Vancouver Rises to the Top

NSL

Vancouver continued to Rise through the NSL playoffs, first by punching their ticket to the Final against Ottawa, then with a second-half comeback to win the Inaugural Diana B. Matheson Cup. 

How We Got Here 

The playoffs kicked off in Montreal, where AFC Toronto got the first-ever NSL playoff win, defeating the Roses 2-0. 

The playoffs continued in Vancouver, where the Rise became the first NSL team to get a playoff win at home, defeating Ottawa 2-1. 

The playoffs then moved to Ottawa, where Ottawa won in regulation 2-1, tying the series, which led to extra minutes, where neither team was able to capitalize, leading to a shootout. Vancouver was able to capitalize in the shootout and won the series 8-6, punching their ticket to the Final. 

The semi-final wrapped up in Toronto Monday night, after the game was postponed on Sunday due to heavy snowfall in the area. There was still snow in play during the game, but Toronto thrived, defeating the Roses 4-1, which led Toronto to a 6-1 series win to punch their ticket to the Final. 

AFC Toronto and Vancouver Rise Regular Season Matchups

In their 5 matchups, the teams are 2-2-1, leaving no clear favourite for the Finals. While AFC Toronto has continued their winning streak into the playoffs, the Vancouver Rise have found their rhythm in the post-season. 

NSL Final 

It was a cloudy day in Toronto with some rain in the mix, but the weather held off enough to kick off the game. Toronto was able to strike first and get on the board early with Sarah Stratigakis connecting with Kaylee Hunter in the 19th minute. Moments after, the field and stands had to be cleared due to lightning in the area. After the delay, the game resumed. Entering the half, Toronto remained with a 1-0 lead. 

Vancouver quickly ended that lead in the second half with a corner kick from Nikki Stanton in the 54th minute, which has been credited as an “own-goal” for Toronto’s goaltender Sierra Cota-Yarde. Moments later, in the 68th minute, Vancouver would take their first lead of the game courtesy of Holly Ward off a pass from Samantha Chang. The rest of the second was a back-and-forth battle with lots of cards in the mix. As the extra time counted down, the excitement was growing among Vancouver fans. As the final horn blew, the Vancouver bench flooded the field, rallying around goaltender Morgan McAslan, jumping in excitement. 

The celebration continued as they announced the NSL Final MVP, none other than Vancouver goaltender, Morgan McAslan, who held down the net to lead the Rise to the inaugural Diana B. Matheson Cup. In her interview, when asked about the fans' support, she said, “Oh my gosh, it’s everything. They’ve made their own chants. They have flags. They flew all the way out to Toronto to support us, and we are so thankful for the Crows and for all our family and friends that came out.”

This is only the beginning for the Northern Super League.