Vancouver Island FC
{{Use Canadian English|date=November 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Short description|Canadian soccer team}}
{{about|the original club|the merged and current team|Victoria Highlanders Women}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Vancouver Island FC
| image = File:Vancouver_Island_FC.png
| fullname = Vancouver Island Football Club
| founded = 2018
| nickname =
| stadium =
| capacity =
| season = 2019
| chairman =
| mgrtitle = Head coach
| manager = Neil Sedgwick
| league = WPSL
| position = 2nd, Northwest
| website = http://wpslvancouverisland.ca/
}}
Vancouver Island FC was a Canadian women's soccer team based in Victoria, British Columbia that played in Women's Premier Soccer League. In 2021, the team merged with the male Victoria Highlanders to serve as the club's women's club in League1 British Columbia, where they will operate as the Victoria Highlanders Women.
History
In October 2018, it was announced that a women's soccer team in Victoria, British Columbia would be formed to compete in the US-based Women's Premier Soccer League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/sports/victoria-joins-womens-largest-soccer-league-in-the-world/|title=Victoria joins women’s largest soccer league in the world|first=Lindsey|last=Horsting|date=October 4, 2018|work=Vancouver Island Free Daily}} They would be the league second Canadian franchise along with the TSS FC Rovers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/multiple-unbc-womens-soccer-players-making-the-jump-from-the-den-to-the-island-1440996|title=Multiple UNBC women's soccer players making the jump from the den to the island|first=Jess|last=Balzer|date=May 11, 2019|work=Prince George Citizen}} Women's soccer had previously existed in Victoria, with the Victoria Highlanders Women previously playing in the USL W-League in 2011 and 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/underthelights/2019/7/21/vancouver-island-fc|title=Vancouver Island FC|date=July 22, 2019|work=Protagonist Soccer}} Despite having a different ownership from the professional men's team Pacific FC, which also began play in 2019, Vancouver Island FC chose a similar colour scheme to share common aspects,{{cite web|url=https://btsvancity.com/2020/01/30/opinion-could-professional-womens-soccer-one-day-come-to-british-columbia/|title=Could professional women’s soccer one day come to British Columbia?|date=January 30, 2020|work=Between the Sticks|first=Ben|last=Steiner}} also playing out of the same stadium, Westhills Stadium.{{Cite web|url=https://nsxinetwork.com/interview-with-vancouver-island-fc-inaugural-signing-alexis-mckinty/|title=Interview with Vancouver Island FC Inaugural Signing Alexis McKinty|date=April 19, 2019|first=Maxwell|last=Mowbray|work=Northern Starting XI}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.timescolonist.com/sports/vancouver-island-fc-womens-soccer-squad-debuts-at-westhills-stadium-this-weekend-4673642|title=Vancouver Island FC women's soccer squad debuts at Westhills Stadium this weekend|date=June 14, 2019|work=Times Colonist|first=Cleve|last=Dheensaw}}
They played their first exhibition match on May 12, 2019 against TSS FC Rovers winning 3-1.{{Cite web|url=https://nsxinetwork.com/vancouver-island-fc-announce-inaugural-rosters-and-play-tss-rovers-in-first-friendlies/|title=Vancouver Island FC Announce Inaugural Rosters and Play TSS Rovers In First Friendlies|date=May 12, 2019|first=Maxwell|last=Mowbray|work=Northern Starting XI}}
They made their official league debut on May 18 against the Spokane Shadow,{{Cite web|url=https://www.timescolonist.com/sports/vancouver-island-fc-takes-first-kick-at-womens-premier-soccer-league-4672850|work=Times Colonist|first=Cleve|last=Dheensaw|date=May 17, 2019|title=Vancouver Island FC takes first kick at Women’s Premier Soccer League}} losing by a score of 2-0.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timescolonist.com/sports/spokane-tops-vancouver-island-in-womens-soccer-4672873|title=Spokane tops Vancouver Island in women’s soccer|date=May 18, 2019|work=Times Colonist|first=Cleve|last=Dheensaw}}
In their second game of the season, they defeated the reigning champions Seattle Sounders Women by a score of 2-1 for the franchise's first official victory.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vicnews.com/news/vancouver-island-fc-a-magnet-for-womens-soccer-talent/|title=Vancouver Island FC a magnet for women’s soccer talent|date=June 9, 2019|first=Nick|last=Murray|work=Victoria News}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.timescolonist.com/sports/vancouver-island-fc-beats-womens-soccer-league-champs-for-first-franchise-win-4673086|title=Vancouver Island FC beats women’s soccer league champs for first franchise win|date=May 27, 2019|work=Times Colonist|first=Cleve|last=Dheensaw}}
They finished their debut season with a record of 6 wins and 2 losses, finishing in second place in the Northwest Conference, scoring 17 goals, while conceding 11.{{cite web|url=https://www.cheknews.ca/vancouver-island-fc-ends-debut-season-in-dominant-fashion-581547/|title=Vancouver Island FC ends debut season in dominant fashion|date=July 7, 2019|work=CHEK-DT}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/unbc-soccer-coach-awarded-for-expansion-efforts-in-womens-professional-league-1649217|title=UNBC soccer coach awarded for expansion efforts in women’s professional league|first=Kyle|last=Balzer|work=Prince George Citizen|date=August 20, 2019}} At the end of the 2019 season, the club was named the WPSL's Franchise of the Year.{{cite web|url=http://www.highlandersfc.ca/news/victoria-highlanders-fc-join-newly-formed-league-1|title=Victoria Highlanders FC Join Newly-Formed League1 BC|date=November 26, 2021|first=Mark|last=DeFrias|work=Victoria Highlanders FC}} The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/wpsl-cancels-2020-summer-season_aid48005|title=WPSL cancels 2020 summer season|first=Travis|last=Clark|work=Top Drawer Soccer|date=April 30, 2020}}
In 2021, it was announced that the club would be merging with the male Victoria Highlanders to begin play in the new League1 British Columbia women's division, under the Highlanders name, reforming the Victoria Highlanders Women who last played in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://bcsoccer.net/news/post/league1bc-welcomes-victoria-highlanders-as-founding-license-holder|title=League1BC welcomes Victoria Highlanders as founding License Holder|work=British Columbia Soccer Association|date=November 26, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/league1-bc-victoria-highlanders/|title=Victoria Highlanders Begin New Chapter In League1 BC|date=November 26, 2021|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}}
Seasons
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!Season!!League!!Division!!Teams!!{{tooltip|Record|Wins, draws, losses}}!!Rank!!Playoffs!!Ref |
| 2019
|rowspan=3|WPSL |Northwest Conference |9 |6–0–2 |2nd |none |{{cite web|url=https://wpslsoccer.sportngin.com/page/show/4817521-vancouver-island-fc?subseason=559894|title=WPSL Northwest Conference 2019|work=Women's Premier Soccer League}} |
| 2020
|colspan=5|Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |