This coming weekend, Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite will look to claim a defacto national championship as they compete in the second annual League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championship, hosted nearby in Langley, BC at Willoughby Community Park on Friday and Sunday.
Tournament passes are available for $20 for adults, granting access to all four games. Passes for either the Friday or the Sunday can be purchased for $15, and children under 12 can enjoy all the action for free. The matches will also be broadcast live on OneSoccer and TELUS Optik channel 1993.
Friday, August 11
- Semifinal #1: PEF Québec (Ligue1 Québec champions) vs Unity FC (League1 BC wildcard) - 2:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 p.m. ET
- Semifinal #2: Alliance United FC (League1 Ontario champions) vs Whitecaps FC Girls Elite (League1 BC champions) – 7:00 p.m. PT / 10:00pm ET
Sunday, August 13
- 3rd Place: Runners-up of Semifinal #1 & Semifinal #2 - 10:30 a.m. PT / 1:30 p.m. ET
- Championship Final: Winners of Semifinal #1 & Semifinal #2 – 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET
The 'Caps will be gunning for their sixth trophy in the last year. Here is a look back at the five that they have won so far:
2022 League1 BC playoff title
The young 'Caps got their victory parade started in August 2022 with a come-from-behind win in the inaugural League1 BC championship final, overcoming a 1-0 deficit with two late goals to beat Varsity FC (now Nautsa’mawt FC), including a stunning winner from Jeneva Hernandez-Gray.
2023 FIFA/Blue Stars Youth Cup
The 'Caps were invited to the prestigious FIFA/Blue Stars Youth Cup in Zürich, Switzerland this past May, and they did not disappoint. In a competition featuring renowned clubs such as Arsenal and Juventus, it was the 'Caps becoming the first Canadian team ever to win the competition after another thrilling comeback, with Ava Jackson scoring in the last minute with FC Basel to draw 1-1 before goalkeeper Leah Parsons came up huge in the shootout.
2023 League1 BC regular season title
After finishing in second place during the inaugural regular season, the young 'Caps took things a step further this year. Despite very strong challenges from a number of teams, including a Nautsa’mawt FC who pushed them to the wire, they eventually finished top of the table. They did it in spectacular fashion as well, coming back from a 3-1 deficit (sensing a theme here?) to win 5-4 on the road at Unity FC with a winning goal from Emma Yee in stoppage time. This was ultimately the title that qualified them for this weekend's League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championship.
2023 Juan de Fuca Plate
This one was not won alone. The Juan de Fuca Plate is awarded by supporters in British Columbia to the League1 BC club with the most combined points between both the men's and women's sides. The Girls Elite squad certainly played their part as regular season champions, and with the boys finishing with only two losses on the season in the men's division they were able to take the title.
2023 League1 BC playoff title
Whereas in 2022 they were underdogs, as regular season champions, the 'Caps went into the 2023 final as favourites. It was a special occasion as the final was played at BC Place, home of Vancouver Whitecaps FC. It was another tough match against Unity FC, who made them earn the regular season title. After going down 1-0, the comeback was on (see all other finals). By the final whistle, two goals from Kaylee Hunter and one from Joy Kimwemwe had given the 'Caps back-to-back BC titles heading into the Inter-Provincial Championship.
