The majority of our Club Referees are former or current players with North Toronto Soccer, and refereeing is something they choose to do out of love for the game, or as a summer job. Some have a wealth of experience, others are newer to the world of officiating. Whatever your experience or reason for officiating might be, we would be more than happy to discuss the opportunity to officiate at North Toronto Soccer with you.
Ben Rayner, Head Referee
Contact – referees@northtorontosoccer.com
Education:
Bachelors of Arts Honours with High Distinction, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Concentration in Psychology, Minor in History (Carleton University, 2017-2021)
Qualifications:
District Referee 2019 – present
Certified SCORE Match Official Mentor
Learn to Train Certified
Respect in Sport
Club Background:
I joined the Club in spring 2005 as a recreation player at the age of 5. Playing recreationally with the Club each spring until aging out of the program in 2017, I’ve developed a lifelong passion for the game.
Returning to the Club in 2019 as a certified District Referee, I began as a Game Leader coaching U4 to U12 aged players. Although I wasn’t refereeing, I gained valuable experience using my voice to enforce the Laws of the Game, as well as practicing my signaling skills. In September 2021, I finally stepped onto the field as a referee.
With the immense mentorship of Nic Hurtado, whose management style and coaching skills go unrivaled, and Adrian Tanjala’s refereeing ability and experience being a class above, I became North Toronto Soccer’s Head Referee in September 2023.
Notable Matches:
- July 2024 Men’s Ontario Cup Quarterfinal, Assistant Referee – Toronto Irish FC vs Jagiellonia
- July 2024 Boys U15 Exhibition Match, Referee – NT Nitros iModel vs Newfoundland Provincial Soccer Team
- June 2024 Girls U13 Exhibition Match, Assistant Referee – NT Nitros iModel vs Newfoundland Provincial Soccer Team
- August 2023 Boys U13 Ontario Cup Quarterfinal, Assistant Referee – East York vs Brampton Elite
- July 2023 Girls U15 OPDL Exhibition Match, Assistant Referee – NT Nitros OPDL vs Soccer Nova Scotia Provincial Team
- July 2023 Girls U17 OPDL Exhibition Match, Referee – NT Nitros OPDL vs Soccer Nova Scotia Provincial Team
Eva Holzman-Sharfe, Senior Club Referee
Education:
*Bachelor of Kinesiology (Wilfrid Laurier University, 2024 – graduation 2028)
Qualifications:
District Referee 2023 – present
Learn to Train Certified
Respect in Sport
Club Background:
I first joined North Toronto Soccer Club in 2018 as a player for the U13 Girls CSL team, playing with the Club until 2024. In 2023 I completed my coaching and refereeing certifications and began working with the Club.
Notable Matches:
- July 2024 Boys U13 Exhibition Match, Referee – NT Nitros iModel vs Newfoundland Provincial Soccer Team
Favourite Club Moment or Experience:
Spring Recreation Festival 2025. Having a full female referee crew and support staff working with the U13 girls division. Getting to show younger girls what they are capable of and how important women in sport truly are.
Leni Venturello, Senior Club Referee
Education:
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (Havergal College, 2022 – 2026)
Qualifications:
District Referee 2024 – present
Game Leader Certification
Respect in Sport
Club Background:
I first joined North Toronto Soccer when I was five years old, starting in the house league program. From there, I continued developing within the Club and eventually moved into the competitive stream, playing through to the OPDL level until 2023. After that, I joined the iModel team, which allowed me to continue training and competing while staying connected to the Club.
In 2022, I began volunteering with the Club, where I learned the basics of coaching and started game leading for younger age groups. After a couple of years of game leading, I qualified as an Entry Level Match Official in 2024. Last summer (2025), I stepped into the Canada Summer Jobs role of Sports Official, under Ben Rayner’s guidance, where I was able to expand my administrative, game leading, and match official skills while continuing to support the Club in multiple capacities.
Notable Matches:
- First Touch Football & North Toronto Soccer March Break Youth Cup 2025 Girls U13 Final, Referee
Favourite Club Moment or Experience:
A favourite experience at the Club was refereeing the games at the 2025 Spring Recreation Festival for the U13/14 Girls at TFS. The energy was so great-we had a big group of referees for support and just overall had a great time refereeing the girls!