Portland Hearts of Pine Welcome Halifax Wanderers in First International Friendly
USL1 Portland Hearts of Pine

Portland Hearts of Pine Welcome Halifax Wanderers in First International Friendly

July 22, 2025 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Portland Hearts of Pine News Release


PORTLAND, MAINE - Portland Hearts of Pine announced today the club will host Halifax Wanderers from Nova Scotia on August 6th at Fitzpatrick Stadium in the club's first-ever international friendly.

With Canada-Maine border crossings down in 2025, Hearts saw an opportunity to extend a welcoming message to their northern neighbors through an invitation to join them on the pitch.

"As a community-first club, we're committed to using soccer for good and recognize the game's power to bring people together and strengthen connections, especially in challenging times," said Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, Founder and Chief Community Officer at Hearts of Pine. "This match is about more than the game-it's about celebrating our long history with Nova Scotia and sending a clear message that Canadians are valued and always welcome in Maine. We're thrilled our first international friendly is with neighbors we've shared so much with, and excited to add pro soccer to that legacy."

The international friendly match will replace a previously scheduled game against Inter New Hampshire, with all clubs agreeing to the swap. All tickets previously purchased for August 6th will be honored for this match, including 2025 Season Ticket Memberships.

The kickoff time is 6:30pm EDT (7:30pm ADT). The game is sold out, except for a limited number of tickets for Halifax supporters.

"We're excited to begin a friendly rivalry with Portland Hearts of Pine, who are geographically the closest professional team to us here in Atlantic Canada," said Wanderers President and Founder Derek Martin. "We are two clubs with a passion for making our community stronger through the power of sport, and we look forward to playing the first of what we hope is many exciting matches over the coming years as we look to grow the beautiful game."

Halifax Wanderers recently competed in a summer series against Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham AFC, winning two of three matches and drawing the largest crowd in their club's history.

"I am thrilled to welcome the Halifax Wanderers to Maine for this historic match with Hearts of Pine, which shows the strength of the historic friendship between the people of Maine and Atlantic Canada," said Maine Governor Janet Mills. "I wish to thank Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston for his gracious hospitality during my visit last month, which we look forward to extending to the Wanderers in August. I also thank the leadership of Hearts of Pine for their extraordinary efforts to bring this match to Maine in support of stronger international ties."

Check out the Portland Hearts of Pine Statistics



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