Toronto, ON (Aug 9, 2020) – York9 FC announces former Forge FC striker Jace Kotsopoulos to The Island Games roster. Kotsopoulos has been training with the club for some time and was following the Canadian Premier League’s health and safety self-isolation protocols with his teammates prior to departing for The Island Games in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on August 8.
The 22-year-old is a prolific finisher for Guelph Gryphons and has been drafted into the Nine Stripes as a replacement for Nicholas Hamilton, whose arrival in Canada has been delayed.
Kotsopoulos is no stranger to making an immediate impact, having scored a hat-trick in a solitary appearance for Vaughan Azzurri two years ago, before netting twice in almost 200 minutes for Forge FC last season, mainly from the bench.
The Ontario University Athletics West first-team All-star and MVP in 2018 was named as U SPORTS Player of the Year and selected as the third overall CPL–U Sports Draft pick by Forge FC in November of that year.
Six months later, the Burlington, Ontario native signed a U SPORTS development contract and, in June 2019, made his debut as a substitute against Cavalry FC in the Canadian Championship.
A goal on his league debut against Valour FC followed, before choosing to return to Guelph University to finish his final semester in the Fall.
Managing consultant Angus McNab said: “The pandemic has presented the most unique set of circumstances I expect any football club will ever experience. We have been following all the mandated public health authority protocols that will govern the season to ensure the safety of Islanders and everyone entering the CPL bubble.”
“As a result of a delay in securing Nicholas Hamilton’s work permit, he has not been able to make it into Canada in time to quarantine and travel with everyone heading to PEI. To protect the integrity of our sequestered bubble and keep everyone safe, we cannot add him to our 23-man roster for The Island Games.”
“Given the short turnaround between games and the intensity of tournament football, we moved quickly to secure the services of Jace. He knows the league well having played a role with Forge FC in their Championship win last year, and I was surprised he was still available.”
“It’s always good to get someone in who feels they have a point to prove to everyone. Jace has scored goals in the CPL before and we are confident he can do that for us this year when he is called upon to do so.”
Player bio:
Full Name: Jace Kotsopoulos
Pronunciation: Cot-sopp-owe-los
Age: 22
Position: Forward
Height: 5’9”
Birth Date: December 1, 1997
Birthplace: Burlington, Ontario
Hometown: Burlington, Ontario
Nationality: Canadian
Last Club: Forge FC