Cavalry FC earned their first victory of the 2025 Canadian Premier League (CPL) season with a gutsy 2-1 win away at York United on Friday night. Tobias Warschewski opened the scoring in the first half before Julian Altobelli responded moments later for the hosts.
But it was second-half substitute Fraser Aird who delivered the decisive blow in the 69th minute — lifting the Cavs to three points and reminding the league that Tommy Wheeldon Jr.’s side is still built for battle.
Loading ...Cavalry FC found the answer they were looking for in a big moment. It was a reminder of why they remain one of the league’s most tactically disciplined and mentally resilient sides.
Here are five things we learned from the win at York Lions Stadium.
Team depth carries Cavalry FC through the grind
Three matches in six days. Cross-country travel. Squad rotation. These are the kinds of weeks that reveal a team’s backbone — and Cavalry showed they still have theirs.
Tommy Wheeldon Jr. summed it up best post-match:
“We knew coming in, it’s always a battle [with York]so we were prepared to do that. We’re also on the back end of our third game in six days with a bit of travel. So tactically the boys were spot on the way they did it, and it allowed for us to have some changes and freshness.”
Nicolas Wahling filled in at right-back to give Aird a breather, and still delivered the assist for Warschewski’s opener. Levi Laing earned his first CPL start and barely put a foot wrong.
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- Match report: Cavalry FC beat York United, earn first win of CPL season
Then came the real difference-makers: Caniggia Elva and Aird combined brilliantly for the match-winning goal just minutes after coming on.
Even 21-year-old Max Piepgrass — making his first CPL appearance in over three years — slotted in seamlessly when Michael Baldisimo exited early due to injury.
Squad depth isn’t just a buzzword in Calgary. It’s how they win.
Max Piepgrass grabs his CPL return with both hands
Speaking of Piepgrass, after scoring a screamer from 40 yards out against League1 Alberta side Edmonton Scottish midweek in the Canadian Championship, he was thrown into action in the 12th minute when Baldisimo was injured.
Few would’ve blamed Piepgrass for taking his time to ease into the rhythm. But the 21-year-old didn’t wait for the game — he imposed himself on it.
The midfielder, who recently signed a CPL-U Sports contract with the Cavs for the 2025 season, played as the deep pivot behind Shamit Shome and Sergio Camargo, shielding the back four, linking the play, and stepping into pockets when needed.
At times, he even dropped into left-back when Tom Field pushed forward. That kind of tactical awareness from a young player bodes well for a Cavalry midfield that often needs to rotate. You would not have guessed that this was his first CPL appearance since 2021.
Shamit Shome’s midfield engine was everywhere
While Aird delivered the winning moment, Shome quietly delivered the kind of shift that earns Player of the Match honours.
He was Cavalry’s midfield metronome — buzzing around to deny York’s progress through the middle and stepping high to press Steffen Yeates and Kembo Kibato out of rhythm.
He won six tackles, nine duels, and helped orchestrate the second-half defensive shape that saw Cavalry drop into a tidy 4-4-2 block to see out the win.
If this was a match defined by grit, then Shome was its heartbeat.
Warschewski continues to carry Cavalry FC’s scoring load
No surprise here — Tobias Warschewski is still Cavalry’s main man in front of goal. He now has two in the league this season and picked up where he left off in 2024, when he won the CPL Golden Boot.
His strike against York — a slick touch and thumping finish from Wahling’s deflected cross — wasn’t just another goal. It was a reminder that even when Cavalry FC are grinding through rotations and travel, Warschewski can make a moment happen out of nothing.
Cavalry FC (white) beat York United (green) 2-1 in Canadian Premier League action at York Lions Stadium in Toronto Friday, May 2, 2025. Photo: Indi Kumala/Total Soccer News
He’s more than a target man. He’s the striker who stretches games and finishes them too.
His ‘Haaland-esque’ movement continues to ask questions of defenders, and even when the service isn’t perfect, his instincts put him in the right place at the right time. It’s not just goals — it’s the timing, the feel for the moment, and the ability to lift a side when it needs it most.
Super sub Aird haunts York with deja vu strike
Fraser Aird powered the Cavs to a mettlesome win on August 16, 2024 when he scored the winning goal against York at the York Lions Stadium. Fast forward almost a year later to May 2, 2025 when the Canadian scored the winner at York Lions Stadium. Again.
This wasn’t just poetic symmetry — it was the product of good positioning and a calm finish. After Camargo’s sharp cross, Aird showed up at the back post with the awareness to let the play develop and the composure to strike clean through traffic.
He’s not always the headline act, but when called upon, Aird delivers in ways that win matches.
York United won’t have much time to dwell on the result. They’re back at York Lions Stadium on Tuesday night for a Canadian Championship clash against FC Laval before hitting the road to face Pacific FC next Saturday.
As for Cavalry, their East Coast swing continues with a visit to the Wanderers Grounds, where they’ll meet Halifax on May 10 in search of back-to-back league wins.
