Les Roses de Montréal advanced to the Super Ligue du Nord final with a 5-2 aggregate victory over the Rise FC of Vancouver.
The Montreal-based club sealed its place in the championship match following a 2-2 draw in Sunday’s second leg at Stade Boréale. This achievement comes in just the team’s second season of competition.
After a 3-0 win in Vancouver, the Roses held a three-goal lead. They consolidated that lead on Sunday, ensuring their progression to the final despite not keeping a clean sheet. The final score over the two legs was 5-2 in favor of Montreal.
The Rise did not go down without a fight. They opened the scoring early, with Noémi Paquin putting the home side ahead in the 40th minute. However, the visitors responded quickly. Jessica De Filippo, named the SLN Player of the Year, leveled the score just two minutes later. Latifah Abdu, a former Rose, gave the Rise a 2-1 lead before halftime, adding to the drama.
Montreal, however, maintained its aggregate lead. Lise Pechersky scored in the 78th minute, restoring the three-goal aggregate lead and ending the Rise's hopes of a comeback. This goal was Pechersky’s first of the playoffs, coming after she scored five times during the campaign.
Despite holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg, interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel made it clear her team was not focused on simply defending. “Ce n’est pas dans notre personnalité de nous asseoir là-dessus. Ce n’est pas dans notre mentalité, dans la culture de notre équipe,” Bard-Martel said.
She emphasized the team’s desire to dominate and continue improving. “On veut dominer, on veut s’imposer, on veut continuer de s’améliorer. On veut continuer de montrer une version de nous-mêmes qui est constamment en progression,” she added. “On doit rendre les partisans fiers, leur donner des émotions. C’est aussi notre travail,” Bard-Martel stated.
The attacker, who has 12 goals this season, was directly involved in all three of Montreal’s goals in the first leg and remained a key threat throughout the series. Bennett noted that Vancouver’s need to chase the game created space for the Roses to exploit.
The victory was also the 350th professional match for midfielder Charlotte Bilbault. The team also secured the Supporters’ Shield this season by finishing atop the league’s regular-season standings.
The Roses will now face the AFC Toronto in the Super Ligue du Nord final. Toronto advanced to the championship match by defeating the CF Rapide d’Ottawa 4-0 on Saturday, giving them an 8-2 aggregate victory.
The single-match final for the Coupe Matheson is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, in Ottawa. This will be the final game of the season for the Roses at Stade Boréale, as the championship match will be held in Ottawa.
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