4-1 loss to International FC<\/a> with a tightly contested 2-1 defeat at Scrosoppi FC just this past Sunday.<\/p>\n\u201cThe result was not what we wanted, but we were very competitive,\u201d Politi said. \u201cWe had the game tied with 15 minutes to go and we generated some chances to equalize. Scrosoppi is a top-three team the last few years, so they\u2019re going to battle for the title, and we were on the road. I\u2019m sure people know by now about the off-field issues with the lack of facilities: we can\u2019t get in the Dome, we can\u2019t get on the turf and we haven\u2019t had true training time, all those variables \u2026 but by next week, things should be back to normal.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOther than the result, our morale was good. Our motto going into the game was We Belong, we belong at this tier. Now, it\u2019s just a matter of turning the tide, whether it\u2019s getting a point at home this weekend with a draw or getting a win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having repeatedly referred to their local pitches at James Jerome and Cambrian College as a \u201chome fortress,\u201d Politi and company hope their long-awaited Sudbury debut will provide the perfect opportunity to bounce back from a slow start.<\/p>\n
The Cyclones did not lose a single match at home in 2025 en route to earning a promotion from OPL 2, then called League1 Championship, and they never dropped back-to-back games stretching back to their inaugural season in OPL 3, then known as League2 Northeast.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, I have that in the back of my mind, because I have been here since Day 1,\u201d Politi said. \u201cI feel a little bit of pressure that we\u2019ve got to stop the little burn and start putting some results up on the board.\u201d<\/p>\n
To do that, he\u2019ll rely not only on established goal-scorers such as third-year Cyclones striker Jaiden Santo, who found the back of the net for the second time on Sunday, but also on new additions such as centre backs Ilija Pavicic and LeShawn Facey, both of whom provide size, skill and high-level experience to an already talented Sudbury back end.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt feels great, getting to meet these guys,\u201d said Pavicic, a 24-year-old Windsor native and alumnus of St. Clair College and Brock University who played for Windsor FC in L1 Championship last summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came here a couple of weeks ago and have tried to find time to hang out with some of the guys, whether training or just going to get some food or something. Now, it\u2019s finally time to get things going, get the season underway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even with their limited practice time, Pavicic said the Cyclones\u2019 skills and smarts have helped them to get by in the early going, but they\u2019ll only continue to improve in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guys coming in from last year, getting promoted and being part of this group already, they already know how they play,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, it\u2019s just about players like myself adapting to how they play and adapting to how the coaches want us to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
A familiar opponent in 2025, Pavicic made a strong impression on the Cyclones and was among the top targets for assistant coach and lead recruiter Evan Phillips during the off-season.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt was an amazing opportunity,\u201d he said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t say no. It\u2019s a chance to play in the highest division you can in Ontario, which is a pretty big bonus, but Giuseppe and Evan made a good case and I believe in the process they\u2019ve got going here and their cause and what they\u2019re trying to accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n
A captain for his team last year, Pavicic listed his physicality and leadership abilities among his greatest strengths.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a little older player on the team, so I bring some experience in that sense, as well,\u201d he added. \u201cI\u2019m a big mediator \u2014 I don\u2019t like to get involved in fights or anything like that. I usually try to split the guys up and try stay away from yellow cards and stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new season is also a new beginning for Facey, the Toronto product who played for the Sigma FC organization last year and whose resume includes a national championship with Cyclones teammate Isaiah Noel at Humber Polytechnic in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited,\u201d Facey said. \u201cA lot of these guys I have known over the years, so it\u2019s nothing new coming in and playing with a few of them. We\u2019re a good team, a strong team and I believe in us a lot. We\u2019re going to do a lot of things and we\u2019re going to surprise the league.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAs each game goes, we get a lot closer with each other and we\u2019re learning how each other plays. It will be a good ride, getting to know each other and learning each other\u2019s preferences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Facey pointed to his passion, energy and willingness to defend his teammates as some of his best qualities, to go along with his strong play on the ball, speed and physicality \u2014\u00a0all of which surely made him a tantalizing prospect for Politi and Phillips.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing from Sigma, I didn\u2019t really get the opportunity to show what I can do,\u201d Facey suggested. \u201cWhen you have a coaching staff that believes in you, wants you to come out and play and trusts you, it was a no-brainer for me to come out here with this staff and with a bunch of teammates I know, as well. It\u2019s going to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Facey and his new mates were to participate in their very first team-building activity on Friday \u2014 the first gathering outside of a game setting to feature almost the entire roster.<\/p>\n
After Saturday\u2019s home opener against Burlington, the Cyclones will also host an OPL Cup game for the first time ever against Waterloo United on Tuesday at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re almost there,\u201d Politi said. \u201cWe\u2019re finally seeing some structure and the guys are excited to do this. Now, we\u2019ve just got to focus on getting some results.\u201d<\/p>\n
Women set for home opener<\/p>\n
Before the men hit the James Jerome pitch, Sudbury\u2019s entry in the OPL 3 women\u2019s division will look to bounce back from a 2-0 loss to Oakville Soccer Club on the road last weekend.<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s team will open the home side of its schedule against Rush Canada Academy B at James Jerome on Saturday at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
Sudbury\u2019s defeat last week followed a 1-0 win over Rush Canada Academy in the season opener on April 11. Emmy Arsenault was the lone goal-scorer in that contest.<\/p>\n
The Cyclones will then visit Simcoe County Rovers FC next Wednesday.<\/p>\n
bleeson@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\nArticle content<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/35981.jpg\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Ilija](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Ilija-Pavicic-and-LeShawn-Facey.jpg\")
Ilija Pavicic and LeShawn Facey<\/p>\n