member of Ontario's
provincial program.
He
excelled at Belhaven College at Jackson, Mississippi before
joining Jackson Chargers of the U.S.I.S.L system, now United
Soccer Leagues of which the A-League is a member.
He
was with the Montreal Impact of the A-League and a member of
the Toronto ThunderHawks, an expansion NPSL indoor soccer team
in 2000 playing out of the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.
There was a brief stint with the Toronto Lynx.
The
Brampton Hitmen camp is very high on the their captain with
owner Steve Nijjar and team manager Hector Marinaro both speaking
in glowing terms of the 27 year old midfilder. "He certainly
is the quarterback of the team and very good supporting the
club in Brampton and in the soccer community as a whole,"
said Marinaro. "We expect he will be an important part
of our organization for a long time".
