Burnaby FC Women kick off inaugural League1 BC season with win over Harbourside

(Photo Credit: Hazel May)

The new girls on the block, Burnaby FC, kicked off their inaugural League1 BC season with an impressive 3-1 victory over the visiting Harbourside FC at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex on Sunday.

For the first 30 minutes, neither team was able to settle the ball and make any tangible attack, Burnaby appeared to have some control in midfield, but the ever-present Rebekah Van Dort, forceful at left-back, was able to deny any meaningful attacks by the home side.

Harbourside continued to dominate the Burnaby half, continually going forward, but unable to trouble Burnaby goalkeeper Sarah Loewen.

Harbourside came closest to an opener when Erin Jensen put her shot into the side netting in the 30th minute.

However, it was Burnaby FC that scored first when Isabella Muzzolini chipped Emily Rowbottom in the 43rd minute, with the goal coming totally against the run of play.

Just before half-time Harbourside’s Sabrina Anderson fell to the floor whilst in possession, with a suspected Achilles injury. Burnaby took advantage of the situation to get a second, with Raegan Mackenzie scoring to give them a 2-0 lead at the half, not knowing the full extent of the injury.

To Burnaby’s credit they allowed Harbourside’s Erin Jensen to score an unchallenged goal at the start of the second-half to make it 2-1 and reduce it back down to a one goal game.

The second half continued in much the same vein as the first, with Harbourside making the most of the attacks.

Muzzolini scored her second goal of the game, and Burnaby’s third, in the 67th minute, chipping high over Emily Rowbottom in the Harbourside goal.

Despite dominating the play, Harbourside were unable to penetrate a heavily defended Burnaby backline, and the new kids on the block came away with a big three points in a 3-1 victory in their first match in League1 BC.

FINAL SCORE: Burnaby FC 3 – 1 Harbourside FC

BURNABY: Sarah Loewen, Kajal Parmar (46′ Kate Cartier), Emily Smith, Alyssa Clark, Isabella Muzzolini (86′ Cassia Crozier), Raegan Mackenzie, Kirsten Koellmel, Hayley Bazille, Kaiden Sherwood (70′ Shanya Dhindsa), Sabryna Bailey (45’+22 Katie Richardson), Olivia Sheppard [Subs Not Used: Kate Smith, Isabella Santoianni, Karina Bagi]

HARBOURSIDE: Emily Rowbottom, Sophie Murphy (67′ Jade Dillabough), Shea Battie (78′ Maddy Dawson), Rebekah Van Dort, Taiya Scorey, Carli Rey, Ruby Nicholls, Mary Nicholls, Erin Jensen, Sabrina Anderson (45′ Kate Reynolds), Tannis McKay (67′ Ella Gignac) [Subs Not Used: Kaiden Thorpe, Mya Creed]

We have two photo galleries from the match below and over on our Flickr page. The first is from Hazel May (@HMM) and John May (@shoots) and the second from Tom Ewasiuk (Residual Image). Click to view them: