NSL Week 22: Montréal Secures a Spot in the Playoffs
Published on September 21, 2026 under Northern Super League (NSL) News Release
Week 22 gave us DRAMA.
Montréal officially became the first team to lock up a playoff spot, which means there are only 3 left up for grabs! Ottawa made a big move too, leapfrogging Toronto in the standings with a huge home win over Calgary. Who's going to make the cut? Everyone's feeling the pressure now.
Week 22 Matches:
An own goal put Halifax in a hole within the first minute against Toronto, but they dug themselves out in the second half and leveled it at 1 - 1
What a battle in Vancouver! It was scoreless at the break, but the second half exploded with four goals, two of them in stoppage time. Neither team could pull ahead in the end, and it finished in a 2 - 2 draw
Ottawa is back in business! The Rapid put an end to Calgary's unbeaten run and snapped their own five game losing streak, getting right back in the win column
Last Week's Matches
Halifax Tides vs. AFC Toronto
Saturday, September 19, 2026
1 - 1
Wanderers Grounds (Halifax, NS)
Toronto came out flying! Just 1 minute in, AFC Toronto won an early corner, and it turned into a disaster for the Tides. Anika Tóth went for the save, but misjudged the near post and punched the ball into her own net. The goal was ruled an own goal for Tóth, and just like that it was 1 - 0 to Toronto. Halifax wasn't rattled for long, though. They pushed forward with purpose and forced a couple of good stops from Sabrina D'Angelo. Toronto kept the pressure on too, but they just couldn't find a second goal. It stayed 1 - 0 heading into the break.
Halifax came out with way more fire, and it paid off. Karima Lemire whipped in a beauty of a corner, and Julianne Vallerand was right there to meet it, redirecting it into the net with her head to level things up at 1 - 1. From there it was a proper back and forth battle. Tóth made key stops for Halifax, D'Angelo stayed sharp in the Toronto net. Neither side could find a winner, so the two teams split the points in a 1 - 1 draw.
Vancouver Rise vs. Montréal Roses
Saturday, September 19, 2026
2 - 2
Swangard Stadium (Burnaby, BC)
The Rise and the Roses both came out swinging, with some dangerous chances created early on. Montréal thought they'd struck first when Marie-Yasmine Alidou buried one, but the goal was called back for a challenge on the keeper. Things got heated, with three yellow cards handed out as both teams battled for every ball. Each side had their moments, but neither could find the breakthrough, so it stayed 0 - 0 at the break.
The second half turned it up a notch. In the 67th minute, Montréal got on the scoreboard first. Elyse Bennett pressured Vancouver keeper Jessica Wulf into a turnover, and Lisa Pechersky struck it first time to put Montréal up 1 - 0. The Rise fired right back! Yuka Okamoto sent in a beautiful cross, and without hesitation, Jessica De Filippo finished brilliantly to level it at 1 - 1. Vancouver wasn't done there. 2 minutes into stoppage time, Tori Tumeth headed home off a corner after Anna Karpenko couldn't get a clean hand on it, and it looked like Vancouver had stolen the win at 2 - 1. But Montréal wasn't ready to give up the points! Just one minute after Vancouver's goal, Evelyn Badu hammered one into the back of the net to make it 2 - 2. Neither team could find a winner in the final moments, and this wild match had to settle for a draw.
Ottawa Rapid vs. Calgary Wild
Sunday, September 20, 2026
3 - 1
TD Place (Ottawa, ON)
Ottawa came out on FIRE! Just 4 minutes in, Ngozi Sonia Okobi-Okeoghene slotted it home in her first start of the season to make it 1 - 0 for the Rapid. Then Ottawa's Florence Belzile took over, driving down the wing and dodging tackles before sending in a perfect cross. Johanne Fridlund crashed the net and finished it off, making it 2 - 0. Calgary had a few chances in the first half, but Mollie Eriksson stayed solid in the Ottawa net. Sarah Keilty-Dilling kept the Wild in it too, making a sensational fingertip save on Fridlund to stop it from becoming even worse. It was all Ottawa heading into the break.
Calgary started to fight back in the second half, and the Wild finally got their lifeline when Frédérique St-Jean tucked one away to make it 2 - 1. Suddenly, Calgary had a real shot at a comeback. But Ottawa answered almost immediately! Okobi-Okeoghene floated a gorgeous finish out of the reach of Keilty-Dilling for her second goal of the night, making it 3 - 1. That was the last goal of the game and Ottawa secured the win at home!
Northern Super League Stories from September 21, 2026
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