This past weekend, the Montreal Lions did more than win a championship, they made a statement. With grit, teamwork, and clutch performances, the players with the least outside support went undefeated throughout the playoffs and clinched the 2025 CNPL III Championship for the second consecutive year.
The journey to repeat as champions is seldom easy, but this Lions squad; with Ernesto Fajardo, Louis-Charles Amyot, Anne-Sophie Courteau and Stevie Petropouleas rose to the occasion. Their dominance was evident in every round, and the stat line backs it up.
The Road to the Title: Undefeated in the Postseason
In the 2025 CNPL Playoffs standings, the Lions posted:
- Games won: 12
- Games lost: 5
- Match wins: 4
- Match losses: 0
- Winning streak: W4
Match Highlights & Bracket Path
- Round 1: Lions defeat Drive 3-1
- Round 2: Lions beat United in a tightly contested 3-2 match including a 6 point lions comeback down 20-15 in the tiebreaker
- Round 3 (Undefeated Bracket Final): Lions win over the Lights 3-1
- Championship Final: Lions vs United rematch, Lions take the crown 3-1
Spotlight on the Champions: Player Performances & Accolades
Each of the four players that showed for the event played a key role, and their individual stats in the postseason reflect their excellence.
From the official player stats:
- Anne-Sophie Courteau: with 87.5% win rate in overall play, including 75% in doubles, and a perfect 100% in mixed with her partner Ernesto Fajardo during the playoffs.
- Ernesto Fajardo: posted nearly identical stats to Anne-Sophie with a slightly lower per match win margin; 2.0 vs 2.8 for AnSo.
- Stevie Petropouleas: Solid contributions across all formats, with 62.5% overall winning percentage
- Louis-Charles Amyot: Also consistent winning 75% of his matches with Ernesto and 50% of his matches with Stevie
What Makes This Victory Special
Back-to-back champions. Winning once is impressive; repeating is a statement of preparation, adaptability, and internal resilience. A nearly flawless playoff performance with no match losses means they never allowed the opponents to build momentum. Their players delivered across singles, doubles, and mixed games, keeping them tough to target or exploit. With veteran Ernesto Fajardo leading the way and the rising talent on the team, their cohesion showed in clutch moments.
Cheers to the Future
To Ernesto Fajardo, Louis-Charles Amyot, Anne-Sophie Courteau, Stevie Petropouleas, Emma Li, and Charles Baron congratulations on an incredible season and an unforgettable playoff run. You’ve set a new standard in CNPL III, and picked up the torch from last year with fire and conviction. Here’s to defending your title (again) next year, further growth, and more thrilling matches ahead. The rest of the league already knows: the Lions are the benchmark.