Calgary Wild FC Game Day Notes
Halifax Tides FC – April 26, 2025
A dream start with three goals in the first 25 minutes fueled the Calgary Wild FC to their first ever victory in Northern Super League history, beating the Halifax Tides FC 4-1.
“I thought from start to finish, we dominated,” said head coach Lydia Bedford of her team’s commanding win. “For us it’s about being front-footed, from an out-of-possession perspective we wanted to show our intensity and from an in-possession perspective we wanted to show the calmness that we’ve been there and done it in the NSL and we know how to control the game.”
After getting blanked in the League’s inaugural match last week against the Vancouver Rise FC, a new-look starting lineup wasted no time cranking up the heat on a soggy, cool day in the Maritimes, scoring twice in the opening seven minutes, and three times in 25 minutes.
Meikayla Moore’s name will go into the history books as the first ever goal scorer for the Calgary Wild FC. The three-time Olympian kicked things off by jumping into the box, and successfully converting a header behind Halifax goalkeeper, Erin McLeod.
“I’m absolutely chuffed to get on the board, especially our first goal for the Club, it’s really special,” said the Wild FC defender. “Scoring goals is not my mainstay as a defender, but whenever we get an attacking free kick, especially in that area, it’s certainly my job to try to put my head on it and today I was able to do that.”
Moore took a high-curling pass from 17-year-old Taegan Stewart, who along with her twin sister Keelyn, are the second youngest players in the league.
“It was surreal to have the assist on the first ever Wild FC goal. As soon as I saw the ball coming to me, I knew I had to hit it back post and Meikayla was there to get her head on it. I’m super excited, but now we need to keep going and keep scoring,” said Taegan Stewart, who made her first professional start.
“As soon as I found out the starting lineup, I was nervous, but the girls supported me through the whole 90 minutes and Keelyn reminded me of all the things I’ve done to get here and all the people who have supported me. This is for them and my hometown club.”
The determined squad from the Stampede City were relentless on their attack throughout the 90-minute affair. Five minutes later, captain Megan Dougherty-Howard jumped on a loose ball off a corner kick from Jaclyn Sawicki and banked it off a Tides defender to sneak it into the corner of the net.
The Wild FC added one more tally before heading into the locker room at half-time. Two quick passes from Moore and Sarah Griffith ended up on the foot of Aussie, Kahli Johnson, who booted her first of two in the match.
Halifax broke Wild FC’s shutout at the 60-minute mark when Markia Guay put one behind goalkeeper, Stephanie Bukovec, from the box for their lone score out of nine total shots.
Controlling possession for 61 per cent of the time in the match, the Wild FC made the Tides pay for a defensive lapse at the 81-minute mark when Kahli Johnson notched her second tally of the evening to put the game out of reach.
“It’s always good to get the season off to a good start. I was happy to go out there, play our way and score on two good chances,” said Johnson of her two-goal night and team performance.
“Obviously, we want to score goals. That’s how you win games, but equally, we know how important defence is and I think our backline and goalkeeper really showed how good they can execute that tonight. It was a really good game all around.”
The Wild FC now have one win and one loss.
Discipline
38’ – Yellow: Gunny Jónsdóttir (Halifax Tides FC)
77’ – Yellow: Sera Olai (Halifax Tides FC)
Video Highlights of Halifax Tides FC
Media can access video highlights from the opening match on the Northern Super League YouTube Channel
Match Summary
A complete match summary and stats can be viewed here.
Did You Know
- Three-time Olympian, Meikayla Moore, etched her name in the history books as the first ever goal scorer in the history of the Calgary Wild FC after successfully completing a header past Halifax keeper Erin McLeod just two minutes into the match.
- Calgary Wild FC forward, Christie Gray, celebrated her 26th birthday with the Club’s first ever win.
- Wanderers Grounds Stadium in Halifax is the only natural grass venue in the Northern Super League.
- Calgary Wild FC will remain in Eastern Canada over the next week where they will prepare for their next match against AFC Toronto. Four players on the Calgary Wild FC are originally from the Toronto area: Serita Thurton; Farkhunda Muhtaj; Sonia O’Neill; and Stephanie Bukovec.
Link to Game Day Photos
Media can access photos from the match against Halifax Tides FC here.
Photo Credit: James Bennett
On the Radar
May 5 at AFC Toronto at 5 p.m. MDT (Streaming TSN+/US Streaming ESPN+)
May 11 vs Ottawa Rapid FC at 5 p.m. MDT (Streaming TSN+/US Streaming ESPN+)
2025 Northern Super League Schedule
Secure Your Seat
Tickets for the Calgary Wild FC home opener presented by Cenovous Energy, May 11 against Ottawa Rapid FC, are available now at https://www.calgarywildfc.com/single-game-tickets Bring your families and friends and celebrate Mother’s Day with Calgary Wild FC while launching a new era of professional women’s football in Alberta.
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: hpprchris@shaw.ca