TSS Rovers 2022 League1 BC squad profile (Part One)

With the inaugural League1 BC season getting underway in less than two weeks, it’s time to ramp up the coverage here on AFTN with the start of our squad breakdowns and profiles to help you get to know the 14 teams a little bit better.

Over the coming days we’ll take a look at all the teams on both the men’s and the women’s side, with the more detailed coverage reserved for those clubs that we’ll be partnering with for the season.

As media partners and broadcasters to TSS Rovers since their first season in 2017, we’ll kick things off with a three part breakdown of their men’s squad for the 2022 L1BC season. In Part One, we look at their returnees and goalkeepers.

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THE RETURNEES

DANIEL DAVIDSON

Forward Daniel Davidson returns for a third season with TSS Rovers, having played for the team in the 2017 and 2018 USL PDL seasons, making 20 appearances and scoring six goals, with one assist. Davidson led the team with five goals in their inaugural season.

Davidson played the 2019 USL League Two season with Victoria Highlanders, scoring three goals and three assists in 11 appearances for the island side.

A University of Fraser Valley Cascades alumni, Davidson has experience playing in Canada and the US. You can read our previous ‘Get To Know’ profile of DanielHERE charting his time before first joining the Rovers.

The 26-year-old forward will be one of the experienced heads in the squad and is coming off a strong season in the FVSL with Abbotsford United, where he scored 13 goals across all competitions.

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ERIK EDWARDSON

Forward Erik Edwardson returns for his second season as a TSS Rover having first played for the team in the 2018 USL PDL season, where he scored two goals and added one assist in 13 appearances.

You can read our previous ‘Get To Know’ profile of Erik HERE, charting his time as Portland Pilot and his youth career.

Edwardson made the move to Germany at the start of 2019, joining TSV Kongen midseason before moving on to sixth tier side FC Heiningen that summer. He went on to make 15 appearances in the Verbandsliga Wurttemerg, scoring two goals.

Moving back to Canada when Covid shut down football, 25-year-old Edwardson has been playing locally this past season for FVSL side FC Tigers, winning a Premier Division, Packenham Cup, and Soccer City Premier Cup treble with them, scoring 16 goals for them in the process and coming back to the Rovers in a rich vein of form. He’ll be one of a number of TSS Rovers players playing in this Sunday’s BC Provincial A Cup final at Swangard where his FC Tigers side will be taking on VMSL champions BB5 United CCB.

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JOHN JOSEPH

Forward John Joseph returns to TSS after playing with the club’s academy side and winning a VMSL U21 Cup, along with having previously been part of the Rovers’ 2019 USL League Two roster.

Joseph moved to the TSS Academy from Fusion FC in 2019 and it was his goals in the VMSL U21 cup run that took TSS to the final and then eventually lifting the trophy. He hit 10 goals in TSS’ five matches, including a stunning bicycle kick in that final against BC Tigers.

Joseph got injured late in that final, straining his ACL, MCL, and LCL, limiting his appearances with the USL team to just two, clocking 62 minutes.

Heading off to college, Joseph has three years under his belt with Dixie State University in St. George, Utah, where he has seven goals and three assists from 41 appearances.

In 2018, Joseph scored the winner for Vancouver College as they lifted the BC Senior Boys AAA Soccer championship. He’s certainly got an eye for a goal and a good tactical awareness and could be a key player for the Rovers in L1BC this season.

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CONNOR MACMILLAN

Attacking midfielder Connor MacMillan will be returning for his third season as a Rover having played for the team in their inaugural 2017 USL PDL season, where he scored one goal and added four assists in his eight appearances, before returning for their 2019 USL League Two campaign, where he had two goals and one assist in 12 appearances.

Inbetween those two seasons, MacMillan headed over to Europe and played the 2018 season with fourth tier side Skoftebyn IF, and that experience and the leadership he will bring to the new-look young Rovers team will be invaluable.

Another University of Fraser Valley Cascades alumni, MacMillan has a wealth of experience playing in Canada, the US, and Sweden. You can read our previous ‘Get To Know’ profile of ConnorHERE, charting his time before first joining the Rovers.

This past winter season MacMillan has been playing in the FVSL with FC Tigers, scoring eight goals across all competitions, on his way to winning a Premier Division, Packenham Cup, and Soccer City Premier Cup treble with them and he will be another player with a key role to play in this Sunday’s BC Provincial A Cup final with the Tigers.

Connor’s previous time at TSS clearly left it’s mark, as he became the first plyer/owner to be announced by the team.

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OWEN McBRIDE

Defender Owen McBride returns to TSS for a second season with the Rovers, after injury blighted his first year in 2019 where he was only able to make one appearance in USL League Two, appearing in the season opener.

Although his college career has been interrupted by Covid, McBride has two seasons with Simon Fraser University under his belt. The 21-year-old logged 492 minutes in his Freshman year, making eight appearances over the season, and he more than doubled that in 2021, logging 1055 minutes in 13 appearances.

The North Vancouver native joined the Whitecaps Residency program in August 2017, having previously played with Mountain United and the BC Provincial team. He made 19 appearances with the U17s that 2017/18 USSDA season but feeling burned out, he left the program, deciding to go and play for NVFC Norvan in the VMSL Premier to adjust to playing the college game.

That burned out feeling he experienced prompted McBride to set up his own coaching business for kids, Private Coaching Co. where he currently employs 13 coaches across three communities.

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GOALKEEPERS

JACKSON COWX

Jackson Cowx heads to TSS after a stellar second year between the sticks for the University of Fraser Valley Cascades, where he helped guide the team to the Canada West Final Four.

Coming through the Surrey United youth system, Cowx played both Metro and BCSPL for the club, winning a U17 provincial title.

Heading to UFV in 2019, Cowx made just one appearance in his rookie season, with Covid wiping out his second year in 2020. Back at it last year, Cowx made the starting position his own, making 13 appearances and keeping two clean sheets.

The 6-foot keeper is an excellent shot stopper and has a fantastic record on saving penalties, both in his youth and college career. It should be an interesting battle between Cowx and Sandhu for the starting jersey with TSS this year.

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TYSON GUGUSHE

A graduate from the TSS FC academy, Tyson Gugushe is a young goalkeeper with good distribution, comfortable with the ball at his feet, and a solid shot stopper.

He’s spent the past winter season playing for the TSS Rovers II U21 in FVSL Division 1, where he recorded four clean sheets over the season as the team finished second.

Following the L1BC season, Gugushe will be heading into the college ranks to play and study at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

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JUSTYN SANDHU

Justyn Sandhu joined the Whitecaps Residency program in September 2014 after previously playing with Fusion FC in the BCSPL, working his way up the ranks until he graduated in 2019.

Earning a scholarship to New York’s St. Bonaventure University, Sandhu has played three seasons with the school, making 17 appearances (15 of them starts) and keeping one clean sheet. Sandhu will be heading back to BC this fall, making the switch to SFU for his senior year.

The 6-foot-2 keeper is the son of former Whitecaps USL goalkeeper Didar Sandhu and has been involved with Canadian national team identification camps at U14 and U15 level. He’s also played as back up with FVSL treble winners FC Tigers this past winter season.

As mentioned above, it should be an interesting battle between Cowx and Sandhu for the starting jersey with TSS this year.