The first of 100: Vancouver Rise FC capture historic NSL title with win over AFC Toronto
- Daniel Carrero
- 9 minutes ago
- 7 min read
By Daniel Carrero
Photos by Daniel Carrero
AFC Toronto kept on pushing in the 90th minute. Legs were tired and muscles were cramping but every fibre in their body kept pushing. They had already been crowned Supporters Shield champions—they finished the league with 51 points, 12 points above second place—but there was one last challenge to face to finish a perfect season.
Toronto got to the final after continuously establishing themselves as a powerhouse. Their stomping semifinal victory over Montreal Roses FC put them in a position to thrive, but also one where the expectation was for them to be the first team to lift the Diana B. Matheson Cup.
Not only did weather flip AFC’s momentum with a rain delay, but the clock was against them. Each desperate attempt to drive down the pitch was invalidated by Vancouver Rise FC’s tight defensive line.
With the advantage, Vancouver only had to burn time. A mistake from a corner kick and a bullet down the left flank were all they needed to get ahead and within reach of the cup in front of the 12,429 fans at BMO Field.
Just like that, Esther Okoronkwo had the last chance on her left foot. The Nigerian international curved a ball into the box, but to her misfortune, Rise FC’s Jessika Cowart cleared the cross with a powerful header.
The referee brought the whistle to her mouth—before she could blow the third and final whistle, head coach Anja Heiner-Møller, her coaching staff and the rest of the squad stormed onto the pitch. Tears of joy and screams of fulfillment filled the pitch, followed by countless hugs that portrayed what Rise captain Samantha Chang said they would do at Media Day two days earlier.
“We will win the final together.”
And so they did.
Vancouver Rise FC became the first-ever Northern Super League (NSL) champion after defeating AFC Toronto 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.
“To beat a really good team like Toronto, it was going to take every single one of us stepping up in our moments. That's exactly what happened today,” said Chang. “The first half was not great, but the rain delay honestly gave us a moment to just reconnect with each other, figure out what we needed to do moving forward, and we did that.”
Both teams entered the final ready to draw from the success that brought them so close to a championship. Toronto lined up for the game the same way they did for the semifinal against Montreal, displaying Victoria Pickett, Sarah Rollins and Ashley Cathro as their back three and Okoronkwo and Kaylee Hunter as their usual scoring threats in a 3-5-2 formation.
In a similar fashion, Vancouver reused their starting 11 from their semifinal victory over Ottawa Rapid FC. Quinn controlled the midfield in their 4-3-3 formation with a strike force featuring Jessica de Filippo and Holly Ward on the wings and Latifah Abdu up front.
From kick-off, it all seemed to work for AFC. They dominated the first 15 minutes—producing three chances and two on target—and in due time, their consistent offensive pressure paid off early.
Twenty minutes into the game, Sarah Stratigakis played a pinpoint through ball to Hunter, who found herself alone against Vancouver goalie Morgan McAslan. With a quick glance for an option to pass the ball, Hunter decided to fire a powerful shot on goal. The ball found its way into the net through McAslan’s legs, earning AFC’s young star the team’s first goal at BMO Field and the first-ever goal in an NSL final.
Vancouver quickly sought a way back into the game, but Toronto’s defence dismantled any attempt and held them to just one attempt in 35 minutes. Rise FC also had to deal with Quinn’s injury sustained after kicking Okoronkwo in the leg while trying to regain possession.
As Quinn was stepping into the locker room, the rainy weather in Toronto became the star of the final. After lightning struck near the BMO Field, players and fans were sent inside the stadium for cover, and the game was delayed for about 30 minutes.
This delay was a blessing in disguise for Vancouver, who needed to regroup.
“When momentum is on for the opposite team, we need to have that back. And that can come in small moments,” said Heiner-Møller. “That stop there—with the lightning and all these things—that was a restart for us.”
After the game resumed, Vancouver wired in, employing a higher press and becoming more organized when they didn’t have the ball. Toronto kept on pushing, grasping onto the momentum they established early.
AFC’s efforts came from everywhere, accumulating 16 shots and half of them on target across the whole game. Nevertheless, with six saves, McAslan kept her team in the game. At the end of the game, the Rise goalkeeper was awarded the first-ever NSL final MVP.
“When she's confident, she's the best shot stopper in this league,” said Chang of McAslan. “That's just the kind of keeper she is. McAslan is much more than just an on-the-field player for our team. She's light-hearted off the field, always making jokes, always giving your teammate a little bit of something…I'm so happy for her MVP [award].”
Both teams started the second half slow, but Vancouver made the most of their first shot on target of the game.
On a free kick in the 54th minute, Rise’s Nicole Stanton attempted a pass to the first post, but after captain Emma Regan failed to connect a touch, the ball ricocheted off Sierra Cota-Yarde’s hands and found its way into the net. A gift from Toronto, the own goal allowed Vancouver to equalize the final.
“I thought we played really well most of the game and created a number of opportunities that we just didn't put away,” said AFC head coach Marko Milanovic. “Sometimes in football, that's what happens, you get punished.”
With momentum on their side, Vancouver proved shot count didn’t matter—they were more effective with their chances, and scored once again on their second shot on target. Following a textbook build-up, Chang played a long throughball, catching Ward as she ran across the left wing, beating Zoe Burns in speed. With a subtle touch with her left foot, the 22-year-old gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute.
“I feel like we didn't have that many chances, but I thought we were really clinical today on the couple chances we had,” said Chang. “Those small margins of Ward putting one away, Stanton putting one away and maybe winning a tackle in the midfield or winning an attack on the back line set us apart today.”
The final 20 minutes were all about time management for Rise FC—cycling the ball, forcing long balls in the opposition box and dropping down when needed. AFC tried everything, but all those chances they had and didn’t convert were catching up to them.
“If we convert even 30 per cent of what we created, this game would look very different right now,” said Milanovic. “Definitely frustrating.”
As the final whistle blew, some celebrated, while others dropped to the floor with faces of disbelief and devastation. While Vancouver reached their pinnacle, Toronto faced the toughest defeat possible, falling short on the biggest stage.
Nevertheless, AFC’s NSL Supporters’ Shield efforts paid off with an invitation to join the World Sevens Football 2025 North American 7-vs-7 tournament in early December. There, Toronto will face the respective champions of countries like Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and the United States.
“Obviously, people are down, myself included, but we'll pick each other back up. We have a fun tournament to end our year, and then we're going to come back stronger,” said Regan. “This group is resilient, and it didn't go our way today, but it doesn't make me any less proud of our season.”
When they do return in 2026, they’ll have the chance to change their fortunes at BMO Field. The team announced on Monday that they will split time between York Lions Stadium and BMO next season.
For Vancouver, there hasn't been a formal invitation to the Sevens tournament yet, but for now, they’ll process the victory in Toronto.
For six Torontonians in Vancouver’s starting 11, including Chang and McAslan, there was an added occasion.
“Just having that extra support from your family and knowing they're going to be there for you and be in the stands watching that means a lot,” said Chang. “To win a final at BMO, where we both grew up coming to games when we were younger, that's such a special moment for us. We'll remember that forever.”
Vancouver’s accomplishment of winning the first Diana B. Matheson Cup is close to a miracle. Back in July, Vancouver sat fifth in the standings, outside of the playoff picture. A massive turnaround propelled them to a spot in the final and ultimately, a win for the history books.
“Even towards the end of the game…I was definitely stressed. Even when the whistle blew, it took me a second to realize what we had done,” said Chang.
With the end of a season that spanned seven months, 80 matches and 219 goals also comes an opportunity to reflect on what the league has meant for current players and the future of Canadian women’s soccer.
“This league, it's been a long time coming. All credit to Diana Matheson for getting it actually going, setting it up and bringing people in who care about women's sports and women's soccer specifically,” said Chang. “We hit a lot of milestones this year, playing in the first-ever game, and now winning the first trophy, it does feel so full circle for us.”
On Media Day before the final, Matheson, the founder and chief growth officer shared the league’s achievements so far.
In its inaugural season, the NSL already placed itself among the top women’s leagues in the world. It finished fifth in the world in total attendance and eighth for league revenue, generating roughly $30 million league-wide.
While Matheson recognized that the league is yet to be profitable, she believes the future is promising. The government of Canada agrees.
Before kick-off, the league announced a federal commitment of up to $5.45 million to support the NSL, specifically "to deliver transformative upgrades for facilities used by the league across the country."
Matheson’s final remarks resembled a sentiment every little girl in Canada who wants to play soccer will be happy to hear.
“This league will be here for the next 100 years.”
Rise FC might be the stars of the show for now, but the future of Canadian women’s soccer is shining as bright as ever.