Hammers venture to undefeated Vancouver, host Charity Shield this weekend

Bellingham United is set to face one of its hardest opponents yet as a new club. And on the road.

Bellingham United Press Release / Kyle Elliott

Road games have not been favorable to United. The team is 1-3-0 with 10 goals for and 14 against, although the goals for number is a bit skewed with a six-goal drubbing over Okanagan Challenge.

Vancouver Thunderbirds haven’t lost yet this year, and the only time they haven’t won was in a tie with Khalsa SC. The good news for United is they just defeated Khalsa this past weekend.

The Thunderbirds have only played six games this year and have only allowed five goals. They have also scored 15, meaning they are highly skilled on both sides of the ball.

“They are a squad we have to take very seriously,” Head Coach Lance Calloway said. “We have to focus primarily on defense and not make mistakes in the back that will cost us.”

The good news for United is that league leading goal scorer Kellan Brown is coming off of red card suspension along with players coming back from injuries and starting to see time, including keeper Drew Smiley.

“It is always great to play the best as that is the only way to judge yourselves,” Calloway said. “Then you can judge your strengths and weaknesses.”

The team will look to be the first team to defeat Vancouver Thunderbirds, as well as push themselves closer to the top of the standings.

The Thunderbirds are composed mainly of a roster of players from the University of British Columbia T-Birds.

Charity Shield Sunday in Bellingham

Sunday the team will travel home to play an exhibition match against the Fraser Valley All-Stars. The team is composed mostly of the PoCo City squad they faced a few weeks back.

“This will be a very competitive match,” Calloway said. “We will see some top players from the Fraser Valley Premier League.”

The game will be the first Charity Shield match for Bellingham United.

“We are raising money for Soccer Without Borders,” Bellingham United President Jeff McIntyre said. “They are a wonderful organization and we are excited to help raise support for them.”

The team will be providing a percentage of ticket sales along with a 50/50 raffle for the organization. They will also look to help spread the word so that if fans would like to help beyond the match they have a way to get involved.

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