THUNDER BAY – The news of the potential demise of the Thunder Bay Chill’s USL2 team has hit hard for the team’s former players.
Brazilian Wilson Neto, who captained the Chill to a 2008 Premier Development League championship, bleeds blue.
Not only did he play for the team, 21 years after arriving in Thunder Bay, Neto is still in town, raising his family and heavily involved with the Chill’s youth program.
“As you can see on social media, a lot of our former players are sharing their emotions as well. We, for 25 years, have been a club that brought in lot of international players, a lot of local players that have been part of this club,” Neto said on Tuesday, a day after the news was confirmed that the Chill will take a one-year sabbatical from the USL2, a move made in conjunction with league officials, concerned about travel costs.
The declining Canadian dollar was also a concern from the team’s perspective.
“This is definitely not the news we were hoping for. Even though we are not on the team anymore, we still cheer. And obviously, for myself, we’re still part of the club and the organization. I’m trying to be very positive about the news. I’m trying to think that this is an opportunity for us to take a year where we can reorganize and restructure and become even stronger in the future,” Neto said.
The team, should it not return next year, leaves a lasting legacy in the USL2 stratosphere.
In 2008, the Chill advanced to their first PDL final, and beat the Laredo Heat 2-1 on penalty kicks to secure their lone championship to date.
Two years later they made the final once again, but fell 4-1 to the Portland Timbers U23s, the first of three finals they’d lose.
In 2013 they travelled to Austin, Texas, but a red card to goalkeeper Stephen Paterson derailed an early 1-0 lead and they lost the final 3-1 to the host Aztex. Then, in 2017 the Chill were edged 2-1 by the host Charlotte Eagles.
The team was derailed for two seasons because of the pandemic, but came back in 2022 and made the playoffs in 2023 and 2024.
Since 2000, the Chill have 194 wins, 121 losses and 43 draws, making the playoffs 12 times since 2007, their first venture in the postseason.
Former Chill player Nick Ciliberti on Facebook said the Thunder Bay Chill was the gold standard of soccer organizations.
“The crowd there is very special and honestly, the Thunder Bay Chill Soccer Club president is one of the trailblazers (about) how to run a soccer club as close to a European style as possible,” he said. “When I play(ed) there, I had such a great time and have lasting friends for the rest of my life. I know there are greener pastures for the Chill.”
Executive director Tony Colistro said he does have a few options for 2025, including open cup events, but the organization won’t be bringing in players like it did for USL2 competition.
He added they have an open discussion line with Ontario’s League 1, but it really isn’t an option at this time, given the travels costs to southern Ontario and the much longer regular season, which stretches from April to October.
The Chill generally plays from May or June until mid-August.
