THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay Chill are opting out of the 2021 United Soccer League 2 campaign. It’s the second straight year the team has sat out.
Team president and owner Tony Colistro on Tuesday said last year was tough, but the reality the team won’t be suiting up at Chapples Park this coming summer makes the decision really start to hit home hard.
“It is what it is,” a slightly dejected Colistro said. “Everybody’s facing challenges. Obviously our USL team is an important element of our team. We’re happy we can still operate our youth programs, based on whatever the protocols are.
“We’ll continue to work hard at that and hopefully we’ll be able to get back in 2022.”
Colistro said the ongoing border closure and the uncertainty surrounding the ability to bring players into Canada were the deciding factors. They’d hope to see some progress on both fronts, but with the league wanting to move forward with a schedule, the decision couldn’t wait any longer.
Colistro said the plan is to put a championship calibre team on the field in 2022, building on the franchise’s storied past that includes a Premier Development League title in and trips to the league final in 2010, 2013 and 2017.
“Time will tell. We’ve definitely built the opportunity to attract some very good players here. We still get lots of interest from players. We still communicate with them and assure them that when we do come back we’ll look to get back right where we were as one of the top competitive teams in the league. That’s still going to be our goal,” Colistro said.
“We’ll just have to take it day-by-day and prepare for all the unknowns that are ahead of us.”
The Chill organization will turn its focus this coming summer to its youth programs, which have been their bread and butter for the past two decades.
“The USL team was an added bonus,” Colistro said. “It gave us a different type of entertainment for our fans and our players. But obviously the youth program always comes first and we’re ensuring we’re always working hard with that.”
FC Manitoba, the USL2’s other Canadian team, has also opted out for 2022.
Colistro said he’s suggested to Winnipeg’s new ownership that if conditions allow in late summer or early fall, that the Chill might be willing to play exhibitions against their cross-border rivals as a chance to mark a return to Chapples Field after several seasons at Fort William Stadium.
It gives the Chill plenty of time to prepare for the 2022 campaign, Colistro said.
“But it allows us to really appreciate what we had. And that’s why I think we’re going to do even a better job when we come back. No one’s taking anything for granted.”
The USL2 added expansion teams in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Wichita, Kan. for 2021, increasing the Heartland Division to 10 teams.
Colistro said he expects there will be some realignment when they return the following summer, adding an expansion franchise has been granted to a team in Minneapolis.
The Thunder Bay Border Cats, a baseball team playing in the Northwoods League, have had discussions with the league about their upcoming season, but have not yet made any decisions on whether or not they’ll play.
The team also opted out of 2020, with some players joining a Bismarck, N.D. hub. The Cats are expected to begin announcing players for 2021 this week.
