Ottawa's 5-0 Triumph over Halifax Sets New League Benchmark
Published on August 28, 2025 under Northern Super League (NSL)
Ottawa Rapid FC News Release
Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Rapid FC delivered a dominant performance at TD Place Stadium on a rainy Thursday night, cruising to a historic 5-0 win over the Halifax Tides FC.
The tone was set early when D.B. Pridham scored her league-leading 16th goal of the season in the 10th minute with a diving finish. The Rapid came alive after halftime, striking four times in under 40 minutes. Pridham nearly doubled the advantage seconds into the second half, forcing a miscue that Min-A Lee capitalized on for a 2-0 cushion.
In the 66th, Pridham's effort off the crossbar fell perfectly for Olivia Scott, who headed home her third of the season and her third against Halifax. Melanie Forbes added a fourth with a crisp volley in the 77th minute, before substitute Stella Downing scored just a minute after coming on, sealing Ottawa's biggest home win in Northern Super League history.
The emphatic victory showcased Ottawa's depth and attacking power, with five different players finding the scoresheet. With only seven matches left in the regular season, the victory gave the Rapid a crucial three points in their playoff push.
"Looking at the table, we dropped from second to fourth last game, and now we're back up. We've played one more match than Vancouver and Montreal, so we'll have to wait until Saturday to see where we stand once games are even," said head coach Katrine Pedersen. "But this performance - both in how we played and the result - gives us confidence. We looked much more like ourselves tonight, and we're going to build on that as we head into next week after a few days of rest."
Goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais on playing in the wet conditions: "I think it comes down to sticking to the basics - the principles and doing the small things right. We knew the ball would skip and play quicker, so it was about being adaptable, which was something we talked about in the locker room before the game. I think we showed that out there tonight."
Next, Ottawa Rapid FC continue their home stretch hosting the Montreal Roses FC on Sunday, September 7 at 12 p.m. ET.
FIVE FOR FIVE: Five different players found the scoresheet tonight, marking the first time in league history a team has had that many individual scorers in a single match.
HISTORIC AT HOME: Ottawa recorded the largest home margin of victory in Northern Super League history.
UP NEXT: Ottawa Rapid FC hosts Montreal Roses FC at TD Place Stadium on Sunday, September 7 at 12 p.m. ET (Stream on CBC Gem and NSL.ca; French language coverage on RDS).
MATCH SUMMARY
Ottawa Rapid FC - 5 | Halifax Tides FC - 0
Venue: TD Place Stadium
Referee: Marie-Soliel Beaudoin
Assistants: Megan Opatril, Allycia Carlucci
Fourth Official: Shaelyn Holdaway
Referee Observer: Laurence Rodier
Attendance: 1,675
SCORING SUMMARY
Ottawa Rapid FC: DB Pridham (10'), Min-A Lee (46'), Olivia Scott (66'), Melanie Forbes (77th), Stella Downing (83')
Halifax Tides FC: 0
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
26' - Yellow: Addison Weichers (Halifax Tides FC)
STARTING LINEUP & STATS
Ottawa Rapid FC Starting Lineup:
GK Melissa Dagenais (Saint-Hubert, QC)
DF Choo Hyojoo (South Korea)
DF Olivia Scott (Markham, ON)
DF Jyllissa Harris (USA)
DF Susanne Haaland (Norway
MF Ellen Gibson (Sweden)
MF Min A Lee (South Korea)
MF Desiree Scott (Winnipeg, MB)
FW Delaney Baie Pridham (CAN)
FW Nicola Golen (Toronto, ON)
FW Johanne Fridlund (Norway)
Substitutes: Kelly Chiavaro (GK), Kayla Admaek (MF), Emily Amano (MF), Sonia Okobi-Okeoghene (MF), Julia Benati (MF), Florence Belzile (MF), Melanie Forbes (MF), Stella Downing (MF), Jazmine Wlkinson (FW)
Total Shots: 15
Shots on Goal: 6
Fouls: 9
Offsides: 5
Corner-Kicks: 3
Save: 1
Northern Super League Stories from August 28, 2025
- Ottawa's 5-0 Triumph over Halifax Sets New League Benchmark - Ottawa Rapid FC
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