ASC’s Annual Charity Games Fundraiser for soccer legend Eddie McNally attracts hundreds to Highland Park

July 30, 2026 · 0 Comments

Hundreds attended the Aurora Soccer Club’s Annual Charity Games on Saturday afternoon in ideal late-July conditions. Proceeds from the event—which featured two spirited matches on the Highland Park pitch—were donated to help defray the medical bills of soccer legend Eddie McNally.

The Aurora Sports Hall of Famer was joined by seven current inductees—Alan Dean, Marco DiGirolamo, Brian Stemmle, Steve Vickers, Erlinda Biondic, Ben Steenhorst, and Charles Leeming—as well as Shayne Stevenson and Paul Rosen who will be inducted in November.

The impressive red and green-shirted ASHoF contingent was led by three of the organization’s administrators – President Javed Khan, Induction Chair Rocco Morsillo, and The Voice of the Hall of Fame Bob McRoberts – who showed up with hundreds of others in support of McNally.

Included among the dignitaries present were Ward 1 Councillor and President of Sport Aurora Ron Weese who was joined by fellow Councillors Harold Kim (Ward 6) and Michael Thompson (Ward 4).

The Aurora Soccer Club kicked off its Charity Games Fundraiser doubleheader with a spirited tilt between Team Canada Red and Team Canada White. The squads were comprised of club members from a wide demographic reflecting the ASC’s diverse membership.

The newly-stained and sealed picnic tables—adorned with Tennent’s umbrellas—gave the patio a fresh look for the Club’s biggest day of the year. The press box—conveniently located close to a Tennent’s pint and great Spotify musical selections being piped through the ASC’s patio speakers—was shaded and comfy for ongoing coverage and interviews.

President Martin Ambrose, who welcomed guests with his usual grace and congeniality, performed double duties on Saturday afternoon. Ambrose was also between the posts for Team Canada Red and sported his lime green kit. Jithin “JJ” Jerard, bedecked in purple and black, guarded the west net for Team Canada White.

Fifteen minutes into the match, Team Canada Red controlled play and, with Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” playing in the background, Jerard made crucial stops and kept his swarming opponents off the scoreboard. This would be the theme of the game. Ambrose flashed moments of brilliance, too, as he broke up Team Canada White’s first scoring chance in the 25^th minute.

After a hydration break amid the ideal late-July playing conditions, Fabio Benincaso made a nice steal and fired a laser to the lower right corner from the box that missed by millimeters. However, the free-spirited Benincaso converted his next scoring opportunity in the 44^th minute when he split the D and left-footed the ball in to the lower right corner past JJ to give Team Canada Red a 1-0 lead. Before the half expired, Jerard made two more saves–#6 and #7 of the half—to keep his squad in the match.

JJ’s big saves in the waning seconds of the first half would be significant because a half-time substitution by Team Canada White would make all the difference for the offensively-stalled club.

When dangerous striker Colin Kilner entered the fray, his team was trailing 1-0 and only Jerard’s heroics in the crease had kept this one from becoming a laugher.

Kilner—after narrowly missing his first scoring chance off the left wing minutes into the second half—converted a 2-on-1 break by hoofing one into the lower corner past President Ambrose to tie the game 1-1.

In the 57^th minute, Benincaso tallied his second of the match when he lifted the ball above Jerard into the upper right corner to restore Team Canada Red’s lead to 2-1.

Three minutes later, the dangerous Benincaso just missed making it 3-1 and Jerard was called upon again in the 61^st minute to foil another Team Red scoring opportunity.

In the 65^th minute, Kitner finished a nice cross pass and kicked his second goal into the back of the net to pull Team White into a 2-2 tie.

Three minutes later, Jerard showed off his reflexive prowess by stopping a pair of point blank shots to keep the game tied at 2—much to the chagrin of the Team Red marksmen and much to the delight of the sizeable assembly being entertained on the patio and in the bleachers.

In the 87^th minute, after a hydration break and with Toto’s “Hold the Line” playing in the background, Team White failed to hold the line and Team Red made it 3-2 on a pretty passing play by the forward group and finished by Jared Periera. Minutes later, Jerard took to the air and got his arm on a shot labeled for the upper right corner. His signature save helped set up a Team Canada White comeback.

On cue, Kitner completed his second-half hat trick when he slid the ball past the revered Club President to tie the game 3-3 in the 90^th minute.

In a post-game patio interview, Kitner selflessly praised Team White’s “Man of the Match” Jithin Jerard for his stellar play between the pipes.

“I had the displeasure of playing against him last week in league play up in Newmarket. I was happy that he was on my team this time. From a game perspective, we don’t tie the game without his big saves in the second half. He rescued us after we left him high and dry so many times.”

Kitner described his hat trick in terms of the collective effort that created three goals in less than forty minutes: “It was good to get the tying goal with a few minutes left. We made some great runs to create space and chances to score. It was a team effort.”

Crucial to that team effort to earn a draw was a very tired Jerard who turned aside 14 shots, but heaped praise on Kitner’s profound impact in the second half: “We needed more scoring touch in the first half. Colin’s a fantastic scorer that sees the play really well—he made the difference today. At the end, I can make all the saves, but it’s goals that count.”

Jerard offered context for his incredible pair of saves to thwart Team Red’s strikers: “On those back-to-back saves, I was just happy to be able to make them. Those things just happen. It’s the feel you have between the posts. It’s a blessing.”

Two of the three goals that got past Jerard were tallied by the charismatic Fabio Benincaso who was awarded “Man of the Match” honors for Team Canada Red.

“It was a pretty nice game to play. Pretty ideal temperatures, too. I’ve played striker for thirty years. Football is a simple sport—people complicate it too much. You see the ball and kick it. It was good fun out there. On the first goal, I checked the keeper’s position and was able to find a good spot. JJ’s a very good keeper. The second one was the result of good passing off the wings. As a striker, I just positioned myself and finished the opportunity.”

In the second match of the day, Team Scotland trounced Team England 6-2 to earn club bragging rights til next Summer when the traditional rivals will renew their thirty-year tradition of representing their ancestral countries.

In the 35^th minute, the swift, blue-clad Scots jumped out to 4-1 lead thirty-five minutes into the game and the rout was on.

At the end of the day, the legendary Eddie McNally looked on at the proceedings from his vantage point on the ASC patio rail—surrounded by close friends, family, club members, and an array of fellow Aurora Sports Hall of Fame inductees – and there was much to like about what he saw on the pitch and patio.

The pre-game pageantry, the dignitaries, and two examples of the beautiful game that has been such a significant part of his life—all of it was played out in tribute to his significant contributions to the game, club, and community over the last fifty years. The legendary soccer player was helped in his hour of need.

Indeed, it was a poignant scene at the Aurora Soccer Club on Saturday afternoon and the venerable sports organization pulled out all the stops to make it a memorable celebration to support a local hero.

By Jim Stewart
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter