April 5 at Langley United: First Game Complete! Onto the Next.

First game of 2026 complete and only one week until our big home opener against the Whitecaps and Rise FC Academies - it’s an exciting time of year!

WOMEN’S GAME - NUFC 0-0 Langley United

“It was a beautiful debut with an incredible group. We were the stronger team, but that's football,” Coach Souza reported. “We will come back even stronger next week.”

Nanaimo United women showed in their first game of the season that they could be a tough matchup for most teams in the BCPL. In the first half, centre back Kate Reynolds ran onto a pass from way outside the box & took a crack at goal that almost hit the top left corner. Avery Henderson followed with another shot from the top of the box which narrowly missed the target. Receiving the ball with her back to the net, she escaped her defender, made a quick turn and fired a shot just past the top left corner. 

In the second half, Mary Nicholls, another centre back, drove forward and launched a shot from way outside the box which clipped the crossbar on the way over. Nicholls followed up with another similar attempt later in the half that the goalkeeper only just got her hands to.

Goalkeeper Kaiden Thorpe, recent recipient of the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council’s Premier’s Award for Indigenous Youth Sport Excellence, made an excellent diving save towards the end of the first half, keeping the clean sheet. 

Here are the stats:

Possession: 57%

Shots: 6

Passes: 275

Fouls: 9

No cards given

Captain Kate Reynolds.

MEN’S GAME - NUFC 0-4 Langley United

Our men had a difficult season opener against a Langley United men’s team who won the 2025 BC Premier League season and qualified to compete in the *2026 TELUS Canadian Championship with their first game on May 10th against CPL team Vancouver FC.

The game itself was more balanced than the final score would suggest. Langley, with 3 professional players from Vancouver FC in their game day roster, struck first after a cross from the left evaded the NUFC defenders and was tucked away in the back post. Our men battled back well and created several opportunities of their own but Langley snatched a second around the hour mark. Suka Behery looked to be fouled in the build up but play continued. After a great block by Ashton Bryant, the ball fell to Langley #15 Lucas Friend who fired home.

Langley added a 3rd after a great strike from the edge of the box and wrapped the game up late with a deflected free kick which goalkeeper Mike Heppelle could do nothing about. 

The team will reflect on the game as a good opportunity to test themselves against one of the strongest teams in the BCPL, as well as some Canadian professional players. A true testament of being in the “pro-am” BC Premier League system. There is plenty of work to be done but no shortage of quality in the NUFC ranks and lots of season left to play.

Jimmy Steel, a new member of the NUFC squad, filled us in on his experience so far:

It has been great coming onto the team, the training environment is super positive and everyone has been very welcoming. It’s very cool that there is a pathway between men’s soccer in Vancouver Island and the BCPL. I think the major take away from the game we can have is that we are more than capable of competing with the very best and we will only go on from here.

“We played the best team in the league” Hussein (Suka) Behery noted, “they were better but…we had very good chances.” 

Josh Rayner, Declan Brown, Joseph Hare-Goss

*The TELUS Canadian Championship is the nation’s highest domestic knockout tournament featuring clubs from coast to coast competing for the Voyageurs Cup. The Men’s 2026 TELUS Canadian Championship brings together 15 qualified clubs from Major League Soccer, the Canadian Premier League, and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada to determine Canada’s best team in the annual Battle of the North. Winners of the domestic TELUS Canadian Championship qualify for the annual international competition Concacaf Champions Cup on the road to the FIFA Club World Cup. (Canada Soccer)

NEXT UP

Our squads have 3 games in the next week and a half! Here’s the schedule:

• Saturday, April 11 at Burnaby FC

• HOME OPENER / CLUB NIGHT on Tuesday April 14, Merle Logan 

  • Women at 5:30 PM

  • Men at 6 PM

• Reid Davidson Charity Shield, match #1 vs. Kamloops FC on Saturday April 18 at Q’unq’inuqwstuxw Stadium.

Grab your season passes and single game tickets here. 

See you at the turfs!