We’re back! Friday night at Swangard to kick of the 2025 League 1 BC Season. This time, we welcomed league newcomers, (Coquitlam Metro Ford) Evolution FC. Welcome, friends. But please leave empty handed.
I’m a ‘late arriver’ to the games at Swangard. I usually take the playing of the anthem as my cue to finish a Craft Lager and cleaning up whatever mess we’ve made at the pre-game before strolling in to Swangard a few minutes into the game. As I was walking with Robbie G, who was Escorting his mother down the ramp to pitch level, we could make out “Courage, Rovers! We’re gonna win it doesn’t matter” from the south end. “Aaah..F**k me. Did we give up a goal? Already???”
Yes, we did. Mere seconds into the 2025 campaign, our Fiesta is crashed, and our women’s team finds themselves facing an uphill climb. A goal that rivals the speed at which Massud opened the scoring last time we stood in the grass at Swangard. The next several minutes weren’t any more encouraging, as it seemed like Car Dealers FC were constantly getting free behind the back line. No further damage, though, and before a quarter of an hour was up, Maya Smith turned a fancy backheel from Katie Bishop into the equalizer. Smoke means we’re cooking. First goal of the year was a highlight, and the Rovers are starting to look dangerous, but no further goals were to come.
At halftime, Car Dealers FC made a substitution, bringing on Ava Burdeyny for Yasmina Enneddam, which I bring up for no particular reason at all.
Second half – our girls are picking up the Tempo and putting on the pressure. 6 minutes in, Elyse Beaudry fires a cross into the box, and the Evolution keeper loses Focus for a moment and redirects the ball off her hands, between her own legs, and into her net. Rovers have the Edge, 2-1. They did not let up with the advantage. Delana Friesen and Claire Ye were very noticeable. Despite several Expeditions into enemy Territory, the Rovers were coming away with nothing.
In the 77th minute, the Broncos wearing the referee’s kits decided to not do their jobs very well, allowing a clear offside on a long ball to continue right up to the point of a soft penalty call against Maya Smith. Not very Fairmont, but “that’s football” and we’re tied at 2 on the converted penalty.
The game remained deadlocked at 2 until the 90th minute. Car Dealers FC made a substitution, bringing on Yasmina Eddeddam. (Wait a minute… Yes, you noticed. Colin and Brendan noticed. The 4th official didn’t notice. The Car Dealers didn’t read the terms and conditions on League 1, evidently.) That’s bit of a no-no. As I said to Colin after the game, the pinnacle of my footballing career was 3 seasons with the worst team in the lowest level of Urban Rec (1-28-1 all-time record) and I knew you can’t do that. Time for League 1 BC to do some administering.
Evolution had a chance at the end, but we end up with a 2-2 final. Certainly a better start to 2025 for our women’s team than 2024, but with a few breaks, it could have been all 3 points (and it may still be all 3 points! Stay tuned). A great effort and an entertaining start to our year. The Rovers women Aspire to great things this year.
With that, we change gears to the Mustangs that make up our men’s side. Plenty of changes from the team that took to the pitch for last season’s opener. Big news – Cal Weir, who once taunted the Swanguardians as an opposition keeper, is now wearing the Sword Fern logo of the Rovers. He announced his presence with a half-twist-flip as he sprinted to the goal in front of our section before the start. It was majestic – spray from his boots firing off in the air as we whooped and cheered his arrival. He’s a keeper, alright.
Anyway, familiar face from last year’s Rovers roster, Dominic Di Paola, scored first for the visitors in the 41st. After tucking it away, he ran past our section, definitely said something in our direction before heading over to taunt the rest of the crowd. I’m sure if whatever he said was important, I would have remembered. But it passed like a Zephyr and our men have a small hole to climb from.
Climb they did! Not long after the second half restart, the Dealers’ defender turned in a Pinto-like performance, allowing Michael Hennessy to take over and even things up at 1. Smoke like a fuel system fire from the south end. The Rovers applied pressure, looking to Probe the Evolution defense, but it was another Rovers penalty, this one to Ali Zohar, that had the mustard-clad referee pointing at the spot. Dominic (Di Paola) stepped up to the spot, but new keeper Cal Weir guessed right, and (respectfully) knocked it away. That’s the good news. The bad news is, he knocked it right back out to Di Paola, who tucked the rebound away for a 2-1 lead with only 15 minutes to play. With the Windstar knocked out of our sails, it was stunned silence from the south end, save for the group of Evolution coaches who had gathered near the now-closed beer stand and were now hooting and hollering in celebration nearby.
Courage, Rovers.
As the seconds ticked away, and the score clock showed 90, the 4th official held up the board with a 4 on it. Time for one last Excursion by our Rovers. With over 3 minutes already gone, The lads win a corner on the far side of the field. A Laser is put in to the box, the Evolution FC keeper has a bit of a clunker, and the loose ball falls to the foot of Ben Hultin, who pokes out a toe and puts one in to the roof of the net! His first, our second, and we’re all tied up. Bedlam in the Pirate cove, as a section the guardrail comes tumbling down to the grass in the excitement and the players come by to celebrate. We love stoppage time around here!
That’s how the night ends, and our lads Escape with a point. Two draws (maybe?) We’re off and running for 2025! Next match is against the RiseCaps on Saturday, April 12 at Thunderbird Stadium at UBC. Women at noon, men at 2:30. Be there! Bring food and drink, because the Whitecaps don’t think people like to eat or drink at a soccer game. We will be the noisy ones yelling at the field from all the way back in the stands.
As always, thanks to Tom (@residualimage) for the photos. This place would look pretty bad without his work. Click to see all his photos from the women’s game and men’s game
