Calgary Wild FC’s homegrown talent and team trailblazing are coming alive just in time for their home-opener on Saturday, April 23.

Last year, during the team and the league’s first season, the Wild became the newest professional sports team in Alberta and the first women’s pro sports team in the province. 

During its inaugural season, the team finished with nine wins in 25 matches played, seven points short of a playoff spot. Team President, CEO and Co-Founder, Lara Murphy, said that 2025 was a big step for her club.

“Last year, I was absolutely floored and so impressed with the high quality of all of our matches in the league. The average differential for goals was less than two, which really shows the competitive nature of the on-pitch play, which was exciting and, as a collective being broadcast on TSN, CBC, ESPN, and YouTube, really allowed us to have eyes on us,” she said.

“It was a great launch for the first year.”

Now, days before year two kicks off, talent lines the Wild roster top to bottom.

“Maya Jones, who is from Calgary, signed in February, so this will be her professional homecoming, and she’s a striker, which is very exciting. Everyone loves to cheer on Grace Stordy, who’s a Calgary-born fullback, and she’ll be returning for her second season,” Murphy said.

“She (Stordy) puts the jets on and can run like the wind; she’s a very exciting player to watch.”

Team captain, Maggie Doherty Howard, whose contract has been extended through 2028 and Goaltenders Katelin Talbert and Molly Race, among others, will get fans on their feet this season, Murphy said.

High-quality product on and off the field

Across their home games last season, played in Calgary’s McMahon Stadium, attendance was over 46,000. After each game, the team distributed fan surveys, feedback that is now being implemented for year two.

“We want to have an even better experience from a viewing standpoint. We’re really learning what we can do at halftime and showing good replays,” Murphy said.

“Each element, game day broadcasts, the business side, the marketing, the deliverables,  everything is almost like a separate business unit and to make the machine work and as a group, we’ve all come together, and it’s just been an incredibly humbling experience. The city has welcomed the club with open arms.”

Being the first professional women’s sports team in not only Calgary, but also Alberta, is not lost on the Wild. Murphy hopes that every move the team makes will someday help other professional teams in other sports.

“My goal, of course, would be that Calgary has a PWHL team one day, or a WNBA team, but there’s no playbook for the first, so the nice thing about that is that we can truly make it our own,” she said.

Ahead of their home opener this Saturday, fans will be able to explore activities and games in the concourse and watch players walk the red carpet into the stadium. 

“We also have the Calgary Stampede show band playing at halftime and several contests that will be set up. It’s a fun environment,” Murphy said.

“I always walk down to the railing at the base of the stands and look up into the stands just to see the fans and take it all in and observe, because we are the first (professional women’s sports team).”

Some club questions are still unanswered

Following the departure of former head coach Lydia Bedford, the Wild entered a search for its next head coach. Currently, the spot has been filled in the interim, but a permanent hire is still to come.

“We’ve been so fortunate to have Sinead McSherry, who was our assistant coach last year and has stepped in as a very steady, solid and incredible presence for the players while we continue our search for the head coach,” Murphy said.

“No surprise, we had an incredible amount of interest, and now are working through the selection process, which has been really exciting and really taking great time and care working with the coaching staff and the players.”

Murphy said that, considering the weight of the role, hiring a full-time head coach is no easy feat.

“It’s a really important role, and we’re thankful that Sinead stepped in in the interim, and we’re really confident in Sinead and the team’s ability as we move forward to really make sure we’re making the right selection,” she said.

“It’s exciting, so stay tuned. We’ll be having an announcement coming up in short order.”

The Wild begin their quest for the playoffs this weekend. A full season schedule can be found here.