Latifah Abdu netted two goals in the opening half to propel the Vancouver Rise to a 2-1 victory over Ottawa Rapid FC in the initial leg of the Northern Super League semifinal on Tuesday. Ottawa’s Delaney Pridham narrowed the gap in the latter half, setting the stage for the upcoming rematch at Ottawa’s TD Place this Saturday.
In the parallel semifinal, AFC Toronto, the frontrunner, faces off against the Montreal Roses. Toronto holds a 2-0 advantage heading into the second leg scheduled for Sunday.
The winners of the aggregate scores in the semifinals will progress to the single championship showdown on November 15 at Toronto’s BMO Field, where the inaugural champion of the Canadian women’s professional soccer league will be crowned.
Abdu capitalized on a defensive error by Ottawa in the 14th minute, seizing the opportunity as Ottawa’s keeper, Melissa Dagenais, attempted a pass from the box at Swangard Stadium.
In the 21st minute, Abdu struck again with a skillful left-footed shot after creating space with a sudden stop. Pridham clawed one back for Ottawa in the 66th minute, maneuvering past Vancouver defender Rebecca Lake to slot a low shot past Rise’s keeper, Morgan McAslan.
Reflecting on the match, Ottawa coach Katrine Pederson expressed discontent with their first-half performance while acknowledging Vancouver’s dominance. She highlighted Ottawa’s improved showing in the second half, praising their increased creativity, goal-scoring opportunities, and overall resilience.