Sidney Roy.
The name became synonymous with UNBC soccer when the school transitioned to Canada’s highest-level of university sport in 2012, putting Prince George on the map with her talent and propelled the women’s program to its first-ever playoff berth in her final year.
The Burnaby product’s contributions will now be enshrined forever, announced this morning (March 1) as the fourth Timberwolves Wall of Honour inductee, the first for the women’s soccer squad, with the Athletics department calling the decision ‘ an obvious choice.’
Roy raised the bar so high for future UNBC players from her rookie campaign to her senior-night finale, starting in all 48 games she ever played and holding the program record with 14 all-time goals.
In fact, her talent stood out so prominently that she remains the only women’s soccer player in history to ever be named UNBC Female Athlete of the Year (2015).
“Sidney made a contribution that cannot be understated,” said Head Coach Neil Sedgwick, noting Roy’s perseverance and skill-set remains part of the program’s day-to-day drive.
“She kept the team competitive early in her career, and when she came back, she was a defining factor in the program making the playoffs for the first time in history. I am still waiting for Sid to come back and play her final year of eligibility. A coach can only dream.”
It’s true. Roy only played four of her five possible seasons with the Lady T-Wolves and took a two-year hiatus between her third and fourth years as she returned home to the lower mainland in pursuing environmental engineering at UBC.
However, her talent has stood the test of time in the northern capital as she also holds the record for most shots on goal (61) and is second in all-time points (17) among women’s soccer.
“Sid was incredibly fast and played with a level of tenacity that was amazing to watch,” said former UNBC associate coach Iain Flannagan, who witnessed Roy’s gifts on the pitch in her early years.
“She used her physical strength and incredible level of compete. It didn’t matter if it was warm-up, training or game day; everything was 110 per cent. She really wouldn’t accept anything less from herself or her teammates.”
In her first year (2012-13), UNBC only scored six goals. Roy potted five of them.
The striker was named the school’s first Female Rookie of the Year award winner as a result, along with team MVP and her first of four Best Offensive Player honours.
At the end of 2015, Roy left the program for two years before coming back to Prince George for what would turn out to be a historical 2017-18 season for the T-Wolves in earning its first Canada West playoff appearance.
“When Sidney returned, she was five years older than our first-year players,” explained Sedgwick, who had 12 rookies on his 24-player roster for that schedule.
“Sid quickly became a supporter of young players. She befriended them, showed them how much being a Timberwolf meant to her, and how having the opportunity to play was a privilege. Playing and competing is a joy of Sid’s. She made the environment better because of this alone, but then she stepped on the field and made it a whole lot better.”
That same year, the women’s soccer squad raised new single-season bars for goals for, goals against, wins, and points with Roy at the forefront.
Off the field, she was known for her kind heart and leadership abilities that inspired younger teammates to be the best they could be.
“Sidney was so kind and accepting, but would also challenge you on the field in practice,” said Kylie Erb, who played two seasons with Roy.
“In a way, I hated playing against her, because I knew if I wasn’t on it, it was not going to be a fun practice. She is too good. It always pushed me to be my best, and I appreciated it. One of the most talented players I have ever seen, but she also worked so hard every practice and every game.”
Before pursuing soccer full-time, UNBC explains Roy was one of the best lacrosse players in the province and even considered moving to the United States for college.
With her induction, there’s now a representative from every Timberwolves team on its Wall of Honour, set to include 15 athletes for its inaugural class.
Men’s national basketball champion Inderbir Gill was the first to be named on Feb. 19, followed by Tofa Fakunle with men’s soccer and Prince George’s own Mercedes VanKoughnett for women’s basketball.
