BURNABY, BC (NOVEMBER 1, 2026) – It was a frustrating evening at Swangard Stadium on Sunday, as Vancouver Rise FC fell to a 3-0 loss to Montreal Roses FC in the first leg of the NSL Playoff semifinals.
Rise FC nearly had another early goal inside the first five minutes, with Jessica De Filippo finding Anaïs Oularbi wide open on the right-hand side of the box, but the midfielder’s low cross skipped past everyone on its way out.
Mia Pante kept that confidence from last match and almost replicated her first goal by sprinting down the left side into the box, and cutting inside in search of a shot, but her touch was just a half a yard too heavy, allowing Montreal to clear their lines.
Roses FC then opened the scoreline in the 11th minute, with Elyse Bennett slipping behind the defence and scoring past Morgan McAslan.
Rise FC kept pushing for an equalizer, and had a good chance after Anna Bout won a foul just in front of the Montreal box in the 21st minute. Oularbi stepped up to take the kick but her effort went over the bar.
De Filippo came close a few minutes later, after Oularbi lofted a cross close to the near post, but her first-touch effort went the wrong side of the post.
McAslan had to be sharp after Tanya Boychuk had a headed effort from six-yards out, with the ‘keeper making a point-blank save.
Roses FC doubled their lead in the 30th minute, after Marie-Yasmine “Mimi” Alidou got the ball in space in the box and shot it past McAslan.
Rise FC kept testing Montreal’s defense to try to get a goal back as the half wore on, but headed into the break with plenty of work to do.
The second half saw Rise FC get some early chances once more, with De Filippo coming close to getting one back in the 52nd minute, after Pante drilled a low cross into the box, but her shot on the half-spin went spun the other way and bounced out of danger.
Montreal then took control of the pace of the match, with Rise FC needing to be smart to threaten their defense on the counter.
Pante kept being a danger out wide, running down the line and drilling good crosses into the box. That nearly paid off in the 64th minute, after a corner created some chaos in the box, but despite multiple shot attempts, Roses FC were able to hold firm and clear the danger.
Roses FC made it 3-0 in the 73rd minute, after Lisa Pechersky’s shot took a deflection and bounced past McAslan, despite the ‘keeper getting a hand to it.
Rise FC kept throwing everything forward, forcing Montreal back into their own box, but despite sending cross after cross into the closing stages, Roses FC were able to hold their 3-0 lead going into the second lef.
Rise FC now travel to Montreal for the second leg of the NSL Playoff semifinal on November 8. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. PCT.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Isabelle Duclos
Scoring Summary
11’ - MTL - Elyse Bennett (Marie-Yasmine Alidou)
30’ - MTL - Marie-Yasmine Alidou (Elyse Bennett)
72’ - MTL - Lisa Pechersky (Elyse Bennett)
Statistics
Possession: VAN 44% - MTL 56%
Shots: VAN 5 - MTL 12
Shots on Goal: VAN 1 - MTL 5
Saves: VAN 2 - MTL 1
Fouls: VAN 12 - MTL 8
Offsides: VAN 0 - MTL 2
Corners: VAN 4 - MTL 4
Cautions
45’ - VAN - Tori Tumeth
58’ - VAN - Latifah Abdu
77’ - VAN - Jessica De Filippo
Vancouver Rise FC
13.Morgan McAslan; 12.Jaylyn Wright (4.Sura Yekka HT), 6.Tori Tumeth©️, 3.Jessika Cowart, 25.Kaela Hansen; 7.Nikki Stanton (8.Alex Lamontagne 74’), 24.Josie Longhurst, 14.Anna Bout; 26.Anais Oularbi (99.Latifah Abdu HT), 11.Jessica De Filippo, 22.Mia Pante
Substitutes not used
52.Jacqueline Cuthill, 2.Shannon Woeller, 16.Kennedy Faulknor, 17.Audrey François, 18. Yuka Okamoto, 47.Ava Anderson
Montreal Roses FC
26.Gabrielle Lambert; 6.Anne-Valérie Seto, 2.Lucy Cappadona, 20.Mégane Sauvé (5.Julia Leas 87’); 18.Charlotte Bilbault; 11.Marie-Yasmine Alidou, 13.Evelyn Badu (19.Lorie Thilbault 77’), 3.Hailey Whittaker (77.Anna Heilferty 63’), 7.Noémi Paquin (15.Chloe Minas 87’); 12.Tanya Boychuk (10.Lisa Pechersky 63’), 9.Elyse Bennett
Substitutes not used
22.Anne-Marie Laroche, 4.Stéphanie Hill, 23.Félicia Roy, 28.Amandine Pierre-Louis,