[Photos by Alexander Shemetov, shemetov.com, @photo.calgary.]

CALGARY, AB – Calgary Foothills League 1 Alberta Men’s and Women’s teams will play host to rival Calgary teams July 21 at Broadview Park.  The double-header will mark the end of Foothills’ home games in the League’s inaugural regular season.

Our Foothills WFC team kicks off at 5:30 p.m., taking on Calgary Blizzard WSC (Blizzard). Blizzard outscored Foothills WFC in their last match, so the team is gearing up to outplay them during this final outing.

Head Coach, Sarah Taylor, expects a great performance from her team. Taylor says, “The team has been playing well, winning three out of our last four matches. We have something to prove July 21; playing against Blizzard guarantees a competitive match. I expect a close and exciting showing from both sides.”

Ella Djuranic is a talented young player and has had an exceptional season so far for Foothills. She plays for the University of Calgary Dinos and has established herself as a valuable member of her team. One of Djuranic’s most impressive achievements came when she played a year up as part of the 2002 girls’ team that won the Youth National Championship. She began playing with Foothills WFC at the U11 level and continued with the Club until she moved on to the Dinos.

At 8:00 p.m., our men’s Foothills FC team square off against Cavalry FC U21, to cap off their home games in a stellar League-leading performance. Their top spot position means Calgary will be the location of the July 28th Championship. “Our guys are looking to end the season on a high note by winning our last couple games,” says Jay Wheeldon, Head Coach of the squad. “It is especially sweet knowing we have won the League’s first regular season. Solid performances against Cavalry U21 on Friday and our final away game against Edmonton BTB on Sunday would give us momentum going into the championship round.”

Mohamed El Gandour currently leads the Foothills squad in points this season with four goals in six games. El Gandour began his soccer career as an academy player with Southwest United before being drafted by Cavalry in the U SPORTS 2020 draft. Since then, he has featured in the Foothills U23 and Cavalry AMSL teams. During his time at Mount Royal, El Gandour set records as the all-time leading goal scorer for the Cougars. He was also named to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team, and his contributions were further recognized in 2021-22 when he was named the U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Player of the Year.

The July 21^st matches will begin at 5:30 p.m. at 2005 Broadview Rd NW, Calgary, AB. Tickets to the Calgary Clash Double-Header can be found here.

ABOUT LEAGUE 1 ALBERTA

League 1 Alberta is the province of Alberta’s Pro-Am, standards-based senior league.  Founded in 2023 and in its inaugural exhibition season, the League comprises five teams in the men’s and women’s divisions, with Foothills fielding a team in each. The League was announced in 2023 as an exhibition series. It plans to fully launch in 2024 with membership in Canada League 1.

ABOUT FOOTHILLS WFC LEAGUE 1

Foothills WFC has operated in Calgary and competed in the United Women’s Soccer League since 2017. The team’s mandate is to be a bridge for the game’s future stars to develop and succeed in Canada while providing our fans with a premier sporting experience. The team is excited to participate in League 1 Alberta competition to support its pathway to the long-awaited Canadian Women’s Professional Soccer League (Project 8), set to kick off in 2025. Foothills WFC League 1 team is coached by Sarah Taylor.

ABOUT FOOTHILLS FC LEAGUE 1

The Foothills Men’s team program is formally affiliated with Cavalry FC. The team previously participated in USL League Two (formerly PDL), a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada until 2020. The team participated in the Western Division, which intermittently had the Portland Thorns, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps MLS development teams in the League. Foothills was a consistent contender with three Division titles, two Conference titles, was National runner-up, and won a National US Championship. The team is led by head coach Jay Wheeldon, a former professional player with Cavalry FC.

ABOUT OUR LEAGUE 1 SPONSORS 

Foothills FC and Foothills WFC would like to thank its sponsors: Acera Insurance, Daveta Energy Services, JOW Project Solutions, First Choice Millwork, and SECURE Energy Services.

Media contact:

Claire Mikuska
(403) 801-6551
claire@calmstrategyinc.com