It's a moment Max Anchor will never forget.
The 17-year-old goalkeeper from Burnaby made his professional soccer debut on Sunday (May 22) when Vancouver Whitecaps FC took on Charlotte FC.
Anchor stood his ground in net and faced five shots in the match.
At the end of 90 minutes, Charlotte FC came out on top 2-1 but the young pro was chosen given a team nod with the RE/MAX Move of the Match.
"You know honestly, ever since the final whistle, I've been trying to find the words to put into perspective how much this has meant to me, it's honestly been crazy. I don't have the words to express the last 90 minutes and my first game. It was unbelievable," Anchor said in a post-game interview.
He had more to say on social media later that day after his whirlwind debut.
"It was an unbelievable feeling to make my professional debut," he wrote.
"Ever since I was a kid, this was the moment I dreamt of and to see it come to fruition was truly something indescribable.
"The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next. This is just the start."
Anchor was called into action after Vancouver found out its two back-up keepers, Isaac Boehmer and Cody Cropper, were placed in Major League Soccer (MLS) health and safety protocols, which made them unavailable for the match.
Starter Thomas Hasal was also sidelined because of a finger injury.
The Whitecaps were able to secure the services of Niko Giantsopoulos from the Canadian Premier League's (CPL) York United, but it was the Burnaby standout who was chosen to start the game.
Anchor was signed from the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy system to an MLS homegrown pre-contract that will start in 2023.
The club also announced he agreed to a multi-year MLS contract through 2025 with club options for 2026 and 2027.
"Max is a young goalkeeper and has done well in every step he’s made at the club," Whitecaps FC sporting director Axel Schuster said in a news release announcing the signing.
"He is a good fit with our other keepers and we are looking forward to see him test himself at the next level."
Anchor joined the Whitecaps FC BMO MLS Academy when he was 13 years old from Mountain United FC of the EA SPORTS BC Soccer Premier League.
He also recently spent the entire pre-season with the Whitecaps FC first team while on the road in California.
