Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup
Encyclopedia
The Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup (abbreviated as NLCC) is the premier senior men's soccer competition in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador
. It is held annually from May until August and was contested for the first time in 1967. The winner represents Newfoundland and Labrador
at the Canadian National Challenge Cup
. The competition is governed and organized by the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association
. Holy Cross are reigning champions as of the 2010 season.
The St. Lawrence Laurentians
and Holy Cross have traditionally dominated the competition, having won a combined total of 36 Cups out of 43 times that the Challenge has been contested.
The competition tends to have difficulty retaining clubs, as only Holy Cross, St. Lawrence Laurentians, and Feildians have consistently competed for the Cup. Many other clubs tend to have problems with financing or player availability and end up folding or taking a hiatus to re-organize.
round in a league format, where each team usually plays each other team 4 times (2 home, 2 away). At the end of the league phase, the 4 clubs with the most points qualify for the playoffs (3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point is awarded for a draw, and none for a loss), if there is a tie in the standings, the team with the greatest goal difference
is given precedence.
The playoff round of the NLCC was formerly a Page Playoff
format until the 2011 season where a regular 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 system. It takes place at one location over 2 days, with one round being played each day. It consists of two single-game knockout rounds: in the 1st round, the first seed plays the fourth seed and the second seed plays the third seed; the winners of those matches advance to the Challenge Cup Final. The winner of the final is crowned Challenge Cup Champions and qualify for the Canadian National Challenge Cup
, representing Newfoundland and Labrador
.
St. John's U-18s playing on exhibition basis only
as of 2011-08-25
tournament
, finishing 6th out of 10.
see 2011 season*
†as Western Utd. FC didn't complete a full season, it's points were adjusted to the value of 18 matches
tournament
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. It is held annually from May until August and was contested for the first time in 1967. The winner represents Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
at the Canadian National Challenge Cup
Canadian National Challenge Cup
The Challenge Trophy is a national amateur football cup in Canada contested by the champions of individual provincial soccer competitions. It is one of the oldest football competitions in Canada, being held since 1913...
. The competition is governed and organized by the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association
Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association
The Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association is the governing body for soccer in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is a member association of the Canadian Soccer Association.-External links:*...
. Holy Cross are reigning champions as of the 2010 season.
The St. Lawrence Laurentians
St. Lawrence Laurentians
The St. Lawrence Laurentians is a soccer club founded in 1904 and is based in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland.St. Lawrence is dubbed "Soccer Capital of Canada" due to its great success over the years. With a population of 1,350, the town has 9 organized soccer teams...
and Holy Cross have traditionally dominated the competition, having won a combined total of 36 Cups out of 43 times that the Challenge has been contested.
The competition tends to have difficulty retaining clubs, as only Holy Cross, St. Lawrence Laurentians, and Feildians have consistently competed for the Cup. Many other clubs tend to have problems with financing or player availability and end up folding or taking a hiatus to re-organize.
Format
The Newfoundland Challenge Cup consists of Newfoundland-based men's senior amateur soccer clubs. The teams first compete to qualify for a playoffPlayoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
round in a league format, where each team usually plays each other team 4 times (2 home, 2 away). At the end of the league phase, the 4 clubs with the most points qualify for the playoffs (3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point is awarded for a draw, and none for a loss), if there is a tie in the standings, the team with the greatest goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
is given precedence.
The playoff round of the NLCC was formerly a Page Playoff
Page playoff system
The Page playoff system is a playoff format used primarily in softball and curling at the championship level. Teams are seeded using a round-robin tournament and the top four play a mix of a single-elimination and double-elimination tournament to determine the winner...
format until the 2011 season where a regular 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 system. It takes place at one location over 2 days, with one round being played each day. It consists of two single-game knockout rounds: in the 1st round, the first seed plays the fourth seed and the second seed plays the third seed; the winners of those matches advance to the Challenge Cup Final. The winner of the final is crowned Challenge Cup Champions and qualify for the Canadian National Challenge Cup
Canadian National Challenge Cup
The Challenge Trophy is a national amateur football cup in Canada contested by the champions of individual provincial soccer competitions. It is one of the oldest football competitions in Canada, being held since 1913...
, representing Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
.
Champions
as of the 2010 season| Club | # of Challenge Cups | Years |
|---|---|---|
| St. Lawrence Laurentians St. Lawrence Laurentians The St. Lawrence Laurentians is a soccer club founded in 1904 and is based in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland.St. Lawrence is dubbed "Soccer Capital of Canada" due to its great success over the years. With a population of 1,350, the town has 9 organized soccer teams... |
23 | 1967-68, 1971-72, 1975-78, 1980, 1982, 1993, 1995-2002, 2005-08 |
| Holy Cross | 13 | 1973, 1979, 1981, 1983-86, 1988-89, 1992, 1994, 2009-10 |
| Burin | 2 | 1990-91 |
| Feildians | 1 | 1969 |
| Grand Bank | 1 | 1974 |
| Lawn | 1 | 1987 |
| Marystown United Marystown United Marystown United is a soccer club founded/located in Marystown, Newfoundland and Labrador. The soccer club has both a male and a female division which, given successful drafting of a team, can compete annually in the Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup and Newfoundland and Labrador Jubilee Cup... |
1 | 2004 |
| Mount Pearl | 1 | 2003 |
| Newfoundland All Stars | 1 | 1970 |
2011
The 2011 Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup began on May 13th. It is the 44th time that the Cup has been contested. It featured 5 teams competing for the Cup and the St. John's U-18s who played on an exhibition basis only, although points gained from matches against them counted towards the final standings. Western United FC did not compete in the 2011 competition.Standings
| Pos | Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Diff. | Points | Clinch Qualification for Playoffs | Clinch League Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holy Cross Kirby Group | 20 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 79 | 10 | +69 | 55 | Y | Y |
| 2 | Mount Pearl Molson | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 50 | 20 | +30 | 42 | Y | - |
| 3 | St. Lawrence Labatt Laurentians | 20 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 27 | 30 | -3 | 29 | Y | - |
| 4 | Feildians E&Y Orenda | 20 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 35 | -16 | 23 | Y | - |
| 5 | Conception Bay Auto Strikers | 20 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 29 | 33 | -4 | 22 | - | - |
St. John's U-18s playing on exhibition basis only
| Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Diff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's U-18s | 20 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 74 | -67 | 2 |
Top Scorers
| Pos. | Name | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Hawco | Holy Cross | 16 |
| 2 | Justin Pickford | Mt. Pearl | 12 |
| 3 | Jay Babstock | Feildians | 10 |
| 3 | Jake Warren | Holy Cross | 10 |
| 5 | Mike Dunn | Holy Cross | 8 |
| 5 | Rudy Norman | Mount Pearl | 8 |
| 5 | Paul Slaney | St. Lawrence | 8 |
| 8 | Mike Brushett | Holy Cross | 7 |
| 8 | Sean Drew | Mount Pearl | 7 |
| 8 | Corey Moore | Holy Cross | 7 |
| 8 | Zack Wade | Holy Cross | 7 |
as of 2011-08-25
Playoffs
Holy Cross are 2011 Newfoundland Challenge Cup Champions and qualify for the 2011 Canadian Challenge Trophy2011 Canadian Challenge Trophy
The 2011 Canadian Challenge Trophy will be hosted in Quebec over Thanksgiving Weekend. With the addition of both territories, there will be 12 teams this year...
tournament
2010
The 2010 Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup began on June 5th and the final was held on September 5th. It was the 43rd time the Challenge Cup was contested. The St. John's U-18s competed on an exhibition basis only*. Holy Cross won the final against Mount Pearl 3-1 on the Burin Peninsula and represented Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2010 Canadian National Challenge Cup, finishing last (10th) in the tournament.- see 2011 season
Standings
| Pos | Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Diff. | Points | Clinch Qualification for Playoffs | Clinch League Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holy Cross Kirby Group | 23 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 67 | 16 | +51 | 56 | Y | Y |
| 2 | Mount Pearl Molson | 23 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 53 | 14 | +39 | 51 | Y | - |
| 3 | St. Lawrence Labatt Laurentians | 23 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 62 | 19 | +43 | 49 | Y | - |
| 4 | Feildians E&Y Orenda | 23 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 44 | 48 | -4 | 27 | Y | - |
| 5 | Conception Bay Auto Strikers | 23 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 20 | 63 | -43 | 15 | - | - |
| 6 | Rugged Edge Western United FC | 23 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 20 | 76 | -56 | 10 | - | - |
| Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Diff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's U-18s | 23 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 25 | 55 | -30 | 14 |
Top Scorers
| Pos | Name | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Howlett | St. Lawrence | 19 |
| 2 | Zach Wade | Holy Cross | 14 |
| 3 | Scott Woodfine | Holy Cross | 12 |
| 4 | Justin Pickford | Mount Pearl | 11 |
| 5 | Matthew Wilkins | Feildians | 10 |
| 6 | Zach Hynes | Feildians | 8 |
| 6 | Rudy Norman | St. Lawrence | 8 |
| 6 | Paul Slaney | St. Lawrence | 8 |
| 9 | Matthew Breen | Holy Cross | 7 |
| 9 | Matt Foote | CB Strikers | 7 |
| 9 | Matthew Hamlyn | Mount Pearl | 7 |
Playoffs
Holy Cross are 2010 Newfoundland Challenge Cup Champions and qualify for the 2010 Canadian Challenge Trophy tournament2009
The 2009 Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup began on June 13th and the final was held on September 6th. It was the 42rd time the Challenge Cup was contested. The Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Games Team (U-18s) competed on an exhibition basis only*. Holy Cross won the final against Mount Pearl 1-0 and represented Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2009 Canadian National Challenge Cup2009 Canadian Challenge Trophy
The 2009 Canadian Challenge Trophy will be contested for in Saskatoon, SK from October 7 to 12, 2009. The round robin group seedings are based on last years performance.*Group A : Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan...
, finishing 6th out of 10.
see 2011 season*
Standings
| Pos | Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Diff. | Points | Clinch Qualification for Playoffs | Clinch League Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holy Cross The Dock | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 47 | 19 | +28 | 48 | Y | Y |
| 2 | St. Lawrence Labatt Laurentians | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 36 | 39 | +14 | 51 | Y | - |
| 3 | Mount Pearl Molsons | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 33 | 24 | +9 | 33 | Y | - |
| 4 | Rugged Edge Western United FC | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 23 | -13 | 14† | Y | - |
| 5 | Feildians E&Y Orenda | 18 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 24 | 48 | -25 | 8 | - | - |
†as Western Utd. FC didn't complete a full season, it's points were adjusted to the value of 18 matches
| Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Diff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Games Team NFLD U-18 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 23 | 36 | -13 | 18 |
Top Scorers
| Pos | Name | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zach Wade | Holy Cross | 12 |
| 2 | Corey Moore | Holy Cross | 10 |
| 3 | Paul Slaney | St. Lawrence | 9 |
| 4 | Rudy Norman | St. Lawrence | 8 |
| 4 | Justin Pickford | Mount Pearl | 8 |
| 6 | Ryan Caines | Mount Pearl | 7 |
| 7 | Aaron Anstey | Holy Cross | 6 |
| 8 | Albert Anstey | Canada Games | 5 |
| 8 | John Hawco | Holy Cross | 5 |
| 8 | Zack Hynes | Feildians | 5 |
Playoffs
Holy Cross are 2009 Newfoundland Challenge Cup Champions and qualify for the 2009 Canadian Challenge Trophy2009 Canadian Challenge Trophy
The 2009 Canadian Challenge Trophy will be contested for in Saskatoon, SK from October 7 to 12, 2009. The round robin group seedings are based on last years performance.*Group A : Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan...
tournament
Records
| Record | Club | # |
|---|---|---|
| Most total Cups | St. Lawrence Laurentians St. Lawrence Laurentians The St. Lawrence Laurentians is a soccer club founded in 1904 and is based in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland.St. Lawrence is dubbed "Soccer Capital of Canada" due to its great success over the years. With a population of 1,350, the town has 9 organized soccer teams... |
23 |
| Most consecutive Cups | St. Lawrence Laurentians St. Lawrence Laurentians The St. Lawrence Laurentians is a soccer club founded in 1904 and is based in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland.St. Lawrence is dubbed "Soccer Capital of Canada" due to its great success over the years. With a population of 1,350, the town has 9 organized soccer teams... |
8; 1995-2002 |