Tommy Wheeldon Jr. raised his voice over the roar of the crowd at ATCO Field, effusively praising his team.
He stood on the stadium's partially frozen grass, speaking to OneSoccer's Kristian Jack, surrounded by scenes of jubilation. Wheeldon Jr.'s Cavalry FC had just claimed the CPL Shield as the league's 2026 regular season winners on the final day of the campaign.
As the Cavalry head coach turned and looked back at his players celebrating in front of the Foot Soldiers supporters' group, Wheeldon Jr.'s voice broke, and tears welled in his eyes.
"That makes my heart so... happy," said the Cavalry FC head coach, barely able to get the final word out.
There was no doubt on Sunday what this trophy meant to Cavalry FC. The culmination of a 28-match marathon, Cavalry led the race for the final 10 weeks, and reached the finish line in first.
They did so with an exclamation point, the first club to break the 60-point barrier since the league's inaugural season. They set a single-season record for goals scored with 58 and home points with 36 — going undefeated at ATCO Field during the 2026 season.
On an individual level, Tobias Warschewski set a record for most assists in a CPL season and was the first player to hit double-digit goals and assists in a season.
As they accumulated these records over the course of the season, Cavalry stuck them to the wall of their locker room at ATCO Field. Each of those small wins added up to the big win they experienced on Sunday.
"The league table never lies," said Wheeldon Jr. "We've been the best team over the course of the regular season, and we deserve to be the one that gets to lift the Shield and claim it back."
Over the past two seasons, the Shield has lived in Hamilton, Ont. with their rivals Forge FC, a fact which has unquestionably irked the Cavs.
For Cavalry FC, the regular season table has always been gospel in the evaluation of their team. Despite reaching the CPL Final last year, and falling narrowly to Atlético Ottawa in extra time in a snowstorm at TD Place, internally they felt it was unacceptable that they finished 16 points behind CPL Shield winners Forge in the table.
During the off-season, the club said goodbye to some of their most important players. That included legendary goalkeeper and captain Marco Carducci, as well as Diego Gutiérrez, Shamit Shome and Fraser Aird, all of whom started when Cavalry won the 2024 CPL title.
They then added in each area of the pitch. Nate Ingham and Amer Didić, from the Atlético Ottawa side who had defeated them in the 2025 Final, solidified their backline. Adam Pearlman, the 21-year-old full-back on loan from Toronto FC, became a fixture. They conceded 13 fewer goals this season than in 2025.
The midfield was strengthened by the addition of Harry Paton, while the attack benefited immensely from the spark provided by Nathaniel Edwards.
All of these new pieces added to the pre-existing framework provided by outstanding seasons from core Cavalry players like Tobias Warschewski, Sergio Camargo, Ali Musse, Caniggia Elva and Bradley Kamdem.
"It's probably the best group of players I've had in the eight seasons I've been at this football club," said Wheeldon Jr. "Because they can win in different ways."
On Sunday, that was a gritty 1-0 victory against a Vancouver FC team that also desperately needed three points. While Cavalry had chances to wrap up the shield race much earlier, and hold off a surging Forge FC, for Daan Klomp, it was even more special that they were able to secure the trophy in such dramatic fashion.
The celebrations afterward in Cavalry's locker room certainly made it clear how much it meant to the group.
"I was kind of mad when I was asked to do the press conference because it's a good time over there right now," said Klomp.
Prior to the season, as they gathered for their preseason camp down in Mexico, Klomp said Cavalry discussed that this group could be the best ever assembled in the league's history.
They have proven themselves over 28 matches in the CPL regular season. Now, they can make an unprecedented case by becoming the first club in league history to do the CPL Shield and North Star Cup double.
"When we set our goals at the start of the season, the double was on that list," said Klomp. "We put ourselves in a great position right now, where we are first in the league and also get that home field advantage. It's on the list next.
"But today is for good celebration."
