Photo Supplied.
The Welland Soccer Hall of Fame Committee announced its inductees for the Class of 2024.
Two former National team members Lucio Ianiero and Erica Demers and the 1980 Atom Major Boys team were enshrined this past Saturday during an on-field ceremony at Rynberk Field inside Youngs Sportsplex.
Lucio Ianiero represented Canada’s Men’s National Team 25 times, including 16 international ‘A’ appearances across the period from 1986 to 1992. Ianiero also played in the FIFA Under-19 Tournament hosted in the then USSR in 1985.
The now retired high school teach was a member of the Hamilton Steelers team which won the Canada Soccer National Championships in 1986.
Born in Toronto, Ianiero also lived in Argentina in his younger years. After moving back to Canada, he played a couple of excellent seasons as part of the Welland Soccer Club Competitive program on his path to becoming a professional.
Ianiero has also achieved success as head coach of the Men’s and Women’s team at Brock University and is currently the Head Coach of Niagara 1812 in Buffalo.
Erica Demers was a member of the Canadian Under-21 National Team, and was part of the 2000 Canadian National Championship Team.
Demers was also part of the Ontario Provincial Team for five seasons.
Her soccer career started on Saturday mornings playing in the Welland Soccer Club house league program. At the age of 10, she joined the WSC Competitive program playing for several seasons on a successful travel team.
Demers played collegiately at Oakland University leading them to four straight MCC titles and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
She is currently the Women’s Soccer Head Coach for the University of Cincinnati, and previously had a very successful tenure as Head Coach of the University of Alabama-Birmingham program.
The Fox Insurance Welland Atom Major Boys won the 1980 Robbie International Tournament in Scarborough. With a 1-0 win over Huntington, NY in the final, becoming the first Welland team to win the prestigious international tournament. The road to the final started with three wins in the preliminary round robin where the Welland team beat Texas state champions, Lewisville, St. Andrew’s of Toronto and the Colegio of Mexico. The quarterfinals saw the Atom Majors beat hometown Toronto Guildwood in a thrilling 4-1 double overtime win. The semifinal was played against Wheaton of Maryland, and a 1-0 win was clinched after multiple weather delays. The Atom Majors also won the Niagara Peninsula Indoor Tournament, and the Windsor tournament in 1980.
Current Canadian Women’s National Team goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo is a proud Welland native, while former pro soccer player Simon Gatti also hailed from the Rose City.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
