Huntsville’s Andi Stevenson has long been one of the best soccer players produced by the local club system.
Having come up through the Huntsville Strikers rep system before the regional amalgamation that formed Muskoka United FC, Stevenson has seen success at every age level.
The 15-year-old led her Huronia District Soccer League division in scoring this summer, tallying 20 goals while playing in an older age division.
With a more competitive environment in mind, she has signed up for the Nipissing District Soccer Club (from North Bay) U17 Girls team.
They are competing in the Provincial Indoor Soccer League (PISL) with an eye towards the Ontario Soccer I-Model summer season in 2026. Stevenson, along with a handful of other Huntsville players, has made the move to North Bay.
“We wanted better competition,” says Stevenson. “We were finding a lot of the games were a little too easy, and we wanted to improve our skill level. So, we decided to move to a better and more competitive league and team.”
In her first year with the North Bay club, Stevenson is already showing her goalscoring abilities. After four matches, she leads the team with six goals and ranks fourth in the league, despite playing one fewer game than her opponents.
Does she feel she can score any time she feels like it?
“I wouldn’t say that,” says Stevenson with a laugh. “I think I have the right foundation to get a lot better, especially because this team is full of really great people . . . the whole team pushes us to be better.”
Stevenson wasn’t the first Huntsville player to join up with the North Bay team. Her longtime Huntsville/MUFC teammate, Aliyah Loranger, had signed up for the North Bay indoor team last year.
Loranger eventually played the summer season in Muskoka, but like Stevenson is now committed to staying on for the more competitive I-Model season in 2026.
“I was definitely looking for a bit of a different perspective on coaching because just the coaching itself can be very different,” she says. “And I feel like just the experience itself also, I feel like you can get recognized a little bit more . . . So that was my main reason.”
They are joined by two other Huntsville Strikers and MUFC alums in Olivea O’Halloran, new this season to the northern club, and Jovie Moore, who also played last season in North Bay.
“We all came out of our shell more because there’s more of us (from Huntsville). Last year it was just me and Jovie,” says Loranger. “We have all connected with the whole team.”
Having been a defender for most of her soccer career, Loranger is now being asked to play as a winger as well.
“I do like playing defence, but playing on the wing is more of a challenge, so I want to get more comfortable with that,” she says of her personal goals this season.
Last season in the PISL, this North Bay team finished second in their division. Loranger says this year they are aiming to go one spot higher.
“First place is definitely one of our team goals,” she says.
Muskoka United FC Update
There are two MUFC teams playing in the PISL. The U18 Boys and U16 Boys teams are having mixed results so far in their respective 6 v 6 divisions.
After starting the year with some solid results, the U18 Boys have dropped their last two games ahead of Christmas. They have two wins, two losses, and a tie so far this season – the second time they have competed in the PISL. Lucas Hills leads the team with eight goals so far, with Dante Occhiuzzi and Aiden Smith having three each.
Their next match is on December 28 against Olympic Flame.
The U16 Boys, who are competing in the PISL for the first time, are having a tough start to their season with one tie and four losses in five matches. Callum Leese, Kyliam Coulombe, and Kyp Rhodes have each scored two for MUFC so far this season.
Their next match is on December 20 against King United.
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What a great story — and a testament to the quality of players coming out of Huntsville and Muskoka. Andi’s success, along with Aliyah, Olivea, and Jovie making the leap to a more competitive environment, shows the value of seeking challenges that help young athletes grow.
It’s encouraging to see players willing to push themselves, adapt to new roles, and aim higher — and just as important to see that they’re supporting one another along the way. Best of luck to all of them this season in North Bay, and continued success to the MUFC teams competing in the PISL as well.
Muskoka soccer has a lot to be proud of.