Hamilton-based Canadian Premier League side Forge FC has made great use of its close connection with League1 Ontario side Sigma FC: with head coach Bobby Smyrniotis having spent some thirteen years coaching for the Mississauga-based team, he’s continually called upon players from the side to join him at Forge FC.

Today, that trend continued with the signings of Sigma FC players Justin Stoddart and Oluwaseun Oyegunle. The two have been brought in ahead of a busy stretch of games for the Hamilton-based club, who have to play eight games prior to the season’s conclusion in mid-October and currently occupy the top spot in the fall season table.

Oyegunle is a player on the path to a bright future: the 17-year-old had recently been called up for a preparation camp with the Canadian U-17 national team ahead of the U-17 World Cup in Brazil this October. The Brampton-born defender has made some twelve appearances for Sigma FC this year, and instantly becomes one of the youngest players in the league. At six-foot-two, he seems more than capable of winning headers – and training alongside the likes of Canadian international David Edgar ought to help his development.

The other signing, 24-year-old midfielder Justin Stoddart, also hails from Brampton. He’s coming off of a productive year with Sigma FC, where he’s scored six goals in seventeen appearances. In 2015, he made 18 appearances for Temple University.

The duo mean that there are now fourteen players on the club’s 22-man roster who have spent time developing with Sigma FC. Similarly, spring season winners Cavalry FC have relied heavily on bringing in plenty of players from the Calgary Foothills, and the strategy of a tight-knit feeder club appears to be working: both CPL clubs seem to routinely be involved in a two-horse race at the top of the table which has resulted in the league’s best naturally-developed rivalry.

The timing of the announcement means it’s likely that both players will be in today’s lineup as Forge FC prepares to host the Halifax Wanderers at 1:00PM. Given that the Wanderers have yet to win a single league match away from home, it appears Smyrniotis may be intent on resting a few players as they begin a busy stretch of games.

Financial details and contract length were not revealed by the club, though Forge FC did confirm that Oyegunle is on a developmental contract.