Club finishes with a record of 11 wins, 9 draws and 8 losses
With the last of the CPL’s regular season matches complete, the Halifax Wanderers have their date: they begin their playoff stand at the Wanderers Grounds on Saturday, Oct. 14.
The match — against a yet to be determined opponent — is already a sellout.
All of this was made possible by the Wanderers’ strong effort on Friday night against Valour FC. Their 1-0 road win showed a determination to take points on the road, something which has evaded the club since the beginning of the season. Until Friday, the Wanderers had only won once away from the Wanderers Grounds.
But this is a different squad from the one that registered six draws to start the campaign and showed the frustrating habit of losing focus to close out matches. Over the course of a 28-match season, the Wanderers have gone from a collection of players, some of them unknown, to a cohesive unit. We know them by their formation, tendency to strike first and desire for the ball.
This is the 2023 edition of the Halifax Wanderers, brought to you by Patrice Gheisar.
There’s no better example of this iteration of the Wanderers than Massimo Ferrin, who played hero on Friday by scoring the match’s only goal.
Although he had a strong start this season, Ferrin was injured early on and took a while to find his groove once he came back. He put in the work, becoming a staple of compete on the left side of the pitch while slowly finding his offensive game. He finished the season with eight goals and three assists, a pillar of Halifax’s attack as they pushed for that coveted home playoff match.
His goal against Forge FC on Sept. 30 was huge; his goal against Valour was even bigger.
Suffice it to say, we’ve seen Ferrin come into his own this season after jumping from League 1 Ontario; he was among the league leaders in chances created, dribbles completed and total shots. And he’s one of a dozen players who has grown to show his worth to the club.
Looking ahead, the Wanderers are in a good position. They’ll have the benefit of extra rest and time to prepare as they await the victor from Wednesday’s clash between York United FC and Pacific FC. Whoever wins that match will then likely hightail it directly to Nova Scotia, meaning they’ll play their third match in eight days by the time Saturday rolls around.
The Wanderers are also in fine form, having won three out of their last five tilts.
All of this is to say the table has been set in Halifax’s favour to make a run towards the North Star Cup. It’s time to see if the lessons learned over the course of the season will stick with glory — or failure — separated by a razor’s edge .
From the Notebook:
- A few notes on an interesting, albeit low event, match against Valour. As they have all season, I thought Valour looked composed and motivated but still missed that killer instinct in the final third. They came out strong and tested Gheisar’s squad early, looking the hungrier side. However, the tide shifted in the second half as the Wanderers came alive and started moving the ball with purpose. Ferrin converted on a rocket of a shot from just outside the 18-yard box and followed it up by hitting the post thanks to a perfect cross by Jake Ruby, who was slotted into right-back. Valour had some chances late — thanks to a feisty Matteo de Brienne, who I thought had a fantastic showing — but were thwarted by a concentrated defence and the ever dependable Yann Fillion. I know the players were hungry to get another goal to heighten their chances of hopping Forge on the table but it was a impressive effort all around.
- I highlighted it above but one element I think we’ve seen develop in the Wanderers’ play is maturity. To start the season, many were first time professionals and were more prone to being caught in the highs and lows of a match. They’d visibly deflate if a call didn’t go their way (I’m thinking about Ferrin being given a yellow for simulation, as one example) and concede or give away the ball cheaply. Now, with the benefit of experience, I think they are much more composed. With Valour pushing in extra time, I think the squad that started the season concedes on Friday. They’ve grown over the course of the season and I didn’t see any panic on the part of the players, which is impressive given the ramifications of the result. It bodes well for the playoffs; composed clubs find a way to win.
- I wanted to touch on Yann Fillion, Halifax’s keeper extraordinaire. He ended the campaign having started 28 out of 28 matches for the Wanderers, logging 2520 minutes. He had seven clean sheets and a healthy 72 saves, a number of which came in pivotal moments against both Forge and Valour. He was originally brought in to solidify the Wanderers’ keeper position and I think we can safely say he hit the mark. In addition to solid goaltending, Fillion was a strong voice on the backend and a key piece in the leadership team as one of the older players. I didn’t anticipate him playing every minute but he had an excellent first season for the club and reminded everyone of it these last two matches. Also, did we mention he’s an ironman?
- Which brings me to one of my gripes. Backup keeper Aiden Rushenas was with the club all season, signed a contract extension which ended his university sports eligibility but somehow he didn’t get a single start (or minute of league play, for that matter). Now, I know Gheisar has said he doesn’t want to put players in a position which could harm their development by rushing them but I’d argue going an entire season without playing on the first team is also harmful. There were opportunities to play Rushenas earlier in the season — or during the club’s mad dash in September which saw four matches in 13 days — but the Wanderers put themselves in a position where they didn’t feel comfortable giving him the chance. By virtue of being a professional athlete, we know Rushenas is a competitive guy. And he isn’t some stop gap: he was named the Dalhousie Tigers’ most valuable player in 2022 and the club’s pick in the U Sports draft. I know he got time between the wickets with the U-23 squad but I would have liked to see the kid get a chance to show his worth in regular CPL action. I’d argue it would’ve been good for his confidence, lessened the crunch on U-21 minutes and given more information about his abilities with chips on the table. This feels like a miss, albeit one of the few, from the coaching staff.
- One thing I wanted to note is centre-back Daniel Nimick was sporting the captain’s armband on Friday. Obviously, we know he’s a leader on the pitch and he’s worn the armband before but I thought it was a nice gesture as it’s likely he’s played his last regular season match for the Wanderers. I have not been able to confirm the reports myself but it’s highly speculated Nimick will be sold in the offseason as his play has him on the radar of MLS and English Premier League scouts. Friday was a microcosm of his season; he was decisive in defence, successfully delivered eight long balls and set up Ferrin’s goal. As he’s seemed to deliver when the club needs him most, I’m excited to see what he brings into the playoffs.
- The Halifax Wanderers hit their required U-21 minutes. It took until their last match of the season, in no small part due to injuries to Tiago Coimbra and Tomas Giraldo throughout the campaign, but the coaching staff got it done. I noted above I think Rushenas could have helped alleviate all the bluster about the U-21 minutes (Gheisar and co. are likely very happy they won’t have to hear me or other reporters ask about it until next season) but I’d argue Coimbra, Giraldo and Armaan Wilson all grew as players over the course of the season, which is what the rule is about. Unfortunately, Giraldo was injured against Valour and forced Gheisar to sub on teenager Camilo Vasconcelos, who had a very bright debut. His composure (there’s that word again) was noted by his coach post-match. “I thought he brought stability, he is super composed, he doesn’t feel pressure,” said Gheisar. “He has a natural ability to keep the ball and really principles and ideas we want to have. I was really happy with him, and I think as he grew in the game, I thought Mass came alive, and we started to have a balance from each side.”
- Just a little thing but all of Coimbra, Giraldo and Vasconcelos will be U-21 eligible again next season.
- I wanted to touch on Saturday’s playoff match. Given how York have played at the Wanderers Grounds, I have the feeling everyone from Derek Martin to Jake Ruby (who had an excellent match against Valour, by the way) will be cheering for Pacific to win. I know it may sound counterintuitive but York are a club that has thrived on the road this season. In contract, Pacific have only won once in their last five away matches and had one of the more disappointing second halves of the season. So what would you rather: Pacific, a club loaded with talent but on poor form or York with its disjointed squad but penchant for spoiling the fun away? Which ever club punches their ticket to Halifax, you can bet they’re already bracing themselves to face the Wanderers and their 6,500 fans.
Cover Photo Credit: Canadian Premier League
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