Heat women selected to play in WPSL with Rovers

Erica Lampert, a Kelowna Secondary grad, and Andrea Stinson, a product of Neslon, were the only two Canada West players selected to suit up with the TSS FC Rovers in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) this coming season.

Lampert, a freshman midfielder for the Heat this past fall, and Stinson, also a midfielder, who completed her final year of U SPORTS competition, will join Canadian National Team members Jordyn Huitema and Julia Grosso for the club’s inaugural season. The 21-player Rovers’ roster also features 10 players from Division 1 NCAA teams as well as five from the OUA and RSEQ combined, both conferences of U SPORTS.

The WPSL consists of 106 teams across 17 conferences — with clubs in Canada, the U.S., and Puerto Rico — and the Rovers will be playing in the eight-team Northwest Conference in the West Region that also features teams from Washington and Oregon.

Both Lampert and Stinson had outstanding seasons with the Heat this past fall. Stinson was tied for second on the team in points and Lampert started in every match for the Heat as a first-year player. Lampert was a finalist for Rookie of the Year, while Stinson was a finalist for Graduating Player of the Year at the UBCO awards banquet held last month.

The new Rovers team will play an eight-game season, comprised of four home and four away matches, kicking off May 25 at home against FCM Portland. The home field will rotate between three venues: Newtown Athletic Stadium in Surrey, Mercer Stadium in New Westminster, and Swangard Stadium in Burnaby.