Chilliwack is hosting two League 1 soccer matches Sunday (May 28) as Unity FC faces Rivers FC at Exhibition Stadium. A back-to-back sees the women’s teams squaring off at 3 p.m. followed by the men at 5:30 p.m.
“League 1 is the highest level of amateur/semi-professional soccer in BC,” said Unity FC and Trinity Western University coach Rob Giesbrecht. “Current and former university soccer players are playing in League 1 to advance their game, prepare for their upcoming seasons and to use their experience in League 1 as a springboard to future opportunities with domestic and/or international professional teams.”
It’s an opportunity for locals to cheer on two hometown players.
Chilliwack FC alum Victory Shumbusho plays for Unity FC’s men’s team, which normally plays its home games in Langley. His crew has a record of one win, one loss and two draws in early-season play while Rivers FC is 2-1-1.
The former UBC star has a team best three goals in four matches, including two in a 5-0 win over Nautsa’mawt FC (Vancouver) last weekend. He has played every minute of every game so far for Unity FC.
Shumbusho does a lot of coaching in the Chilliwack area under the banner of Victory 1 on 1 Training, working with players from both youth soccer clubs, Chilliwack FC and Tzeachten FC. Anyone coming to his game wearing a Chilliwack FC or Tzeachten FC jersey will be admitted for free. Otherwise the price is $10 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors.
The women’s game will include Aidan Miller, a former provincial team player who just finished her first year at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. The Sardis Secondary grad played sparingly for the X-Men at the start of the U-Sports season, but over the last four games in October 2022 the speedy forward netted three goals on eight shots.
Her Unity FC squad has yet to lose this season, going 3-0-1 through four games. Rivers FC, on the flipside, has yet to win with a record of 0-4.
An injury has kept Miller sidelined up till now, but Giesbrecht expects she will play in the Chilliwack game.
For more info, visit https://unityfc.team/clubs or https://www.league1bc.ca/
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eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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