Rovers League1 BC Matchweek 2 – A Heated Double-Bill Against the Highlanders

It’s been a sunny start to this new TSS Rovers season, on and off the pitch. The first two matchdays (including the Voyageurs Cup clash) saw the venerable Swangard Stadium bathed in glorious sun, a major win in the annual BC Springtime weather lottery. Speaking of major wins, that three-goal performance by the men’s side against the CPL’s Valour was bright enough to light up the night, giving us one of the highest of highs in club football: the cup upset. But, of course, things can’t always be rosy; the weather turns, challenges come. This League1 BC double bill against the Victoria Highlanders played out beneath a blanket of grey cloud cover. It was a use-your-Swanguardians-scarf-for-actual-warmth kind of day. The skies looked testy and play on the pitch reflected that; both the women’s and men’s tilts were tense, cagey, physical battles that seemed to result in more injured bodies than goals scored.

The women’s side, still missing some key players to the collegiate system, got things started. Not much came of the first 20 minutes or so as both teams battled it out in the middle of the pitch, unable to mount much in the way of a scoring opportunity. Apart from a couple of low, wayward shots, the first real action of the day came in the 24th minute, when Rovers’ forward Shayna Dhindsa took control of the ball in the Highlanders’ box following a cross from the left and tested the keeper with a couple of rapid fire, short-range shots. Both were saved well and the wait for the game’s first goal continued. It wouldn’t be long from there, however, as two minutes later, following some chaos in the Victoria box, Madi Elcombe connected on the half-volley from roughly 25 yards out and sent the ball soaring past the keeper’s outstretched hands and into the net! GOAAAL Rovers! The Swanguardians’ signature red smoke billowed out in celebration and brightened up the dull grey skies overhead. The battle continued to heat up from there as the tackles really started flying. Taylor Nexic slid in expertly and won the ball on a couple of occasions, as did midfielder Amanda Scott; some stout defence from Rovers in and around the box. There was one more chance for the black-clad Rovers in the first half, which came in the 41st minute off a nice ball in from the right, but the resulting shot was unintentionally blocked by one of our own. Unfortunately, Rovers then committed a cardinal sin: conceding just the before the half. A scramble ensued in the Rovers’ box off a Victoria corner and the visitors quickly deposited the ball into in the net. It wasn’t pretty but it counted, and Victoria entered the halfway mark all level at 1-1.

Rain began to sprinkle down as the second half got going, with Rovers applying some pressure, but they were ultimately unable to break through the last line of defence and manage a true shot on net. There were shouts by the Swanguardians for a handball in the box, but Mr. Referee had something else in mind, and offside was called instead. The Highlanders had the better chances as the half wore on, getting a couple of free kicks just outside the Rovers’ box, but keeper Mae Hobensheild was there to handle both safely. There were a couple of nice efforts made by Dhindsa, the Rovers’ number 8 on the right, who won the ball and made strong crosses into the box. She then was on the receiving end of another hard tackle and non-call. Play stoped as the trainer came out, and Dhindsa, one of the Rovers’ best players over the first 70 or so minutes of the match, was forced out of the game with an apparent leg injury, needing help to get off the pitch. Play resumed, but the ball seemed stuck at half for a stretch, with no real threatening chances for either side. Many of the Highlanders’ shots flew high over the bar, and Rovers pushed the ball forward well, but were unable to finish in the final third. With the second half winding down, five minutes of extra time was announced and the supporters urged their team on. The stalemate ended as the whistle blew, the game finishing knotted 1-1. Injuries were the real story today; a Rovers coach reported a broken nose, a head knock, and that troubling leg injury, which looked bad. Rovers will certainly look forward to receiving more bodies in the coming weeks, with players returning from their collegiate duties. But, for now, a hard-fought point will have to do.

The weather began to shift slightly as the men’s side took the field, the sun fighting the clouds to make an appearance. It was a gritty start to this match as well. Rovers, once again in all black, had most of the possession. The first scoring opportunity came 15 minutes in when Connor MacMillan made a nice pass into the box for Ivan Meija, but the shot was blocked. Rovers’ number 17, Danylo Smychenko, made a couple nice tackles and followed up with a display of raw emotion, something always appreciated by the home crowd. Meija, number 8 for the Rovers, had a chance soon after, and the Highlanders goalie laid out for the save, but the ball was blocked and cleared to safety before it could reach the net. Midfielder Erik Edwardson then had a nice run towards the box with some pace before being taken down; the support again cried desperately for a call from the ref, but it did not come. Justyn Sandhu, the Rovers’ keeper, was soon called into duty for the first time, laying out for the ball before any Highlander players could take control in the box – a Victoria attacker went flying as Sandhu got his paws on the ball. The first legitimate chance for the opposition came in the 26th minute: a nice pass cut across the box, and it looked like there might be a tap-in goal, but the Rovers’ D scrambled to recover the ball and cleared for a corner. Brief respite. Then came another good clearance, this time a header, and danger was averted once more. Now on the attack, the Rovers’ Matteo Polisi sent a fantastic through ball down the line on the left, but the resulting cross was a poor one. A shot on target for Rovers came as the clock ticked into the 34th minute of the match, the result of a set piece from just outside the right of the 18-yard box. A nice, low cross came in and met a Rovers head, but the ball was sent right into the keeper’s hands. Victoria responded with a chance of their own, a longer range shot that stayed on the ground past the left post and out. The back-and-forth action continued. A rip from Rovers came flying off the left, the ball singeing the crossbar as it soared out of play. The intense, physical battle ramped up from there as a couple of hard tackles went uncalled. Shoves were thrown as the ball rolled out for a throw. “The movement is great, final third is what’s missing,” said part-owner and supporter Chris Corrigan, an effective summary of the women’s game earlier as well. More strong passing was displayed by the Rovers but nothing fruitful came of it, unfortunately. Yet another collision occurred in the Rovers’ box between a Highlanders attacker and our keep, Justyn, who did enough to block the shot. The rebound was sent an inch wide of the post, and Rovers were a bit lucky to escape the pressure. The whistle then blew, and we headed into the break still searching for our first tally.

A breakaway chance got the second half started with a bang, but Ivan sent the ball right to the keeper. Shortly after, another opportunity down the left was called for offside, much to the dismay of the Swanguardians just behind, who vocalised their displeasure wholeheartedly. More action came on the left; there were shouts for a handball in the box, but instead of a penalty, a free kick was awarded just outside. Rovers sent a strong, whipping cross in which required a diving save to the left by the Victoria keeper, sending the ball out for a corner. We then saw a rare counter rush for the Highlanders, which required a nice save by Justyn. Another successful save came off a free kick, fairly simply done by the Rovers’ number 1. The crowd waited patiently on a goal, urging the boys on with drum and song. Yet another chance for Rovers came off a corner, from the right this time; the ball met a Rover head but the shot was once again directed right to the keeper. Ivan made the next Rovers’ push towards the box, fighting off a man at his heels, and a couple more chances on net followed before things started to unravel. Foul against Rovers. The ref pulled a yellow, which drew plenty of ire from the Swanguardians. Some scrappy pushing and pulling bubbled up between number 17 of Victoria and our number 11, Erik Edwardson. Both received a talking to from the ref. At this point the visiting keeper, the Highlighter of the Highlanders (his getup was a retina-burning neon yellow), began to go at it with the supporters behind him, chirping back freely. His cocky chatter was sadly rewarded with a goal for Victoria in the 82nd minute. It was a scrambley play just outside of the Rovers’ box, and while they did fairly well to press up and attempt to block the ball, the lucky bounce went to the Highlanders, who snuck one past Sandhu for the game’s first goal. There had been a potential foul against the opposition outside of their box, too, just beforehand, but no call came. Tough luck for the Rovers. These events seemed to stun the home side, who, standing still, offered up another chance to Victoria. The three minutes of extra time soon came and went, as did the prospect of three points; the Highlanders escaped back to the Island with a win.

This weekend’s matches were a good reminder of how difficult it can be to win in competitive sport, even at home following a strong stretch of performances. Grey, winless days are inevitable in football and in life, of course – it’s a matter of how one responds and pushes through. There is certainly ample opportunity for the men’s team to bounce back this week as they head to Vancouver Island themselves to take on another CPL side, Pacific FC, as the Voyageurs Cup clashes continue. On to the next, Rovers!

All photography taken by/property of @residualimage/@aftn