Given the hand they were dealt towards the end of the winter of 2025-2026 and early spring, it was almost a given that the stable of GSSC (Greater Sudbury Soccer Club) Impact teams might find themselves a little bit rusty as the 2026 summer schedule was first introduced.

The loss of their primary off-season training facility and winter weather that lingered, delaying access to the one and only outdoor turf field in Sudbury would put the Sudbury lads and lasses behind the eight ball, right out of the gate.

Throw in an end of high-school season sports rush that had many of the athletes being pulled multiple directions together with a few untimely injuries along the way and one can see why coaches and players alike are anxious to really start hitting their stride as warmer temperatures now arrive.

As though they needed an additional hurdle in their pathway, the GSSC U15 Impact boys are also dealing with more turnover in the roster than would be ideal, with a number of first-timers suiting up with the crew that are competing in the Huronia District Soccer League (HDSL) through until September.

“We have a lot of French-speaking athletes so it can be a little difficult for us to communicate – but once we get that down, we’ll be pretty good,” said recently named team co-captain Jaxon Mathieu-Gibson (along with Xavio Cootes). “We just have to play our hardest and do as well as we can.”

A grade nine student at Collège Notre-Dame, Mathieu-Gibson evolved through the GSSC recreational system, making the jump over to the competitive ranks two years ago. “In grass roots, you just pass it around and run, but here, there are plays,” he said.

“You pass properly. It’s way more competitive.”

A striker and centerback at various times in his career, Mathieu-Gibson has worked his way back to that final line of defense, pre-keeper, gravitating to a comfort of knowing the role that he plays is a key one.

“If the team messes up, I know they can rely on me because I know that I am good enough to help,” he said. “It’s about being in good position and not letting them get by – and I now have the confidence to do that.”

“I am not scared to go in for the ball.”

Even when the opponent might find himself in the 18-yard box, a setting in which a foul sends the other team to the line for a penalty kick?

“I am usually going in with my body because I know that I can outpower them,” said Mathieu-Gibson. “But I don’t want to get a penalty so I will go in calm, no slide tackles.”

The Impact will take their 0-2-0 record into a home affair this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. with Wasaga Beach, the start of a four-game homestand that runs through mid-July. Joining the co-captains on the pitch will be Neil Arkuh, Samuel Atte, Marcelo Cisternas, Adrian Courtney, Cody Crocker, Max Dodge, Calvin Faux, Tyler Gaudreau, Ewan Huang, Vincent Ladouceur, Ari Mai, Ashton McConnell, Jason Rienguette, Jay Salawu, Dominique Soro and coaches Matt Cootes and Thor Gaudreau.

The Impact U17 boys are also in search of their first win as they close off the i-Model qualifying round with a pair of home encounters this weekend, hosting Woodbridge and Vaughan on Saturday and Sunday respectively at 3:00 p.m. on both days.

Ben Lamarche is one of three players making the jump from a second GSSC team at the same age that competed in the HDSL last year – and though he remains busy with several athletic pursuits, the 17 year-old grade 11 student at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary is thankful for his opportunity in soccer.

“This is my number one sport,” said Lamarche. “I did hockey (SPHL) during the winter and cross-country and track last year. There are a lot of things I take from soccer that I can carry to other sports – the stamina, especially.”

“I use that a lot.”

Just three games into the summer schedule but having also competed in the PISL (Provincial Indoor Soccer League) this past winter, Lamarche has quickly acclimatized himself to the level of play in a bracket where most of the competition sits within a one our drive of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area).

“It’s a lot more competitive (than HDSL),” he said. “It’s a little farther to get there, but the teams are a lot better. It’s a lot faster and people are a lot stronger in this league – so I need to be more physical.”

“I also need to work on having better touches with the ball and stuff like that.”

And much like the U15 Impact squad, Lamarche and his mates stand to benefit most of all from simply having more time on the field together. “We need to focus more on building a connection, passing the ball more, stuff like that. I feel like we have the skill and we have off the ball movement down pretty well.”

“It’s been tougher with call-ups; the chemistry is just not there.”