The Simcoe County Rovers are hosting Latin Night this weekend

PRESS RELEASE
SIMCOE COUNTY ROVERS FC
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Simcoe County Rovers FC prepare for Latin Night on Saturday at JC Massie Field against Guelph United.

The rover men kick off at 2 pm and the women play at 6 pm

June 1, the day of the game, will be broadcast by Rogers TV and KOOL FM will be on site to add to the festivities.

This will be the second Latin-themed night the team has celebrated. Fans arriving with the Latin flag can receive free entry at the gate. The local favorite Mexican house will be on site serving delicious tacos before both games. They will be on site at JC, Massie Field from 1:30 to 3:30 pm and from 5:30 to 7:30 pm

To top it all off, there will be a meet and greet opportunity with the players at the end of the women’s and men’s matches for our wonderful fans.

Rovers FC Chief Operating Officer Will DeVellis is excited to join the community and take part in the festivities.

“We hope the community comes out to support the men’s and women’s teams this weekend in what should be a fun and interactive doubleheader. We continue to grow our presence in Barrie and welcome everyone to join us,” he said.

Defending champions Rovers struggle in the league game. They have drawn twice and lost three in their first five games. Last Saturday at home, the team had a 1-0 lead against league leader Burlington entering the second half, but lost 2-1.

On a positive note, veteran winger Shawn Claud Lawson made his 50th appearance for the club in the match. He becomes the first player in Rovers history to play 50 games for the club.

“I think it’s great to reach this milestone with the club with great teammates and staff along the way,” Lawson said. “I can’t wait to push the standards and culture of this club.”

Some redemption came Tuesday night when the team headed to Guelph for a League Cup game with a chance to reach the quarterfinals of the elimination tournament.

After going 1-0 down after 15 minutes, Rovers responded with a goal from winger Shawn Claud Lawson just before half-time. Rovers came out of the break a determined pack looking to score from the opening whistle.

Their efforts were rewarded when forward Jevontae Layne scored in the 53rd minute to give the Rovers a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish. With this goal, Layne becomes the club’s record goalscorer, having 18 since his arrival.

“It’s an honor to become Rovers’ all-time leading goalscorer after the club and coaching staff put their trust in me for two seasons to lead the attack,” Layne said. “I’m happy to return the favor by scoring big goals for the club.

“The team showed a lot of heart and grit to get the win against Guelph and I’m sure we can build off of that performance week after week going forward.”

Rovers Women played their most complete game of the season last Saturday afternoon, beating top three side FC London 2-1 in an exciting game. Goals in the 25th minute from striker Holly O’ Neill and midfielder Madelyn Brooke Robbins in the 44th minute saw the team see all aspects of their game pay off.

“We have a pretty new group this year that is just now coming together,” said Zack Wilson, women’s associate athletic director. “The win against London FC, one of the top teams in the league, was a great example of getting our tactics right and a supreme team effort. In the result, two brilliant goals were scored. Now we have to be consistent and not give up week after week.”

The team played League1 NDC juggernauts at the Ontario Soccer Center on Wednesday night. NDC are unbeaten and unfortunately Rovers fell short losing 4-0.

For more information on Simcoe County Rovers FC, including schedule details, ticket purchase options and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.roversfc.ca.

Individual and group tickets to the game can be purchased by visiting www.roversfc.ca.

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