Sports Notes: Majors host school day games, Mustangs test Thompson Arena as basketball venue, HS Soccer

1. London Majors exhibition games 2. St. Marys Lincolns 3. Alumni Hall to undergo renovations

Close to 5,000 elementary kids will pack Labatt Park this week as the London Majors host their annual school day exhibition games.

Nearly 1,800 kids from the Thames Valley District School Board and the London and District Catholic School Board attended Tuesday’s 7-5 loss to the Chatham Barnstormers.

An estimated 2,800 will be in attendance Thursday morning when the Majors play Kitchener.

“First and foremost, it’s about the kids,” said Majors manager and co-owner Roop Chanderdat. “They come here to watch a game plus we give them a ticket to come to a regular season game. We want another set of fans to come out and catch a baseball. If they have a good experience here, they get a free ticket, come back to another game.”

“Scott (Dart) and Angela (Dart) have done a good job putting this together. For our players it’s a great experience as they’ll see a lot of fans and some of these guys have played pro-ball and haven’t played in front of that many fans,” he added.

Mustangs test out Alumni Hall as basketball/volleyball venue

The basketball and volleyball teams at Western University need a new home this winter, and options are in the works.

Western’s Alumni Hall is being renovated this year – May through December 2026 – to modernize and improve the space for future student-athlete and university use.

With the Sports and Recreation department actively working to finalize all practice and game locations, this week they explored the feasibility of Thompson Arena as a venue.

With the ice out for the spring/summer, they laid down the hardwood floor to see if it could possibly be a future location during the renovation.

“Mustangs teams that call this space home will be relocated during the renovation,” said Christine Stapleton, Western director of sports and recreation. “We look forward to welcoming our teams back for games and intramurals once the work is complete. The exact timing of when each team can return will be determined by the construction schedule, which is subject to change.”

No final decision has been made on their future home and more information about the Alumni Hall renovation can be found online.

Mother Teresa Spartans looking for OFSAA berth in Boys Soccer

The Mother Teresa Spartans are looking to add another OFSAA title to the trophy case in 2026.

Just months after the boy’s basketball team won the provincial title, the soccer squad is hoping to duplicate their success.

The Spartans are undefeated in high school play in the top division and are coming off a second-place finish at OFSAA a year ago.

“We have pretty much the exact same team, so the guys know the system and know what we want to do,” said Mateo Murataj, a co-captain. “They know what we’re looking for, and they know the work that has to be put in and the amount of buying in that needs to be done. We’re close, we all know each other and we’re a good group. We get along and that’s what you need for success.”

They finished 6-0 in the regular season allowing just four goals.

“It’s not necessarily about skill, but we’re a family,” said Thiago Nieva, a co-captain. “We’re all connected and we have a really good bond and chemistry and that takes you far. I won it in grade nine but obviously we want a second medal. It’s going to be a long playoff season, but I think we have what it takes.”