Rapid FC Climb to Second Place with Decisive 2-0 Defeat of Montreal Roses FC
NSL Ottawa Rapid FC

Rapid FC Climb to Second Place with Decisive 2-0 Defeat of Montreal Roses FC

Published on August 16, 2025 under Northern Super League (NSL)
Ottawa Rapid FC News Release


D. B. Pridham of Ottawa Rapid FC reacts after one of her goals
D. B. Pridham of Ottawa Rapid FC reacts after one of her goals
(Ottawa Rapid FC)

Montreal, QC - Delaney Baie Pridham scored a brace to secure a commanding 2-0 win for Ottawa over Montreal Roses FC on Saturday afternoon at Stade Boréale. With their first defeat of Montreal this season, Rapid FC overtake the Roses in the Northern Super League table, landing in second place with 25 points and a 7-4-5 record.

Pridham opened the scoring for Ottawa early in the match, running into the box to take advantage of a clean through ball from Florence Belzile to tuck in the game opener. Belzile earned her first NSL assist on the play.

Eight minutes later, Belzile capitalized off of a defensive mistake to win the ball and shoot it through once again to a charging Pridham who scored her league-leading 14th of the year. Pridham now has four multi-goal games this season, with Belzile putting up her first multi-assist effort.

Despite a few dangerous attacks from the Roses, Ottawa's defence remained characteristically strong in the win, with goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais earning her fourth clean sheet.

"It feels good, but honestly the job's not finished yet," said midfielder Julia Benati on Rapid FC reaching second place. "For us, we're playing one game at a time, we're re-focusing every game. You go into every match ready to battle, ready to win, that's the mentality. We're trying to make it to the playoffs, we're trying to win a championship, so you have to take it game by game and go after every win you can get."

Head coach Katrine Pedersen on what D. B. Pridham contributes to the team: "To have a player who executes well, who has different ways of scoring as well. She's good in the box, she's good on her head, she's good with her feet, she can run in behind, she can play back to goal. That attracts the opponent as well. She's always there, she's always a threat, but it also attracts players, so we have space in other places that we want to take advantage of. We're very happy and lucky to have her on our team. She's working hard every day to be on this level, and she deserves a lot of credit for it."

Next weekend, Rapid FC return to Ottawa for the start of a three-game homestand, set to face Vancouver Rise FC on Sunday, August 24th at 2 pm ET.

THORN TO THE ROSES: D. B. Pridham has all five of Ottawa's goals against Montreal this season, scoring in each of four meetings between the two teams so far.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Rapid FC continue to hold the league's best Goal Difference (+9) and have tied AFC Toronto for the league lead in Goals For (26).

SERIES: After the fourth of five meetings with Montreal, Rapid FC have one win, a draw, and two losses. The two teams will face off one more time in three weeks back in Ottawa.

UP NEXT: Rapid FC return home to host Vancouver Rise FC at TD Place Stadium on Sunday, August 24th at 2 pm ET (Stream on TSN+ and NSL.ca; US streaming on ESPN+)

MATCH SUMMARY

Ottawa Rapid FC - 2 Montreal Roses FC - 0

Venue: Stade Boréale

Referee: Sheila Couture

Assistants: Allycia Carlucci, Victoria Lafortune

Fourth Official: Allie Martin

Referee Observer: Laurence Rodier

SCORING SUMMARY

Ottawa Rapid FC: D.B. Pridham (9', 17')

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

23' - Yellow: Min-A Lee (Ottawa Rapid FC)

61' - Yellow: Susanne Haaland (Ottawa Rapid FC)

STARTING LINEUP & STATS

Ottawa Rapid FC Starting Lineup:

GK Melissa Dagenais (Longueuil, QC)

DF Susanne Haaland (Norway)

DF Olivia Scott (Aurora, ON)

DF Jyllissa Harris (USA)

DF Choo Hyojoo (KOR)

MF Melanie Forbes (Mississauga, ON)

MF Ellen Gibson (Sweden)

MF Min-A Lee (Korea)

MF Julia Benati (London, ON)

MF Florence Belzile (Chicoutimi, QC)

FW Delaney Baie Pridham (CAN)

Substitutes: Kelly Chiavaro (GK), Kayla Adamek (MF), Emily Amano (MF), Desiree Scott (MF), Sonia Okobi-Oke (MF), Jazmine Wilkinson (FW), Johanne Fridlund (FW), Nicola Golen (FW)

Total Shots: 6

Shots on Goal: 3

Fouls: 6

Offsides: 7

Corner-Kicks: 0

Saves: 2

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Images from this story

D. B. Pridham of Ottawa Rapid FC reacts after one of her goals
D. B. Pridham of Ottawa Rapid FC reacts after one of her goals
   



Northern Super League Stories from August 16, 2025


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