Vancouver Island FC

Vancouver Island FC was a Canadian women's soccer team based in Victoria, British Columbia that played in Women's Premier Soccer League. In 2021, the team merged with the male Victoria Highlanders to serve as the club's women's club in League1 British Columbia, where they will operate as the Victoria Highlanders Women.

This article is about the original club. For the merged and current team, see Victoria Highlanders Women.
Vancouver Island FC
Full nameVancouver Island Football Club
Founded2018
Head coachNeil Sedgwick
LeagueWPSL
20192nd, Northwest
WebsiteClub website

History

In October 2018, it was announced that a women's soccer team in Victoria, British Columbia would be formed to compete in the US-based Women's Premier Soccer League.[1] They would be the league second Canadian franchise along with the TSS FC Rovers.[2] Women's soccer had previously existed in Victoria, with the Victoria Highlanders Women previously playing in the USL W-League in 2011 and 2012.[3] Despite having a different ownership from the professional men's team Pacific FC, which also began play in 2019, Vancouver Island FC chose a similar colour scheme to share common aspects,[3][4] also playing out of the same stadium, Westhills Stadium.[5][6]

They played their first exhibition match on May 12, 2019 against TSS FC Rovers winning 3-1.[7]

They made their official league debut on May 18 against the Spokane Shadow,[8] losing by a score of 2-0.[9]

In their second game of the season, they defeated the reigning champions Seattle Sounders Women by a score of 2-1 for the franchise's first official victory.[10][11]

They finished their debut season with a record of 6 wins and 2 losses, finishing in second place in the Northwest Conference, scoring 17 goals, while conceding 11.[12][13] At the end of the 2019 season, the club was named the WPSL's Franchise of the Year.[14] The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]

In 2021, it was announced that the club would be merging with the male Victoria Highlanders to begin play in the new League1 British Columbia women's division, under the Highlanders name, reforming the Victoria Highlanders Women who last played in 2014.[16][17]

Seasons
SeasonLeagueDivisionTeamsRecordRankPlayoffsRef
2019 WPSL Northwest Conference 9 6–0–2 2nd none [18]
2020 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [15]

References
  1. Horsting, Lindsey (October 4, 2018). "Victoria joins women's largest soccer league in the world". Vancouver Island Free Daily.
  2. Balzer, Jess (May 11, 2019). "Multiple UNBC women's soccer players making the jump from the den to the island". Prince George Citizen.
  3. "Vancouver Island FC". Protagonist Soccer. July 22, 2019.
  4. Steiner, Ben (January 30, 2020). "Could professional women's soccer one day come to British Columbia?". Between the Sticks.
  5. Mowbray, Maxwell (April 19, 2019). "Interview with Vancouver Island FC Inaugural Signing Alexis McKinty". Northern Starting XI.
  6. Dheensaw, Cleve (June 14, 2019). "Vancouver Island FC women's soccer squad debuts at Westhills Stadium this weekend". Times Colonist.
  7. Mowbray, Maxwell (May 12, 2019). "Vancouver Island FC Announce Inaugural Rosters and Play TSS Rovers In First Friendlies". Northern Starting XI.
  8. Dheensaw, Cleve (May 17, 2019). "Vancouver Island FC takes first kick at Women's Premier Soccer League". Times Colonist.
  9. Dheensaw, Cleve (May 18, 2019). "Spokane tops Vancouver Island in women's soccer". Times Colonist.
  10. Murray, Nick (June 9, 2019). "Vancouver Island FC a magnet for women's soccer talent". Victoria News.
  11. Dheensaw, Cleve (May 27, 2019). "Vancouver Island FC beats women's soccer league champs for first franchise win". Times Colonist.
  12. "Vancouver Island FC ends debut season in dominant fashion". CHEK-DT. July 7, 2019.
  13. Balzer, Kyle (August 20, 2019). "UNBC soccer coach awarded for expansion efforts in women's professional league". Prince George Citizen.
  14. DeFrias, Mark (November 26, 2021). "Victoria Highlanders FC Join Newly-Formed League1 BC". Victoria Highlanders FC.
  15. Clark, Travis (April 30, 2020). "WPSL cancels 2020 summer season". Top Drawer Soccer.
  16. "League1BC welcomes Victoria Highlanders as founding License Holder". British Columbia Soccer Association. November 26, 2021.
  17. Jacques, John (November 26, 2021). "Victoria Highlanders Begin New Chapter In League1 BC". Northern Tribune.
  18. "WPSL Northwest Conference 2019". Women's Premier Soccer League.
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