Back in 2019 when Jordyn Huitema pulled on a PSG jersey, we tweeted out her support for her as she had played a game for TSS Rovers in 2018. One sly commenter said “so if someone plays a game for you, then they are always a Rover?” and we replied “Once a Rover #AlwaysARover”
The purpose of TSS Rovers is to develop talent and move it on, and so as Swanguardians, our support for our players extends well after they move on from us. On twitter primarily we chart their progress with the hashtag #AlwaysARover. Almost every time our players suit up for their pro teams, national teams or move on in their careers, you will find us amplifying their accomplishments.
Not everyone is on twitter, and so now that we have a spiffy new website, you’ll find updates here on our former players.
You can find out where they are now by keeping track with this spreadsheet that shows their current clubs. We currently have 18 former players playing professionally and three of them – Jordyn Huitema, Julia Grosso, and Joel Waterman – have been capped by Canada.
Because most of these players are playing in northern Europe and north America, summer is a busy time for them all, so here’s a run down of our current #ProRovers and others.
- Jordyn Huitema (2018) plays for OL Reign in the NWSL and has been in great form. She was named to the Canada squad for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup next month in Australia/New Zealand.
- After scoring the penalty that won Canada it’s first Olympic Gold medal in 2021. Julia Grosso (2018) has finished a stellar second season at Juventus where she was just named as the Serie A midfield MVP. She won the Coppa d’Italia and helped Juventus secure a place in the UEFA Champions League again next season. She will join Huitema as a key midfield piece for Bev Preistman at the World Cup.
- Joel Waterman (2017) has put together a steallar career so far. After leaving Rovers, he joined Calgary Foothills in 2018 and won a USL CHampionship with them. He was signed right away by Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League and later became the first CPL player sold to an MLS team when he went to play for Montreal in 2020. He has won a Voyageurs Cup with Montreal and was named to the Canada men’s national team for the Qatar World Cup last year. He didn’t see action at the tournament but he was capped for his for senior #RedRover appearance against Bahrain.
- Emma Regan (2018) played a season of League 1 football with Varsity last year, and signed a pro contract with HB Køge in Denmark where she has become a starter. She has one senior national team cap.
- We have had several TSS Rovers players play in the Canadian Premier League after they played for us. Current Rovers Matteo Polisi (2017-19, 2023), Gabe Escobar (2022-23) and Fugo Segawa (2022-23) have played for Pacific, Halifax and York 9 respectively. Matteo won the CPL Championship with Pacific i 2021
- Former Rovers Mamadi Camera (2017) and Thomas Gardner (2017) both played for FC Edmonton.
- Marcello Polisi (2017-19) and Jordan Haynes (2019) both currently play for table topping Valour FC, but both were injured for our Voyageurs Cup match against them.
- Zach Verhoven (2017-18) is in his third season at Athleti Ottawa after spending two seasons at Pacific FC.
- Kristian Yli-Heitanen (2017, 2019) has played for several clubs in the Finnish football pyramid where he surrently plays as Haka in the top flight.
- Also in Finland Dakota Chan (2018) has just signed with FC Honka the top flight of women’s football.
- Natalie Cooke (2018-22), a Rovers stalwart, was due to play both last year and this year for our club but instead signed on with Fjarðab/Höttur/Leiknir of the Icelandic second division.
- Kae Hansen (2018), who had a hall of fame career at the University of Kansas, signed a pro contract with ZFK Spartak Subotica in Serbia, the biggest women’s club in that country. She immediately stepped into the side and won both the league and the cup with her team, beating rivals Red Star Belgrade. She is Champions League bound for 2023-24.
- Bella Roque (2022) was our first Pro Rover from the Chelsey Hanneson era and went to Germany to play in the 2. Bundesliga Frauen for SC Sand. She has re-signed for 2023-24.
- Over in Norway, Patrick Metcalfe (2018) has steadily made a name for himself. So far the only Rover to play for the Whitecaps, he moved to Stabaek in 2022 and helped them secure promotion to the top flight. He signed on this season with FK Fredrikstad and is keeping them the hunt for a return to the Tippenligen for the first time in 10 years. They currently sit second, two points off the leaders, Kongsvinger.
- Two of our 2022 men’s team players began ther pro careers this offseason as well. Jun Won Choi is playing for Sejong Vanesse FC in South Korea K4 league and Anthony White, was drafted firist over in the CPL USPORTS draft by Vancouver FC where he has made two appearnces so far this year.
We’ll post ongoing updates to this list and news of our former players on a regular basis.
