2023 League1 British Columbia season

The 2023 League1 British Columbia season was the second season of play for League1 British Columbia, a pro-am league in the Canadian soccer league system. Eight clubs participated in both the men's and women's divisions.

League1 British Columbia
Season2023
DatesApril 29 – July 23 (regular season)
July 28 – August 5 (playoffs)
ChampionsWhitecaps FC Academy (men)
Whitecaps FC Girls Elite (women)
Juan de Fuca PlateWhitecaps FC Academy (3rd title)
2022
2024

Format

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The regular season was contested by eight clubs and ran from April 29 to July 23, 2023.[1] Each team played 14 games in a double round-robin format with seven games at home and seven on the road. The top four teams advanced to the playoffs with the Championship Final held on the BC Day long weekend. The men's and women's divisions used identical schedules with the two matches being played as double-headers on the same day.[2]

Men's division

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The teams played each other team twice (home and away) for a 14-game season, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. The winner of the regular season will qualify for the 2024 Canadian Championship.[1]

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Victoria Highlanders FC 14 10 2 2 20 9 +11 32 Playoffs[a]
2 TSS Rovers 14 9 2 3 32 10 +22 29 Playoffs and Canadian Championship[b]
3 Whitecaps FC Academy (C) 14 5 7 2 19 14 +5 22 Playoffs
4 Unity FC 14 5 5 4 26 15 +11 20
5 Nautsa’mawt FC 14 4 5 5 11 18 −7 17
6 Rivers FC 14 4 4 6 17 28 −11 16
7 Altitude FC 14 2 3 9 18 33 −15 9
8 Harbourside FC 14 1 4 9 10 26 −16 7
Source: League1 BC
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ Victoria Highlanders originally qualified for the Canadian Championship, but the team folded in early 2024 prior to the start of the competition.
  2. ^ Due to the Victoria Highlanders withdrawing from the Canadian Championship, the League1 BC berth was given to the TSS Rovers.

Playoffs

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Semi-finals
July 29
Final
August 5
      
1 Victoria Highlanders FC 3
4 Unity FC 2
1 Victoria Highlanders FC 1 (7)
3 Whitecaps FC Academy 1 (8)
2 TSS Rovers 0
3 Whitecaps FC Academy 4


Semi-finals

July 29, 2023 Victoria Highlanders FC 3–2 Unity FC Victoria, British Columbia
1:00 PM Walter   7'
Preston   39'
Henman   69'
Report Fussell   30'
Shumbusho   52'
Stadium: Centennial Stadium
July 29, 2023 TSS Rovers 0–4 Whitecaps FC Academy Vancouver, British Columbia
3:00 PM Report Norman   6'
Ghasemi   58'
Mann   71'
Wathuta   85'
Stadium: Ken Woods Field

Final

August 5, 2023 Victoria Highlanders FC 1–1
(7–8 p)
Whitecaps FC Academy Vancouver, British Columbia
4:00 PM Henman   45+1' Report Wathuta   60' Stadium: BC Place
Penalties

Statistics

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Top goalscorers
(does not include playoffs)

Rank Player Club Goals
1   Massud Habibullah TSS Rovers 8
2   Erik Edwardson TSS Rovers 7
  Victory Shumbusho Unity FC
  Michael Hennessy Whitecaps FC Academy
  Michael Henman Victoria Highlanders FC
6   Ivan Mejia TSS Rovers 6
7 4 players tied 4

Source: L1BC

Women's division

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The winner of the women's regular season will qualify for the Women's Interprovincial Championship.[1]

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Whitecaps FC Girls Elite (C) 14 11 1 2 54 17 +37 34 Playoffs and Interprovincial Championship[a]
2 Nautsa’mawt FC 14 9 2 3 46 17 +29 29 Playoffs
3 Unity FC 14 7 3 4 35 25 +10 24 Playoffs and Interprovincial Championship[b]
4 TSS Rovers 14 6 3 5 23 25 −2 21 Playoffs
5 Harbourside FC 14 5 2 7 22 44 −22 17
6 Altitude FC 14 4 5 5 18 18 0 17
7 Victoria Highlanders FC 14 3 4 7 14 26 −12 13
8 Rivers FC 14 1 0 13 18 58 −40 3
Source: League1 BC
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ As regular season winners
  2. ^ As playoff runner-up (playoff champion already qualified)

Playoffs

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The playoff champion (or runner-up if the winner is the same as the regular season winner) will qualify for the Women's Interprovincial Championship.[1]

Semi-finals
July 29–30
Final
August 5
      
1 Whitecaps FC Girls Elite 5
4 TSS Rovers 2
1 Whitecaps FC Girls Elite 3
3 Unity FC 1
2 Nautsa’mawt FC 1
3 Unity FC 4


Semi-finals

July 29, 2023 Whitecaps FC Girls Elite 5–2 TSS Rovers Vancouver, British Columbia
12:00 PM Kimwemwe   16'
Yee   21'
Perrault   73', 77'
Hunter   81'
Report Friesen   2'
Virk   86'
Stadium: Ken Woods Field

Final

August 5, 2023 Whitecaps FC Girls Elite 3–1 Unity FC Vancouver, British Columbia
1:00 PM
Report
Stadium: BC Place
Referee: Sydney Berridge

Statistics

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Top goalscorers
(does not include playoffs)

Rank Player Club Goals
1   Kierra Blundell Whitecaps FC Girls Elite 10
  Katalin Tolnai Nautsa’mawt FC
3   Delana Friesen TSS Rovers 7
4   Bryana Buttar Unity FC 6
  Anna Hauer Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
  Jaime Perrault Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
7   Charlotte Ring Altitude FC 5
  Esi Lufo Rivers FC
  Sophie Crowther Unity FC
  Kaylee Hunter Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
11 5 players tied 4

Source: L1BC

Juan de Fuca Plate

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The Juan de Fuca Plate is awarded to the League1 British Columbia club with the highest combined point total between the men's and women's divisions in regular season matches.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Whitecaps FC Academy (C) 28 16 8 4 73 31 +42 56
2 TSS FC Rovers 28 15 5 8 55 35 +20 50
3 Nautsa’mawt FC 28 13 7 8 57 35 +22 46
4 Victoria Highlanders FC 28 13 6 9 34 35 −1 45
5 Unity FC 28 12 8 8 61 40 +21 44
6 Altitude FC 28 6 8 14 36 51 −15 26
7 Harbourside FC 28 6 6 16 32 70 −38 24
8 Rivers FC 28 5 4 19 35 86 −51 19
Source: Juan de Fuca Plate
(C) Champions

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "2023 League1 BC schedule format announced". League1 British Columbia. January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  2. ^ "League1 BC releases full schedule ahead of inaugural 2022 season". British Columbia Soccer Association. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
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