While last year’s playoff triumph remains fresh in the minds of the Vancouver Rise, both players and coaches recognize that the expectations of this season have been ramped up.
Last season, clubs throughout the Northern Super League had a lot of leniency. It was a brand-new league with brand-new clubs, players who had never played with one another as full squads, coaches who were discovering what they had to work with and organizations often flying blind as they tried to get every moving piece working together.
This year, a lot of the uncertainty is gone. Squads are going through the typical refreshing that all squads go through in an off-season, not starting from the ground up. And coaches have playing philosophies and tactical preferences that are suited to their players.
Front offices also have the benefit of being a year wiser, too.
Rise head coach Anja Heiner-Møller said the “technical level is just way higher this year.”
“We’re also not starting from scratch here. We don’t have to explain everything. So, it’s nice to have a group of players who know how we want to play and the speed of play.”
The Rise won the inaugural Diana B. Matheson Trophy for winning the NSL Playoffs in a 2-1 match over. AFC Toronto. There is a hunger to do it again but also the recognition that winning places a target on your back.
“It’s excitement and hunger because now we tried that … and we want that again,” Heiner-Møller said. “We also know the other teams will come even harder this year. So everyone was kind of figuring out what is the level of the league, and now we know that. And everyone wants to be better.”
Rise striker Mariah Lee was one of those players who hoisted that trophy last season. But as any athlete will say, you’re only as good as your last game.
“Winning and all is always nice, and we still have a sense of pride,” Lee said. “And I think we’re really just thinking about building on last year. So, we just all want to come here and elevate the standard every day. We have high expectations for the group.”
So far this season, the watchword has been improvement. Lee said the group wants to strive to be better. Coming back to relationships that were forged under the pressures of last season is one thing, she says, that makes this easier.
“Last year, no one knew each other. You don’t know what to expect, so it was very different. This year is definitely more calm. Last year, there was more just excitement and nervousness. Now, we’re already close friends, already have relationships, and just adding different faces makes a different dynamic, but it’s been fun.”
One such new face is defender Sura Yekka. The 18-time capped Canadian international most recently played for Djurgårdens IF in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan, the highest level of professional football in that country.
Yekka said there was a lot of talk in her previous club last season about the NSL.
“There were a couple of people on my Swedish team who knew all over the league. And they were all curious, like ‘How is it?’, ‘How are things?’ And I told them pretty positive things because at the time, I wasn’t here, but from the people I knew on different teams, I’ve only heard positive things.”
She called the transition to the Rise “seamless” and credited knowing some of the players and staff previously.
“I was able to watch their journeys and follow their journey throughout the season. And I’m very excited to join the team because, obviously, the team wants to repeat that and also do more. And I want to support the team as much as I can to achieve those goals.”
Last season, the Rise finished the regular season with a 11W-6D-8L record, good enough for third in the NSL standings. They tied with Ottawa Rapid with 39 points, but the Canadian capital club took second overall by way of goal difference.
Season starting
The Rise get their new season underway on Apr. 24 against the club they defeated in the playoff final, AFC Toronto.
That game is at Swangard Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
