TSS FC Rovers

TSS FC Rovers, commonly referred to as TSS Rovers, are a Canadian soccer team based in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada that play in League1 British Columbia. Established for the 2017 PDL season by general manager Will Cromack and head coach Colin Elmes, the Rovers are the under-23 team of the TSS Academy, one of the largest soccer schools in British Columbia's Lower Mainland.[1]

TSS FC Rovers
Short nameTSS Rovers
Founded1997
2017 (semi-pro team)
StadiumSwangard Stadium
Burnaby, British Columbia
Capacity5,288
CoachWill Cromack (men)
Chelsey Hannesson (women)
LeagueLeague1 British Columbia
2023L1BC, 2nd; Playoffs, SF (men)
L1BC, 4th; Playoffs, SF (women)
WebsiteClub website

History

Founding
Club logo from 2017 to 2020

TSS (Total Soccer Systems) Academy was founded in 1997, based in Richmond, British Columbia.[2]

PDL and WPSL era

In late 2016, TSS purchased the rights to the Premier Development League franchise of the Washington Crossfire, and in the spring of 2017 fielded their first squad.[3][4] The club has a supporters group called the "Swanguardians," alluding to the Rovers' new home, Swangard Stadium, which was previously the home stadium of the Vancouver Whitecaps before the Caps joined the MLS.[4] The team has a stated policy of fostering Canadian talent, or players eligible for the Canadian men's national teams, stating every player must be "either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or refugee or immigrant with an intent to one day wear the Maple Leaf."[5][6]

In 2018 the women's team was founded to play in the WPSL. Notable signings included Canada WNT players Jordyn Huitema and Julia Grosso.[7] In 2018, the men's team signed its first non-Canadian, Dutchman Nick Soolsma, a former Toronto FC midfielder, as player-coach.[8]

The club competed with the Victoria Highlanders for the Juan de Fuca Plate, awarded annually to the best PDL/USL League Two club in British Columbia.[9] The Rovers won it in 2018 and 2019.[10]

In 2020, the club updated their logo to include a sword fern, a plant indigenous to coastal BC.[11]

League1 BC era

On November 1, 2021 it was announced that the club would be playing in the inaugural season of League1 British Columbia.[12] In addition, TSS decided to emulate those German clubs that were partly owned by their fans, giving the fans voting rights and a say in the direction of the team.[13][14] Fans will own 49% of the team through this initiative.[15] After finishing second in the league standings in their first season, the men's team went on to defeat Varsity FC on penalty kicks in the Championship Final,[16] thereby qualifying for the national 2023 Canadian Championship.[17] TSS Rovers made their first appearance in the Canadian Championship on April 19, 2023, at Swangard Stadium, where they defeated Valour FC 3–1, becoming the first semi-pro team to knockout a professional team in Canadian Championship history.[18][19] They were then defeated by another CPL club, Pacific FC, in the quarter-finals.[20]

Current roster

Men

As of April 26, 2023[21]
No. Pos. Player Nation
1 GK Justyn Sandhu  Canada
2 DF Elijah Dos Santos  Canada
3 DF Gabriel Escobar  El Salvador
4 DF Benjamin Hultin  Canada
5 DF Nicholas Burret  Canada
6 MF Ali Zohar  Canada
7 MF Connor MacMillan  Canada
8 MF Ivan Mejia  Canada
9 FW Massud Habibullah  Canada
10 MF Matteo Polisi  Canada
11 FW Erik Edwardson  Canada
12 DF Grant Verhoeven  Canada
13 MF Kyle Jones  Canada
14 MF Tyler Dhillon  Canada
15 FW John Joseph  Canada
16 DF Naseeb Bains  Canada
17 MF Danylo Smychenko  Ukraine
18 DF Christopher Schmit  Canada
19 DF Brennan Slawter  Canada
20 MF Taylor Richardson  Canada
21 DF Shaya Zarjampour  Canada
24 DF Nikolas Papakyriakopoulos  Canada
29 DF Fugo Segawa  Japan
30 GK Ahmed Hassona  Canada

Women

As of July 1, 2022[22]
No. Pos. Player Nation
— GK Mae Hobensheild  Canada
— GK Julia McDonald  Canada
— GK Kirstin Tynan  Canada
— DF Cassie Chan  Canada
— DF Jessica Fennell  Canada
— DF Chantaya Ipsen  Canada
— DF Reese Moffat  Canada
— DF Molly Quarry  Canada
— DF Brooklyn Tidder  Canada
— DF Joanna Verzosa-Dolezal  Canada
— DF Claire Ye  Canada
— MF Kathleen Aitchison  Canada
— MF Harmeet Dadrao  Canada
— MF Stella Downing  Canada
— MF Madi Elcombe  Canada
— MF Ella Gagno  Canada
— MF Megan Lauener  Canada
— MF Jessica Merk  Canada
— MF Maya Rogers  Canada
— MF Shayla Chorney  Canada
— MF Aislin Streicek  Canada
— FW Raya Athwal  Canada
— FW Katie Bishop  Canada
— FW Isabella Muzzolini  Canada

Year-by-year

Men
Year Div League Record Regular season Playoffs Juan de Fuca Plate Canadian Championship Top scorer Ref
2017 4 USL League Two[lower-alpha 1] 3–3–8 6th, Northwest Did not qualify Runner-up Not eligible Daniel Davidson (5) [23]
2018 5–2–7 4th, Northwest Did not qualify Winner Zach Verhoven (5)
2019 3–2–9 6th, Northwest Did not qualify Winner Matteo Polisi (6) [24]
2020 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Did not enter due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions
2022 3 League1 British Columbia 6–4–2 2nd Champions 2nd[lower-alpha 2] Not eligible Erik Edwardson (10) [25]
2023 9–2–3 2nd Semi-finals 2nd[lower-alpha 2] Quarter-finals Massud Habibullah (8) [25]
  1. The USL League Two was known as "Premier Development League" until 2018
  2. The Juan de Fuca Plate became a combined men's and women's competition beginning in 2022

Women
Year League Record Regular season Playoffs Juan de Fuca Plate Interprovincial Championship Top scorer Ref
2018 Women's Premier Soccer League 3–2–2 4th, Northwest – – N/A Jenna Baxter (5) [26]
2019 4–0–4 5th, Northwest – – [26]
2020 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Did not enter due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions
2022 League 1 British Columbia 6–3–3 4th Did not qualify 2nd[lower-alpha 1] Did not qualify Claire Ye (5) [27]
2023 6–3–5 4th Semi-finals 2nd[lower-alpha 1] Delana Friesen (7) [27]
  1. The Juan de Fuca Plate was a combined men's and women's competition beginning in 2022

Notable former players

The following players have played at the professional or senior international level either before or after playing for the PDL/WPSL/L1BC team.

Men

Women

Honours

Men

Major

Champions (1): 2022

Minor

Winners (2): 2018, 2019
Runners-up (1): 2017

Combined
Runners-up (1): 2022, 2023

Supporters

The team is supported by The Swanguardians, a small group of supporters who stand at the south end of the pitch and support the team with banners, smoke displays, and original chants made primarily from Canadian songs.[28][29] The group was formed in 2017 shortly after the founding of the team, and continues to support its former players in their college, professional, and national team careers on social media through their #AlwaysARover hashtag.

References
  1. "TSS Academy Roots". TSS Rovers.
  2. "Richmond-based TSS part of BC Premier League expansion". Richmond News. February 6, 2020.
  3. McColl, Michael (January 10, 2017). "Everything you need to know about TSS FC Rovers – BC's newest PDL team". Away from the Numbers.
  4. "Vancouver TSS Rovers". Protagonist Soccer. September 30, 2019.
  5. Wells, Nick (May 31, 2017). "How Two Friends Launched Their Own Football Club". In Bed with Maradona.
  6. Prest, Andy (June 4, 2019). "Vancouver TSS Rovers bring soccer passion to Canada". North Shore News.
  7. McColl, Michael (April 4, 2018). "Canadian National Team players Jordyn Huitema and Julia Grosso headline first TSS Rovers WPSL roster". Away from the Numbers.
  8. McColl, Michael (April 13, 2018). "TSS Rovers new addition Nick Soolsma looking to "help the team with my experience"". Away from the Numbers.
  9. McColl, Michael (May 27, 2018). "The 2018 Juan De Fuca Plate kicks off in Victoria with TSS Rovers out for revenge". Away from the Numbers.
  10. "Highlanders Come Up Short Against TSS FC Rovers". Victoria Highlanders. July 6, 2019.
  11. Jacques, John (February 14, 2021). "Elmes: There Will Be No Canadian Teams In USL This Year". Northern Tribune.
  12. "League1BC welcomes TSS Rovers as a founding License Holder". BC Soccer Association. November 1, 2021.
  13. McColl, Michael (January 17, 2022). "TSS Rovers looking to build "real partnership" with local community as share issue affords opportunity to own part of new League1 BC sides". Away from the Numbers.
  14. Adams, J.J. (January 14, 2022). "Dreamed of owning part of a pro soccer team? Vancouver's TSS Rovers gives you the chance". The Province.
  15. Vickers, Aaron (January 19, 2022). "You can own part of this Metro Vancouver soccer team for less than $300". Daily Hive.
  16. "League1 BC season concludes with two dramatic finals". BC Soccer. August 2, 2022.
  17. Jacques, John (November 3, 2022). "League1 BC Announced As New Entrant In Canadian Championship". Northern Tribune.
  18. Bedakian, Armen (April 20, 2023). "THE MIRACLE OF BURNABY: TSS Rovers stun Valour FC in magical CanChamp night (RECAP + HL)". OneSoccer.
  19. Rhodes, Benedict (May 8, 2023). ""The party is still going": Inside TSS Rovers' rise from youth academy to CanChamp quarter-finalists". Canadian Premier League.
  20. Vallejo, Felipe (May 12, 2023). "Like Lightning In A Bottle: The Story of the Rovers". Away from the Numbers.
  21. "Rovers Men 2023 Roster". TSS Football Club.
  22. "Rovers Women 2022 Roster". TSS Football Club.
  23. "TSS Rovers Stats". Canadian Soccer History Archives.
  24. "Vancouver TSS Rovers Stats". Canadian Soccer History Archives.
  25. "League1 British Columbia Standings". Canadian Soccer History Archive.
  26. "WPSL Standings". Women's Premier Soccer League.
  27. "League1 British Columbia Women Standings". Canadian Soccer History Archive.
  28. Corrigan, Chris (May 31, 2018). "A Supporting Life: What it means to support TSS Rovers". Away from the Numbers.
  29. Adams, J.J. (June 9, 2019). "TSS Rovers supporters putting their dollars where their hearts are". The Province.
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