SIMCOE COUNTY ROVERS FC

The Rovers began their 2025 League1 ON campaign with an exciting doubleheader this past Saturday.

The Simcoe County Rovers FC men's and women's teams kicked off their 2025 League1 Ontario campaigns on Saturday at J.C. Massie Field in Barrie.

Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall and [Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte Conservative candidate] Doug Shipley were in attendance and handled the opening coin toss for the Rovers women, who faced FC London.

The game got off to an interesting start as Simcoe County came out with an attacking mindset, but conceded an early sixth-minute goal to go down 1-0.

The team remained composed moving the ball well and creating scoring chances. They were rewarded with a fine goal from winger Sydney Atwell in the 16th minute to level the score.

The team struck again right before the half with defender Rylee Traicoff opening her account in the 43rd minute. The Rovers took a well-deserved lead into the break.

The second half saw the Rovers create multiple scoring chances and control the run of play, but the team was unable to find the back of the net.

Veteran defender Michelle Plowman picked up a yellow card in the 68th minute and a second yellow in the 80th minute, which saw the Rovers go down a player.

The team managed to withstand the pressure, and the game finished with a 2-1 Simcoe County Rovers victory.

Coach Zack Wilson was pleased with the effort.

“It’s obviously great to start the season with three points in front of our home fans. We have a very new group that’s still getting to know each other, so there’s a lot of growth ahead of us. But what stood out was the mentality and spirit of the group. You can already feel something special building.

“From the first whistle, the players were supporting each other and