Island Times: A Quick-Strike Visit to Harbourside Sets Up a Big Finale in Victoria

Most don’t get away days like we do. One of the coolest things about supporting local football here in BC is the relative proximity of each ground and the beautiful scenes between them. With MLS and the CPL, hitting the road to support your team might mean flying thousands of miles across the continent. League1 BC, on the other hand, offers stunning day trips. There’s nothing quite like sailing by ferry through the shimmery Salish Sea, glorious mountain peaks all around, en route to invade one of the intimate grounds on Vancouver Island. Rovers and their supporters, fresh off a successful trip to Nanaimo’s Harbourside FC, are now preparing for another ferry ride, this time to the Victoria area for the final battle of the regular season. Darren Russcher’s men will be league champions with a win against the Highlanders. Top of the table and a Canadian Championship berth, that’s the goal. The women’s match is important too as three points for Chelsey Hannesson’s side will earn them the fourth and final spot in the playoff cup competition. 

Last Saturday away to Harbourside was not a full six-point sweep as the women’s team were held to a draw, but both Rovers sides put in a multi-goal performance to come back from behind, doing what was required to stay in the race for their respective objectives. Some Swanguardians spent a night in Nanaimo ahead of the match, but most of us made the mad dash there and back in the same day, as did both Rovers sides. Myself and a handful of supporters were on the same ferry as the men’s team; I ran into players in the terminal parking lot, in the coffee shop across the street, and in line for a Whitespot breakfast on the boat. It’s charming, really, to take the same humble transportation as the team you support, a flashback to a time when one’s favourite athletes were regular people, potentially even neighbours, not millionaire celebrities from another planet. Our swath of red-clad Rovers were enough of a presence on the ferry that one bystander asked me what the big tournament was we were attending – no tourney, I said, just a double-header match between two footy teams. There was also a group of youths travelling for their baseball game, and, like Rovers, they wore red and black. One got the sense that there was only one purpose for this particular boat, and that was to facilitate sport. You love to see it. 

Harbourside have a nice little ground tucked in to a sports complex that includes a ballpark and a pool, which didn’t take long to get to. A metal, uncovered stand makes up one side (where most of the Swanguardians were situated amid banners and flags), and there’s a fenced-off beer garden on the other, otherwise known as “Beer Jail,” where those wishing to imbibe were forced to remain. HFC personalises the place with some signage, a merch tent, games for kids on the grass, and said beer garden. Only one food truck provided sustenance – exclusively grilled cheese sandwiches – which worked for myself, though not for everyone. The pitch itself was bad… super, super fluffy and full of pellets, which exploded up into the air at every point of contact. Even the ball skipping along would create multiple black plumes in its wake. Plus, once again, a plethora of lines for various sports cluttered things up. Seeing all of these messy, multi-purpose plastic pitches really makes you appreciate the beautifully clean grass at Swangard. We are very lucky to have one of the best grounds for football in all of the province. 

The men took the field first this time, switching up the normal order of events, which was a fun departure. Harbourside also held a sweet little ceremony for us Swaguardians just before kick-off, bringing some of the travelling support onto the pitch to acknowledge our first trip to Q’unq’inuqwstuxw Stadium and our work towards growing supporter culture in this league. Props to HFC, it was a nice touch! Rovers continued the celebration, scoring early on, six minutes in. The play developed quickly; a lofted pass flew forward over everyone, right onto the foot of Kian Proctor, who merely had to lift up his leg to make contact and volley the ball into the net. Luckily our smoke supervisor is always ready and waiting with his ammo – he promptly pulled a pin and a fluffy red cloud emerged, giving the home crowd a taste of what they were in for. HFC scored the next two, however, which provided the few home fans lining the top of the main stand something to razz us about. They popped one in from close range in the 22nd, and the second came just ten minutes later, a goalazo from exactly 30 yards out (thanks, handegg lines). We hit halftime faced with a deficit, an unusual situation for the Rovers’ men, who are used to being in command. No matter, we know this team is capable of a quick-strike turnaround. Right on cue, Rovers tallied back-to-back goals early in the second half; Kian got his brace in the 57th minute, claiming the ball in the box from another long aerial pass and sending a short rocket off the crossbar and in. A mere four minutes later forward Massud Habibullah was tripped up in the box, going to ground and winning a penalty kick for Rovers. Massud, keen to continue his scoring ways, took it himself, sending a low dart to the bottom right corner of the net, just out of reach of the keeper’s diving hands. 3-2 Rovers – it was a lead they would not relinquish, despite nearly eight full minutes of stoppage time.

More important than the final score was Devin O’Hea’s return to the pitch for the first time since the sudden, tragic passing of his mother. The imposing forward has been with the team for a few weeks now but had yet to make an appearance in-game – some wondered, fairly so, if he would be able to this season. But O’Hea came on. And though it was only for the last ten minutes of the match, he did quite well to see things out, winning the ball in the Harbourside half, pressing forward, and wasting time. It was heartwarming to see him out amongst his teammates again, and Russcher will certainly appreciate the size up front for these important matches to wrap up the season.

Harbourside’s women opened the scoring 12 minutes in as a long, high forward ball from the back set their forward free on a breakaway. She used good speed to get a clear chance on net and made no mistake. Yet another goal of this kind came in the 17th, for Rovers this time – they all seemed to be Hail-Mary-type drives down the field. Delana Friesen converted in this case, using her strength to fight off a defender before deking the keeper and calmly sending the ball to its net-bound destiny. Four minutes proved to be all Rovers required to take a lead on this day, scoring two goals in that same time span for the second time. Their final tally, off a free kick from the 29 yard line, broke the breakaway trend; a little tap forward gave Joanna Dolezal a running start at the ball, which she used to send it right on net. The Harbourside keeper seemed to be caught between thoughts and didn’t do much beyond poking at the ball listlessly as it glanced off the bottom the crossbar and flew in. The smoke for this, our fifth goal total, was enough to send the mother of one of the ball-kids home in disgust. She tried to complain but you know what we have to say: if you don’t like the smoke, play better defence… Sorry not sorry! HFC did find a tying goal in the 57th minute off a scramble in the box; a Rover went down in a heap, leaving the opposition room to put in a low, bumpy cross on net, which was saved initially before being tapped in. Rovers, fresh off a later winner at Nausta’mawt, didn’t give up on a tiebreaker, but it wasn’t meant to be.

This was a real hit-and-run trip. No time for sight-seeing or shenanigans, just get in, do the football, get out. We packed up our banners and flags in a flash, grabbed a quick cab to Departure Bay terminal, and home we went. There were no delays on either end despite BC Ferries’ frequent trials and tribulations; the Swanguardians must be blessed. Now we’re ready to do it all over again, another quick-strike trip to the Island. May the good fortune continue. As previously stated, the objective this week is simple: win and we’re in. Into the playoffs, into the Can Champ. The Highlanders took four points away from Swangard back in early May, winning the men’s game, but Rovers have improved since then. The men are on a hot streak and the women won’t quit. These are the days we live for – bring it on!