Latest News

Check out this preview ahead of the upcoming Kamloops International Cup women’s match.

Kamloops International Cup Match Preview: League1 BC Women Selects vs. Arsenal U21 Women

The Kamloops International Cup kicks off in style on Sunday, July 27, as the League1 BC Women Selects — a group of distinguished players who competed in British Columbia’s pro-am league this season — face Arsenal U21 Women in the first match of the six-game competition.

Here’s everything you need to know before kickoff on Sunday night:

Match Details

League1 BC Women Selects vs. Arsenal U21 Women
Hillside Stadium, Kamloops, B.C.
6:30 p.m. PT

The Competition

This is the second edition of the Kamloops International Cup, a showcase hosted by Kamloops United Football Club, the City of Kamloops, and Tourism Kamloops that brings in top academy teams to face local B.C. sides.

The League1 BC Women Selects team will be looking for its first win in the competition when it faces Arsenal on Sunday, after falling 2–0 to Aston Villa U21 Women last August.

The Squad

This year’s League1 BC Women Selects squad features players from seven League1 sides: Kamloops United FC, Altitude FC, TSS Rovers FC, Burnaby FC, Langley United, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Unity FC.

Local clubs Kamloops United FC and Altitude FC — this year’s League1 BC champions, who will represent the province in the 2025 League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championships next month — lead the way with four players each.

Here’s the full League1 BC Women Selects squad for the 2025 League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championships:

Abigail Anderson (Unity FC); Zahra Bains (Vancouver Rise FC Academy); Erin Bhandal (TSS Rovers FC); Emily Clark (Kamloops United FC); Shanya Dhindsa (Altitude FC); Myla Ewasiuk (Vancouver Rise FC Academy); Charity Field (Unity FC); Kelsey Fisher (Altitude FC); Mackenzie Fitzgerald (Langley United); Cara Freeman (Kamloops United FC); Erin Freeman (Kamloops United FC); Aurora Hughes-Goyette (Altitude FC); Taylor Miller (Kamloops United FC); Racquel Partovi (Vancouver Rise FC Academy); Paige Payne (Altitude FC); Isabella Santoianni (Burnaby FC).

Three players to watch

Abigail Anderson, 17, joined Unity FC from the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy (now the Vancouver Rise Academy) ahead of the 2025 League1 BC season, and her impact on her new club was immediate. She earned three League1 BC Team of the Week nods and was featured in the league’s Team of the Month for May. Anderson scored three goals for Unity in 2025, logging 856 minutes over 16 matches.

Zahra Bains, 17, made waves in League1 BC for the Vancouver Rise FC Academy in 2025 as a three-time member of the League1 BC Team of the Week, a member of the league’s Team of the Month for April, and recipient of the Gatorade Performance of the Week for Matchweek 16. Bains’ consistent performances earned her a special nod from her teammates: she was honoured with Vancouver Rise FC Academy’s Player’s Player of the Year Award, as voted by her peers. She scored four goals over 14 matches in 2025.

Paige Payne, 26, helped make Altitude FC’s attack the most potent in League1 BC in 2025, scoring two goals over 10 appearances in her first season with the club. Payne brought extensive experience to Altitude’s setup — not only as a former League1 BC player for Victoria Highlanders FC but also as a record-setter for the University of Northern British Columbia women’s soccer program. Known as the “Pride of Kitimat,” Payne, a former Canada West All-Star, remains the all-time leader in goals, assists, and points for the Timberwolves.

The Opposition

Arsenal FC U21 Women arrive in Kamloops fresh off a title-winning season, having clinched the PGA League Under-21 Division One title in May. The side won nine of their 14 matches. Their title is one of several highlights within the Arsenal Women’s Program in 2025, including winning the 2024/2025 Women’s Champions League in May.

Up Next

The League1 BC Men Selects will face Nottingham Forest U21 on Thursday, July 31, at 6:30 p.m. PT.

More information about the Kamloops International Cup and tickets to the event can be found at www.kamloopsinternationalcup.com.