Jessica De Filippo netted a goal in the 10th minute, leading the Vancouver Rise to a crucial 1-0 victory over the Montreal Roses in Northern Super League action on Saturday. This win marked Vancouver’s second consecutive triumph on the road against a playoff-bound team, following their 2-0 win over the Ottawa Rapid earlier in the week.
The Vancouver Rise, with a record of 11-7-6, are now three points ahead of both Ottawa and Montreal, who are tied at 10-8-6, as they head into the final week of the inaugural season of the Canadian professional women’s soccer league.
While Toronto has secured the top position in the standings, Vancouver, Montreal, and Ottawa have secured the remaining playoff spots. The teams will compete in two-leg semifinals based on their final positions after the upcoming matches next week. The ultimate showdown for the Diana B. Matheson Cup will take place on November 15 at Toronto’s BMO Field.
Goalkeeper Morgan McAslan of the Rise made three crucial saves to secure her second consecutive clean sheet, contributing significantly to the team’s success.
In another match on Saturday, the Calgary Wild, led by two goals from Meggie Dougherty Howard and a goal from Grace Stordy, defeated the Halifax Tides 3-1. This victory lifted the Calgary Wild to a record of 8-14-2, while Syd Kennedy scored the lone goal for Halifax, who sits at the bottom of the standings with a 3-14-7 record.