VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Rise FC are travelling to Calgary this week, facing Calgary Wild FC on Sunday as they look to cement their place in the NSL Playoff spots. 

LEARNING LESSONS: Rise FC were at the center of a thrilling match this past weekend, drawing Montreal Roses FC 3-3 at home, where each team scored in added time. Defender of the Year candidate Tori Tumeth scored her second ever Rise FC goal in the second minute of added time to seemingly give Rise FC all three points, but Roses FC went straight up the other way and were able to equalize before time was up. Despite the heartbreaking end to the match, interim head coach Iain Darbyshire acknowledged after the match the benefit of learning from these mistakes. “I’m [both] proud of that performance, and really disappointed to drop the two points,” he said. “I think that this pain is going to be good for us in the long run. It’s going to benefit the group a lot going into, hopefully, the playoffs, where every single action in every single second, matters. And we’ll be able to look back at this and think to ourselves ‘okay, we’ll learn from that and we’ll be better’.”

REDEMPTION IN CALGARY: Rise FC are heading into these three straight road games as the owners of their own destiny when it comes to making the playoffs. First up is Calgary Wild FC, who have been enjoying a resurgence in recent weeks. The Alberta side have won three, drawn three and lost only once in their last seven games, having their six-match unbeaten streak ended this past weekend in a 3-1 loss to Ottawa Rapid FC. But while Wild FC will be looking to bounce back, Rise FC will be looking for some redemption after failing to defeat Wild FC in their last two games. Luckily for them, the last time they visited Calgary in July, they came away 4-2 winners, showcasing their goalscoring threat even on the road. With Halifax Tides FC still just two points behind, Rise FC will want to emulate that previous result to keep the pace in fourth place. 

ANCHOR IN DEFENSE: Rise FC defender Tori Tumeth might have stolen the headlines with her last-minute goal last weekend, but the Australian player has been an anchor in the backline for Rise FC all season. By the numbers, Tumeth has been in the top 10 across various metrics in both defense and in attack for defenders. But beyond the stats, Tumeth has been a constant voice of stability in defence, organizing the team and inspiring performances, and even taking on the captain’s armband on multiple occasions. From last-ditch tackles to set-piece goals, Tumeth has been rock-solid for Rise FC since she first arrived, which has put herself in the conversation for NSL Defender of the Year.