Juan de Fuca Plate (soccer)

Last updated
Juan de Fuca Plate
Juan de Fuca Plate (soccer trophy).jpg
The Juan de Fuca Plate on display
Founded2012
Region British Columbia
Number of teams9 (2025)
Current champions Altitude FC (1st title)
Most successful club(s) Whitecaps FC Academy (3 titles)
Website http://www.juandefucaplate.ca/

The Juan de Fuca Plate is an annual trophy awarded by supporters to the best semi-professional team in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The trophy is currently awarded to the League1 British Columbia club who accrues the greatest number of combined points across the men's and women's divisions. From 2012 through 2019, it was awarded to the winner of the season series of matches played between British Columbian teams in the Premier Development League (later known as USL League Two).

Contents

History

The Juan de Fuca Plate was established in January 2012 by supporters of the Victoria Highlanders and Vancouver Whitecaps U-23 (Lake Side Buoys, Vancouver Southsiders, and Curva Collective), [1] inspired by the Voyageurs Cup and Cascadia Cup to recognize high-level soccer in the province of British Columbia. [2] The trophy was funded through the donations of 24 fans of the two clubs to purchase the plate, which has a base made of BC maple in the shape of the province, as well as a banner to be displayed at matches. [3] It was named after the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Juan de Fuca Plate, which are located just off the coast of British Columbia. [4] From its creation, the trophy was not tied to any specific league and meant to be awarded to the best British Columbia team in the top level non-professional league with multiple teams, based on their matches against each other, which at the time was the Premier Development League. [2]

The inaugural Juan de Fuca Plate was contested between the three BC-based PDL clubs - Victoria Highlanders, Vancouver Whitecaps U23, and the Fraser Valley Mariners. [5] The first match occurred on May 13, 2012 at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, British Columbia between the Victoria Highlanders and the Vancouver Whitecaps U-23. Whitecaps player Tan Long scored the first goal in Juan de Fuca Plate history in the 40th minute, while the first native British Columbian to score was Ben Fisk in the second match of the Plate. The actual Plate itself debuted for the first time July 8, 2012 in the match between the Whitecaps FC and Highlanders. [2] The Whitecaps U23 won the inaugural title. [6] [7]

In 2013, the Plate became a two-team tournament following the Mariners decision to drop down to the Pacific Coast League. [3] [8] The Whitecaps U23 once again won the title in 2013, while the Highlanders won their first title the following year in 2014. [3] After the 2014 season, the Whitecaps U23 PDL team was disbanded due to the creation of a professional second team, Whitecaps FC 2, in USL Pro, leaving the future of the tournament uncertain, [9] with the tournament going on hiatus for 2015 and 2016. [3]

Following the purchase of the PDL Washington Crossfire by a Vancouver-based group in December 2016, [10] which became the TSS FC Rovers, the Juan de Fuca Plate returned in 2017. [11] [12] In the revived two-team tournament in 2017, the Highlanders claimed their second title. [13] [14] In 2018, the TSS Rovers won their first title, defeating the Highlanders over the three legs. [15]

In December 2019, the Victoria Highlanders announced that they will be leaving USL League Two citing possible future sanctioning issues between club and federations involved in playing in cross-border leagues, departing for the Pacific Coast Soccer League for 2020, while plans were made for League1 BC inclusion for 2021. [16] However, the TSS Rovers and Victoria Highlanders announced that the Juan de Fuca Plate would be contested in 2020, even though both clubs were not in the same league, [17] however, it and a possible 2021 competition were both cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning in 2022, League 1 British Columbia was established as a new semi-professional league in British Columbia (with some of the former PDL clubs joining the league - TSS Rovers, Victoria Highlanders, and the Whitecaps FC Academy). It was announced that the club whose teams accrue the greatest number of points across both the men’s and women’s divisions in an aggregate table would win the Juan de Fuca plate. [18] [19]

Participants

Juan de Fuca Plate (soccer)

Results

TeamTitles
Whitecaps FC Academy / U–23 4 (2012, 2013, 2023, 2024)
TSS FC Rovers 2 (2018, 2019)
Victoria Highlanders FC 2 (2014, 2017)
Nautsa’mawt FC [a] 1 (2022)
Altitude FC 1 (2025)

Year-by-year results

Summary

YearLeagueTeamsChampions
2012 PDL 3 Whitecaps FC U-23
2013 2 Whitecaps FC U-23
2014 Victoria Highlanders FC
20150Not awarded
20161
2017 2 Victoria Highlanders FC
2018 TSS FC Rovers
2019 USL2 TSS FC Rovers
2020N/ANot awarded
2021
2022 L1BC 7 Varsity FC
2023 8 Whitecaps FC Academy
2024 7 Whitecaps FC Academy
2025 9 Altitude FC

PDL era

2012

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
#5 Whitecaps U-23 6411166+1013
#6 Victoria Highlanders 6411126+613
#8 Fraser Valley Mariners 6006117–160
May 13, 2012 Victoria Highlanders FC 1–1 Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 Victoria
Gorman Soccerball shade.svg45' Report Long Soccerball shade.svg40'Stadium: Royal Athletic Park
Attendance: 1,172

2013

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
#3 Whitecaps U-23 311187+14
#1 Victoria Highlanders 311178–14

2014

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
#2 Victoria Highlanders 220086+26
#3 Whitecaps U-23 200268–20

2017

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
#4 Victoria Highlanders 320143+16
#6 TSS FC Rovers 310234–13

2018

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
#4 TSS FC Rovers 320154+16
#5 Victoria Highlanders 310245–13

2019

TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
#6 TSS FC Rovers 21013 [b] 303
#4 Victoria Highlanders 21013303
  1. Nautsa’mawt FC was known as Varsity FC when they won their 2022 title.
  2. Vancouver TSS FC Rovers won 3–1 on away goals.
June 7, 2019 TSS Rovers FC 0–1 Victoria Highlanders FC Burnaby
19:00 Report Shumbusho Soccerball shade.svg44' (pen.)Stadium: Swangard Stadium
Referee: Seyed Mohammad Mohseni
July 5, 2019 Victoria Highlanders FC 2–3 TSS Rovers FC Saanich
19:15 Takano Soccerball shade.svg6' (pen.)
Davidson Soccerball shade.svg60'
Report Pang Soccerball shade.svg10'
Rahieme Soccerball shade.svg44'
Polisi Soccerball shade.svg45' (pen.)
Stadium: Centennial Stadium
Referee: Cole Shoemaker

L1BC era

Beginning in 2022, the Juan de Fuca Plate would be awarded to the League1 British Columbia club with the highest combined point total between the men's and women's divisions.

2022

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1 Varsity FC (C)2420135820+3861
2 TSS FC Rovers 2412754630+1643
3 Whitecaps FC Academy 2412574438+641
4 Unity FC 24113104034+636
5 Victoria Highlanders FC 24631535501521
6 Altitude FC 24541525462119
7 Rivers FC 24451524543017
Source: Juan de Fuca Plate
(C) Champions

2023

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1 Whitecaps FC Academy (C)2816847331+4256
2 TSS FC Rovers 2815585535+2050
3 Nautsa’mawt FC 2813785735+2246
4 Victoria Highlanders FC 2813693435145
5 Unity FC 2812886140+2144
6 Altitude FC 28681436511526
7 Harbourside FC 28661632703824
8 Rivers FC 28541935865119
Source: Juan de Fuca Plate
(C) Champions

2024

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1 Whitecaps FC Academy (C)2415637029+4151
2 TSS FC Rovers 2412575143+841
3 Unity FC 2411674735+1239
4 Altitude FC 2487936471131
5 Burnaby FC 24751242551326
6 Harbourside FC 24741336511525
7 Rivers FC 24551430481820
Source: Juan de Fuca Plate
(C) Champions

2025

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1 Altitude FC (C)3020737424+5067
2 TSS FC Rovers 3016686840+2854
3 Whitecaps & Rise Academies30153126752+1548
4 Langley United 30146105343+1048
5 Unity FC 30111186156+544
6 Burnaby FC 30981341531235
7 Evolution FC 32981546692335
8 Kamloops United FC 30751842773526
9 Nanaimo United FC 30561934723821
Updated to match(es) played on July 19, 2025. Source: L1BC Schedules and Standings
(C) Champions

References

  1. Massey, Benjamin (May 17, 2013). "Juan De Fuca Plate Act Two, Scene One: British Columbia's Supporters Soccer Championship". Maple Leaf Forever. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Juan de Fuca Plate: History". Juan de Fuca Plate. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 McColl, Michael (June 22, 2017). "The Juan De Fuca Plate is back! – All you need to know about the trophy and its history". Away from the Numbers.
  4. McColl, Michael (July 6, 2012). "Juan de Fuca Plate on the line Sunday as PDL action heats up". Metro News . Archived from the original on August 26, 2014.
  5. Devji, Farhan (July 8, 2012). "Juan De Fuca Plate up for grabs this Sunday in Richmond". Vancouver Whitecaps FC .
  6. Nanavaty, Joshua (July 12, 2012). "Whitecaps FC U-23 end PDL season with Juan de Fuca Plate triumph". Vancouver Whitecaps FC .
  7. Goodwin, Ted (July 13, 2012). "Whitecaps Win Inaugural JdF Plate". Lake Side Buoys.
  8. Timko, Brandon (May 16, 2013). "Preview: Whitecaps FC U-23 vs. Victoria Highlanders FC in first match for Juan de Fuca Plate". Vancouver Whitecaps FC . Archived from the original on April 22, 2016.
  9. "The Fate of the Juan de Fuca Plate". Eighty-Six Forever. December 1, 2014.
  10. Gray, Shawn (December 21, 2016). "The Juan de Fuca Plate: Will a mystery Vancouver team challenge Victoria Highlanders in BC?". NSXI Network.
  11. McColl, Michael (May 27, 2018). "The 2018 Juan De Fuca Plate kicks off in Victoria with TSS Rovers out for revenge". Away from the Numbers.
  12. Gray, Shawn (June 24, 2017). "Highlanders Ahead in Juan". NSXI Network.
  13. Dheensaw, Cleve (May 26, 2018). "Victoria Highlanders play for Juan de Fuca Plate and points". Times Colonist .
  14. Rendle, Joshua (June 3, 2018). "Highlanders visit TSS FC Rovers in Juan de Fuca Plate action". Victoria Highlanders .
  15. McColl, Michael (June 4, 2018). "TSS Rovers v Victoria Highlanders – The Juan De Fuca Plate Winning Story In Pictures". Away from the Numbers.
  16. de Frias, Mark (December 13, 2019). "Higlanders League Update 2020, 2021 and Beyond". Victoria Highlanders.
  17. @VictoriaGooner (February 21, 2020). "Breaking News" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  18. "About the Juan de Fuca Plate". Juan de Fuca Plate. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  19. Steiner, Ben (July 9, 2022). "L1BC Weekend Preview and Power Rankings". 49 Sport.