VANCOUVER, BC – TSS Rovers had a first weekend to forget results-wise, but that was not the case in Week 2 as both their men’s and women’s teams left their first clashes with Rivers FC of Kamloops with wins. With championship hopes in mind, the results are a major stepping stone for TSS, who also get the lone overnight road trip out of the way early in the season.
MEN: Edwardson leads Rovers over Rivers (Rovers 4-0 Rivers)
On the men’s side, team veteran Erik Edwardson highlighted the 4-0 win with a hat trick, putting him atop the League 1 BC scoring charts. He scored off a corner kick 17 minutes into the first half, eluding his mark to smash a ball into the side netting.
While Rivers conceded early, they had a few chances of their own, including a connection from Josh Banton and CPL Draft Pick Charlie Waters, whose shot sailed wide of the goal. TSS added another through Edwardson just before halftime, and he added his third on a penalty kick.
Daniel Davidson scored the fourth and final goal for Rivers.
“We need to do better for the fans who are coming out,” Rivers head coach John Antulov told Kamloops This Week. “You’ve got to minimize your mistakes when you’re playing against top teams. Overall, if you look at the flow of the game, you wouldn’t have said it was four-nil, but it was.”
While the Rovers are expected to be challenging for one of the final places come the end of the season, it is a much different picture for Rivers, who are still finding their feet in their inaugural season.
Both teams won’t have long to rest and reset from each other, with the reverse fixture taking place at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby on Friday.
WOMEN: Athwal brace leads the way for TSS (3-0)
The Rovers women’s side got their first win under head coach Chelsey Hanneson in Kamloops, taking down the hometown Rivers FC 3-0, headlined by a brace from Raya Athwal.
After a stingy first 40 minutes, the Rovers found their breakthrough as Aislen Streicik, found Athwal on a pulled-back cross, which she promptly smashed into the back of the goal.
Athwal, a Queen’s Gaels midfielder, added a second in first-half stoppage time, as Streicik claimed a giveaway and sent it to her teammate, who made no mistake with a brilliant finish from the top of the box.
The Rovers added another in second-half stoppage time, as Regina Cougars midfielder Jessica Merk brushed through the Rivers defence and chipped the ball over Dakota Beckett in the Rivers net.
While three goals aren’t fantastic for a team to concede, it was a building experience for Rivers and another important match for Becket, who is playing a lot of soccer this summer, splitting her time between Varsity FC and Rivers.
With the win, the Rovers set themselves up nicely for the next steps in their campaign, led by two OUA players in Raya Athwal, and her Queen’s Gaels teammate, goalkeeper Kirstin Tynan.
Like their male counterparts, the women welcome Rivers to Swangard Stadium on Friday for the reverse fixture, their third match of the League 1 BC season.
Next up for Rovers: Friday vs Rivers
Next up for Rivers: Friday @ Rovers
Cover Photo: Kamloops This Week