Calgary’s Canadian Premier League club wins first-ever North Star Cup after just 5 seasons |

Zafir Nagji, Sports Editor | 

Calgary is once again a city of champions. Our last championship victory in a major professional sporting league as a city was in 2019, with the Calgary RATH winning the National Ringette League’s Provan-Summons Trophy. This year, Calgary’s Canadian Premier League (CPL) club, Cavalry FC, secured their first-ever North Star Cup, winning 2-1 at home on ATCO Field against Forge FC, who have won four championships since the league’s first season in 2019.

The Cavalry vs the rest of the CPL

Since joining the CPL in 2019, Cavalry FC has always been a dominant force. The Calgary-based squad have been a top-three club ever since the inception of the CPL, winning two CPL Shields for posting the best regular season records in 2019 and 2023.

The clear top dog in the league has always been Forge FC, who have won four North Star Cup championships and two CPL Shields. Based in Hamilton, ON, Forge FC was the first CPL club to compete in the CONCACAF Champions League and the first to reach the finals of the Canadian Championship, taking on professional clubs from North America’s top league, Major League Soccer (MLS), in both competitions.

Calgary finished their 2024 regular season with the second-best form in the CPL, posting a regular-season record of 12-12-5 and a playoff record of 2-0.

On offense, Cavalry FC was a nightmare for opposing defenses every match, finishing first in shots attempted (304) and second in shots on target (138) on their way to ranking third in goals scored (42). Those shots came as a result of their brilliant playmaking—they led the league in successful crosses and corners (162) at the highest efficiency in the CPL (28.93 per cent success rate). Cavalry FC also played staunch defense, conceding the fewest goals (28) and fewest goals per match (0.93).

Their club was full of talent from top to bottom, with Tobias Warschewski leading the league in goals (14) and shots attempted (69). Marco Christian Carducci finished the season third in the league in saves (61) and, with the help of his brilliant back line of defenders, led the CPL with nine clean sheets. Midfielder Diego Nicolás Gutiérrez Zúñiga ranked third in the league in tackles with 53 while defender Daan Klomp finished third in passes completed with 1694.

The road to victory

In their first semi-final match, Cavalry FC took on Forge FC at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton and won 1-0; Warschewski secured the lone goal of the game in the 27th minute, streaking past the defense to catch up to a long pass from goalkeeper Carducci before nutmegging Forge FC’s keeper and scoring. That qualified Cavalry FC for the North Star Cup Final and sent Forge FC to the win-or-go-home semi-final match, where they beat Atlético Ottawa 1-0.

So, for Cavalry FC to win their first North Star Cup, they would have to beat the biggest kahuna in the league not once, but twice—and they did. With first-half goals from Warschewski and Sergio Andres Camargo Peñaranda, the club looked poised going into the second half. Even when Forge FC midfielder Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson scored in the 52nd minute, Calgary maintained their composure on their home field and brought home their first-ever CPL Championship.

With their 2024 victory, Cavalry FC joins Forge FC and Victoria-based Pacific FC as the only clubs to win the CPL’s North Star Cup.

MRU’s role in the win

Cougars alumni Nikolas Myroniuk and Justin Anderson-Louch, who played and coached at MRU, were both part of the championship run. When asked about the victory, Myroniuk referenced his time at MRU as a key period in his injury recovery that led to his big moment.

“My time at Mount Royal University played a crucial role in getting me to this point,” Myroniuk said in an interview with the Cougars. “Going through my first major injury as a pro, I found that MRU was a great place for me to get back on my feet and get back to pro-level.”

With their Canada West Gold Medal in 2023, back-to-back U SPORTS National Tournament visits in 2023 and 2024, and two alumni on Cavalry FC’s first-ever North Star Cup victory, the MRU Cougars are quickly becoming one of the biggest names in Canadian soccer. Additionally, these successes are putting Calgary on the map as one of the premier athletic cities in the country.

Calgary: City of champions

Calgary now has one National Hockey League Stanley Cup, eight Canadian Football League Grey Cups, three National Lacrosse League Cups, three National Ringette League Provan-Summons Trophies, and a Canadian Premier League North Star Cup.

The Surge, who have yet to win a Canadian Elite Basketball League championship but have played in the finals, and the Wranglers, who are still searching for their first American Hockey League championship but have only been in the league for two seasons, are next to join Calgary’s championship row.

However, the Flames, Stampeders, Roughnecks, RATH, and Cavalry FC have all made it abundantly clear that Calgary is, without a doubt, a city of champions.

Zafir Nagji is the Sports Editor for The Reflector 2024-2025. His greatest interests are, in order, basketball, F1, hockey, soccer, and football, but he’ll watch anything with a competitive enough spirit.