Mejia magic sends TSS men top, as defending champs Vancouver Rise get first win under new name in Week 2 of L1BC action

TSS Rovers hit top spot in the League1 BC men’s division after week two, with an emphatic victory over Vancouver Whitecaps at Thunderbird Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

On the women’s side, defending L1BC champs Vancouver Rise Academy got their first points of the season under their new moniker, coming back from a goal down to put four past TSS.

Here’s a recap of how those matches played out.

L1BC Women’s Division: Vancouver Rise Academy 4 – 1 TSS Rovers

Vancouver Rise showed no signs of a hangover from last week’s defeat at Altitude as they put four goals past visitors TSS Rovers at Thunderbird Stadium on Saturday, boosted by the return from international duty by the players away representing the Canadian U17s as they qualified for this year’s FIFA World Cup.

It’s set to be a memorable week for the Vancouver Rise organization as they play Calgary Wild in the first-ever Northern Super League game on Wednesday evening. Expected to feature on both teams is a handful of former L1BC talent, some of whom featured for the Rise (formerly Whitecaps) and some for TSS.

On Saturday lunchtime at UBC, the current crop of L1BC talent was on show and perhaps a sneak peek of future NSL talent. With an average age of just 16 on the Vancouver Rise starting XI, they put in a mature performance, especially after going a goal behind to a far more experienced TSS side.

It took just seven minutes for Sophia Faremo to put the visitors into the lead. Katie Bishop’s smart through ball found Maya Smith, who created space on the edge of the box before finding Faremo, who struck well into the bottom left to set off the first signs of red smoke from the away section.

From then on, it was Vancouver Rise who dominated play. Any creative spark looked most likely to come from number five, Quinn Johnson and it was Johnson who was bundled over in the penalty area by TSS defender Katie Chan after 35 minutes. Jade Mitchell converted the spot kick to level the tie as the game approached halftime.

Three minutes into the second half, the hosts went ahead following a defensive scramble from a corner kick, TSS defender Taylor Nekic eventually turning it into her own net. Ten minutes later it was two, this time a strike of precision rather than good fortune. On her left foot, Mitchell sent a pinpoint effort into the top left corner from 30 yards out.

Daniela Feria-Estrada completed the victory with a fine solo goal with just over 15 minutes to go. At 4-1 down, TSS were hoping for a consolation but were instead dealt with further misery when Sophie Campbell was shown a straight red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

TSS must improve defensively when they welcome Langley United to Swangard Stadium on April 18; the Rise host Unity FC on April 19, hoping for a repeat of this performance.

Vancouver Rise Academy: Jade Mitchell (35’, 59’), Taylor Nekic (48’)(OG), Daniela Feria-Estrada (74’) TSS Rovers: Sophia Feramo (7’)

You can find the full photo gallery from Tom (Residual Image) on the AFTN Flickr page HERE.

L1BC Men’s Division: Vancouver Whitecaps Academy 1-6 TSS Rovers

TSS Rovers left it late to rescue a point in their league opener at Swangard Stadium last weekend. This week, however, they were quick off the blocks, scoring three first-half goals and eventually putting six past a youthful Vancouver Whitecaps Academy side at Thunderbird Stadium, as Ivan Mejia grabbed himself a hat-trick to lead the L1BC scoring charts two weeks in.

With a bulk of their players away at the Generation Adidas Cup or still in college, three 14-year-olds started for the Whitecaps, two of them in defence. This was quickly evident as a more physical TSS team opened the scoring 15 minutes in.

Ivan Mejia received the ball inside the penalty area before striking powerfully into the far corner. He could have doubled shortly after when Mateo Botero-Martinez handled in the box, but the subsequent penalty was saved well by Whitecaps keeper Isaac Francouer.

Not long after, Michael Hennessy capitalized on a Whitecaps defensive error and scored a second for TSS. Minutes later, Mejia put his penalty miss behind him for his second and TSS went into the break with a comfortable 3-0 lead.

Just after the interval, Luis Klimo found Hennessy at the near post, and the former Whitecaps Academy player connected sharply for his second of the match.

Following several missed chances, Mejia finally bagged his hat trick with fifteen minutes to go, holding off two Whitecaps defenders before slotting it past Francouer.

For all of the Whitecaps’s defensive frailties, they showed intent going forward throughout and were rewarded when Kyler Vojvodic volleyed in at the far post with minutes left on the clock. A potential comeback was not on the cards though and TSS netted a sixth with a minute to go, through Avi Alemu with a crisp low finish from the edge of the box.

If the Whitecaps insist on playing out from the back this season, they will run into problems. To play a handful of U16 players at this level is also questionable. As for TSS, a win of this nature was expected, but it does no harm to their confidence going into Friday night’s clash against Langley United, who lost their first ever match 3-2 in Kamloops on Saturday evening.

Vancouver Whitecaps Academy: Kyler Vojvodic (86’)
TSS Rovers: Ivan Mejia (15’, 35’, 76’), Michael Hennessy (33’, 48’), Avi Alemu (89’)

You can find the full photo gallery from Tom (Residual Image) on the AFTN Flickr page HERE.