Atlético Striker Salter Breaks CPL Single-Season Goal Record
CPL Atletico Ottawa

Atlético Striker Salter Breaks CPL Single-Season Goal Record

Published on September 4, 2025 under Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Atletico Ottawa News Release


OTTAWA, ON - Atlético Ottawa striker Samuel Salter has broken the Canadian Premier League (CPL) single-season scoring record, with his 14th and 15th goals of the 2025 season scored against Vancouver FC on Saturday, August 30, 2025.

The record was previously held by former Halifax Wanderers FC striker João Morelli, set during the 2021 season.

Salter's record-breaking tally was confirmed following an official scoring change issued by the Canadian Premier League. A goal originally credited as an own goal to Vancouver FC's Aidan O'Connor during Ottawa's 3-1 win over Vancouver on Saturday, Aug. 30, was reviewed and reassigned to Salter, lifting his season total to the record-breaking mark of 15.

The league reassigned the goal to Salter after determining that he initially directed the ball toward goal. Because this was judged to be a shot on target, it required defensive intervention to prevent a goal. This ruling follows global standards and the CPL's official stats provider, OPTA, whose rules state that when a shot on target is deflected by a defender, the goal is always credited to the attacker. In this case, Salter's attempt was deemed to be on target before O'Connor's last-line clearance attempt. Even more impressively, of Salter's 15 goals, none have been scored from the penalty spot. Salter has also provided three assists so far this season, taking him to league-leading 18 goal contributions. Atlético forward David Rodríguez, who set up Salter's first goal against Vancouver, leads the league with six assists and has the second most goal contributions (15).

Salter, 25, became the first CPL intra-league transfer with an associated fee when he moved to Atlético Ottawa from Halifax Wanderers FC ahead of the 2023 season. Since then, Salter has gone on to become one of the league's greatest ever goalscorers (3rd, 39 goals), Atleti's all-time top goal scorer across all competitions (1st, 31 goals) on July 26, 2025, with a goal away to Pacific FC, as well as the first player to score four goals in a single CPL match (pictured below).

The 2025 Golden Boot leader has been instrumental for Atleti, who sit in second place in the CPL rankings, three points behind leaders Forge FC. Atlético faces Forge for the final time in the Regular Season on September 21 at TD Place.

Salter scoring his third of four goals against Valour FC earlier this season (credit: Philippe Larivière / Atlético Ottawa)

Saturday, May 10, 2025

TD Place, Ottawa, ON

CPL All-Time Single Season Goal Ranking:

Sam Salter, Atlético Ottawa, 15 goals (2025 - so far)*

Joao Moerelli, Halifax Wanderers, 14 goals (2021)

Alejandro Diaz, Pacific FC, 13 goals (2022)

Tobias Warschewski, Cavalry FC, 12 goals (2024)

Osaze De Rosario, York United, 12 goals (2022)

Check out the Atletico Ottawa Statistics

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Canadian Premier League Stories from September 4, 2025


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