Pacific FC has re-signed one veteran mainstay but lost another.
Captain Josh Heard will be returning to the Canadian Premier League soccer club. The Lakehill, Lower Island Metro and Highlanders product, taken by the Vancouver Whitecaps out of the University of Washington Huskies in the 2016 MLS draft, has 16 goals in 96 appearances as a striker over five seasons for hometown PFC.
“Josh has grown into the position of captain and leader and he really takes great pride in being an Island player on the Island pro team. That’s important to him,” said PFC head coach James Merriman.
Heard comes in with a sense of unfinished business for this sixth season with the Tridents after missing a large latter portion of last season to injury.
“This is my home and is where I wanted to be,” he said. “There’s no other place in sa国际传媒 that I would want to play football. I want to continue to build and recapture our past successes and what makes us who we are.”
Heard’s re-signing has been tempered by the loss of veteran back-line leader and stabilizing influence Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, who has signed with the CPL’s HFX Wanderers of Halifax. Playing in five of the franchise’s six seasons of operation, Meilleur-Giguère has pretty much been through it all with the Tridents, along with Heard, winning the CPL championship in 2021, playing in the CONCACAF League in 2022 and thrice reaching the semifinals of the Canadian Championship for the Voyageurs Cup. Meilleur-Giguère built a reputation as among the steadiest, calmest and most reliable defenders in the CPL over his 120 appearances for the Tridents and became known to the fans simply as “TMG.”
Internationally, Meilleur-Giguère had 12 appearances for sa国际传媒 in U-20, including in the 2017 CONCACAF championship, and was selected to the sa国际传媒 U-23 team for the CONCACAF regional qualifying tournament for the 2000 Tokyo Olympics.
“It was difficult to lose TMG,” admitted Merriman.
“We were still very interested in him but it was more of a family decision and wanting to be back East. This is a part of football. We are thankful for the five seasons he gave us.”
The native of Repentigny, Que., had nothing but praise for his time on the Island.
“I would never say anything bad about Pacific because I can’t. It’s a great club. The Pacific fans are so loyal and lovely and really warmed my heart all those years,” said Meilleur-Giguère, in a CPL.com video interview posted on YouTube.
“I love the Pacific fans and wish them all the best because they deserve it. Winning the fans player award was really important to me. These are all great memories that are in my head forever. But Halifax came through and we made an agreement and I’m very happy about it and what the future is going to bring.”
At the other end of the experience spectrum, PFC announced the signing of 18-year-old Island product Sami Keshavarz to his first pro contract. Under a development contract, the Claremont Secondary Spartans and Island Wave graduate made eight CPL appearances last season in the midfield for PFC, one as starter, and played 375 minutes in total.
“Sami made the maximum use of his development contract and he’s ready for the next level on a full contract as a pro with potential,” said Merriman.
“It’s the balance we look for on the roster among the younger and veteran players.”
