The Halifax Tides FC had one extra shot on target which was enough to top the Calgary Wild FC in a spirited affair on a hot and humid Maritime night at Wanderers Grounds stadium.
Halifax’s ace midfielder, Megumi Nakamura, chipped one past Wild FC keeper, Stephanie Bukovec, at the 36-minute mark of the opening half and the Tides held on for their second victory of the season.
“It was a hard one for us tonight. I think overall the team played with great spirit, and togetherness. It could have quite easily finished as a nil-nil draw, but we were quite unfortunate to concede on the second phase of a set piece which we will go away and reflect on,” said Lydia Bedford, head coach, Calgary Wild FC.
The first match following a two-week international break combined with a banged up Wild FC roster made it difficult for the Wild Roses to mount an offensive attack.
“Right now, we are riding a little patch where player availability is a struggle for us. You saw tonight that we had five on the bench and four of them were senior players,” added Bedford. “We are trying to make sure the players who are unavailable are getting back to fitness, but in the meantime, we have to stick together and be competitive. Overall, the team can be pleased that we didn’t concede an open play goal, but we need more to try and make sure that we can not only be defensively sound but that we can also catch teams.”
Using nearly every player available to them in hopes of having fresh legs on the pitch, the Calgary Wild FC controlled possession for 54 per cent of the time, but most of it was at the back end.
“I feel like we look after the ball at the back end, but it is just that final pass and final shot that we seem to be lacking on,” said Bedford. “We will keep working on it and the players will keep giving everything. Hopefully it will click for us over the next couple of weeks.”
Playing in front of their parents and grandparents who call Nova Scotia home, the feisty teenage Stewart twins were poised to find a breakthrough moment in front of the boisterous Bluenose crowd.
“I think we stuck together well as a team and kept trying to fight through it tonight,” said Taegan Stewart, who started the match. “We had one or two chances that we could have put in the back of the net, but I think we were just one second slow in the movement.”
Putting the pressure on late in the match in hopes of trying to convert a shot on target, the Calgary Wild FC weren’t able to push through the force of the Tides and dropped to a 3-5-2 record.
“It’s a tradeoff (late in the game). You can push for more and end up conceding one. It was good that when we were pushing, we didn’t get hurt but now it’s just needing that final pass in those final moments,” said Bedford. “I think we showed that we can be resilient tonight but just didn’t have enough quality in front of the goal. We might have to keep tweaking the way we are playing to create more chances.”
The Calgary Wild FC will have a short week to adjust their plan of attack. They will ride into McMahon Stadium during Stampede week for a home match against the Vancouver Rise FC, July 12.
Quotes from the Pitch
“It’s really special for Keelan and I to play in Halifax because our grandparents are from here, but they haven’t been able to watch us play in person. So, it’s special for us to come back here and play in front of them.”
… Taegan Stewart
Free Kicks
- Halifax Tides FC had eight shots with two on target to Calgary Wild FC’s four shots and one on target;
- Midfielder Jaclyn Sawicki was unavailable to play on Monday night having just arrived back to Canada after being called up to the Philippines Women’s National Football Team for a three-match stint in Cambodia where the Filipinas squared off against Saudi Arabia, Cambodia and Hong Kong. Sawicki celebrated one goal and victories in each of her squad’s three matches;
- Sarah Griffith’s loan from the Chicago Stars FC has officially concluded. The Calgary Wild FC were grateful for her time in the Stampede City and wish her all the best in the next chapter of her journey.
Video Highlights of Match vs Halifax Tides FC
Media can access video highlights from the opening match on the Northern Super League YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NorthernSuperLeague
Match Summary
A complete match summary and stats can be viewed at:
https://www.calgarywildfc.com/games/halifax-calgary-2025-07-07?tab=stats
Secure Your Seat
Tickets for all Calgary Wild FC matches are available at https://www.calgarywildfc.com/single-game-tickets.
About Calgary Wild FC
Calgary Wild FC is one off six teams in the newly created Northern Super League which will begin its inaugural season in 2025, featuring some of the best women’s soccer players in the world. Shop our exclusive merch and be one of the early #fansinthewild. For the latest news and information on Calgary Wild FC, visit www.calgarywildfc.com or follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and X. Follow the league at www.nsl.ca.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan
Calgary Wild FC
T: 403-620-8731
E-mail: chrisdornan@calgarywildfc.com