Burlington SC Signs Hometown Striker Jace Kotsopoulos

League1 Ontario standout Jace Kotsopoulos has made the jump to the Burlington Soccer Club.

The transition to his hometown club comes after two seasons where he established himself as a leading League1 Ontario forward with Guelph United, helping the side to a championship title in its debut year and recording an astounding 23 goals over the last two seasons.

His acquisition is a remarkable sign of intent from Burlington SC – the Bayhawks – who finished in seventeenth place last year and, if things don’t improve, will be placed into League1 Ontario’s second tier in 2024.

See Also: Promotion And Relegation Coming To League1 Ontario

Jace says he’s happy to be back in his hometown club, where he spent his U-13 to U-19 years developing an astute eye for goal.

“When I first came to Burlington, the team was not in the highest division and had some work to do. We did come a long way during my tenure, as we came top of the OYSL and were an Ontario Cup Finalist,” said Jace.

When Kotsopoulos wrapped up his time in Burlington previously, he went on to attend Guelph University and carved out an exemplary 55 goals in just 61 appearances. His form with the university side earned him opportunities at the professional level, and in 2019 he became one of Forge FC’s youngest-ever goalscorers during a short stint with the title-winning team.

The following year saw Kotsopoulos cross 905 Derby lines to sign with York United ahead of The Island Games bubble tournament, though he featured just once off the bench in PEI.

This will mark the third League1 Ontario team the 25-year-old will have played for: before the launch of the CPL, Jace made one appearance for the Vaughan Azzurri and bagged a hat trick. With his time in Vaughan and Guelph seeing him make good on his goals returns, he’ll be a big boost to Burlington’s hopes to achieve a top flight spot at the end of the summer.

“We have a good group, great core, all with a common goal to achieve something great and win the league,” adds Kotsopoulos.

The club also confirmed the return of Augustus Oku, who led the team in scoring last year with 14 in 21 appearances. It wasn’t enough to see the side secure a spot in the postseason – far from it – but the duo combined represent a big boost to the club up top.

“It was an okay season, we underperformed,” reflected Oku. “But this year with our new additions, we look forward to making our way up the table.”

It was only one season ago when the Burlington Soccer Club acquired a spot in League1 Ontario, replacing 1812 FC ahead of the 2022 League1 Ontario season, fielding both men’s and women’s teams rights from the get-go.

Meanwhile, Guelph United will have some big shoes to fill: Jace Kotsopoulos isn’t the only forward to have left, with Tomasz Skublak signing with Scrossopi FC.