Whitby striker, Ontario Tech star high picks in CPL U SPORTS draft

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Published January 20, 2022 at 10:18 pm

Whitby’s Kairo Coore and Oshawa Tech’s Christopher Campoli went back-to-back again at the Canadian Premier League U SPORTS draft on Thursday.

Coore was selected No. 2 overall by FC Edmonton in the CPL’s draft of players who are in the middle of their Canadian university careers. Campoli was chosen with the very next pick, No. 3 overall, by HFX (Halifax) Wanderers FC.

Last fall, Coore was the nation’s leading scorer with 15 goals for the Cape Breton Capers. Campoli was the joint No. 2-leading scorer with 12 for the Oshawa Tech Ridgebacks.

The U SPORTS draft enables student-athletes who are returning to school in the fall to get on-the-job experience in a pro environment in the CPL.

Midfielder José Cunha, Coore’s teammate at Cape Breton, was chosen No. 1 overall by Atlético Ottawa.

Coore’s soccer journey has taken him from Whitby, to Erin Mills Soccer Club, to Saginaw Valley State, a Division II program in the NCAA, to Cape Breton. Last fall, he took like a fish to water with the Capers. On top of earning second-team all-Canadian honours, Coore also had back-to-back braces in the conference playoffs to help the Capers win their fifth Atlantic University Sport title in a row.

Campoli was also taken in the 2021 U SPORTS draft by York United, before rejoining the Ridgebacks. The Woodbridge native’s 12-goal campaign included one weekend with back-to-back hat tricks.

Three other young footballers with ties to the inDurham/inSauga coverage region were selected in the second round.

  • Mississauga midfielder Juan Carlos  was selected No. 12 overall by Valour FC of Winnipeg. Carlos is a student-athlete at Ryerson University.
  • Brampton midfielder Soji Olatoye was selected No. 13 overall by York United, which may not be surprising, since he plays with the York Lions during the OUA season.
  • Midfielder Mohamed Alshakman, from both Hamilton and the McMaster Marauders, was chosen No. 15 overall by his hometown club, Forge FC.

(Photo via Cape Breton University.)

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