The Halifax Wanderers have signed defender Ethan Schilte-Brown and winger Kimani Stewart-Baynes to CPL U18 Canadian Development Contracts.
“We are delighted to welcome Ethan and Kimani to the Wanderers,” sporting director Matt Fegan said. “They are both young Canadian players with bright futures who our coaching staff have had a chance to evaluate in first-team and development team training camps over the past few weeks. They’ve shown they can contribute to the high level of competition within the squad and will equally benefit from the time developing around our first team.”
Schilte-Brown, 17, is a towering centre-back for his age, already standing six-foot-three and is coming off of training stints with several professional teams in England and Scotland.
“Ethan is a strong young player that has already spent time away from home and showed us great work ethic since coming into training camp,” Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar said. “He’s composed on the ball and fits our system with qualities that will continue to develop for years to come.”
Born in Richmond, Virginia, Schilte-Brown moved at a young age to his hometown of Tampa, Florida. From a soccer family, his mother, Denise, is a Halifax-born soccer star that played both in the NCAA and professionally. She is currently the head coach of the University of South Florida women’s soccer team. His father, Chris, is also a coach that most recently led the Puerto Rico women’s national team.
“It feels great to be joining this team, I know I’m young, but Patrice has shown a lot of faith in me,” Schilte-Brown said. “There’s a lot of good players at centre-back, so I’m excited to learn and work hard.”
Stewart-Baynes, 18, joins the Wanderers following a commitment to NCAA powerhouse school, the University of Maryland, in the fall of 2023.
“Kimani has a bright future ahead and is coming off of an intense recruiting process; we’re excited to help prepare him for those next steps,” Gheisar said. “We’re mindful of his age, but he plays well above it, possessing high-end dribbling, athleticism and technical ability.”
Born in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Stewart-Baynes spent the 2022 season with Vaughan Azzurri’s U19 team, scoring 17 goals in 14 appearances.
“I’m super excited to start this next chapter of my life,” Stewart-Baynes said. “The environment and the team have been great so far, and I’m very happy to be a part of the Wanderers.”
League roster rules allow clubs to sign up to four Development Permits with Canadian U18 players (born January 1, 2005, or later). Development players can appear in up to six matches in a season.
Full Name: Ethan Schilte-Brown
Age: 17
Position: Defender
Height: 6’3
Birth Date: June 1, 2005
Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia
Nationality: Canadian/American/English
Number: 33
Full Name: Kimani Stewart-Baynes
Age: 18
Position: Forward
Height: 5’9
Birth Date: January 17, 2005
Birthplace: Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Nationality: Canadian/Vincentian
Number: 30