‘We want to be the actual wildcard’: Wild FC optimistic heading into Year 2

The Calgary Wild will start their season facing off against the Montreal Roses at McMahon Stadium. The team is hoping for redemption in its second season.

Calgary Wild’s first season in the Northern Super League didn’t go according to plan.

They finished in fifth place and missed the playoffs.

Captain Meggie Dougherty Howard says she has plenty of motivation heading into Year 2.

“I have a chip on my shoulder. Not making the playoffs is very disappointing,” the midfielder said.

“Just looking at some of our opponents, we never beat Toronto, and that’s something I haven’t forgotten.”

“Coming into Year 2, I want us to start off on a strong foot, and I feel like we have a statement to make,” she said.

“At the end of the season, we weren’t where we wanted to be and I feel like this team has so much more to give.”

Season opener Saturday

Wild FC will kick off Year 2 Saturday at 5 p.m. at McMahon Stadium against the Montreal Roses.

The Wild didn’t make a lot of changes this year despite missing out on the playoffs.

But one change is significant. They have a new head coach.

Lydia Bedford went back to England to coach the national under-23 team.

She’ll be replaced on an interim basis by Sinead McSharry, who was the first assistant coach last season.

McSharry says she has high expectations for the squad.

“We’ve been using the phrase ‘flip the table,’” McSharry said.

“We want to be in the playoffs, and we want to be in the final.”

“We want to make a dent, and we want to be the actual wildcard,” she said.

“We feel really good about going into this year with that collective mindset and really just making everyone’s life difficult.”

Back home to play

The Wild will also have a new face in goal this season.

Molly Race was born in Calgary and is competing for the No. 1 job.

She and her family moved away from Calgary when she was a year old.

She’s lived in a lot of different places, including Denmark for the last three seasons, where she played for FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark’s top division.

She says she’s happy to be back in Canada and playing for her hometown team.

“Quite a journey, but Calgary has always been home,” the 24-year-old said.

“I’ve always loved the Alberta work ethic, and I think that’s what I embody in my game.”

“My specialty is playing out from the back,” she said.

“I love to keep the ball and be on the ball for as long as possible—I want the ball all of the time, and I want to be the quarterback playmaker.”