BURNABY, BC – It was a tough afternoon for Vancouver Rise FC, as they fell to a frustrating 3-2 defeat to Calgary Wild FC, despite leading late into the match. 

Rise FC were the first to test the other as Maithe Lopez fired off a left-footed shot towards goal, but Wild FC ‘keeper Katelin Talbert was equal to it.

Both sides looked to unlock each other's defence as the half wore on, but neither was able to crack the defence as the majority of the game was played and contested in midfield. 

Talbert was called to make some big punches as the crosses from Anna Bout and Lopez kept threatening the Calgary box. 

The match came alive right before the break, as Morgan McAslan had to stay sharp to hold on to Taegan Stewart’s effort from distance, before Lopez’s drilled shot was kick-saved by Talbert at the edge of the box. 

Latifah Abdu had a great chance right before the referee blew her whistle, chesting down a lobbed pass from Yuka Okamoto and firing a low shot towards goal, but it flew past the wrong side of the post. 

With the sun high in the sky, both sides went into the break on level terms and looking for a breakthrough. 

Calgary Wild FC got the opportunity to open the scoring inside the first three minutes of the second half, as the Albertan team won a penalty. Stewart stepped up and placed her effort to give Wild FC the 1-0 lead. 

Abdu came close to getting Rise FC right back on level terms just two minutes later, trapping the ball in the box and diving for a shot, but her effort was blocked wide. 

McAslan made a massive save to keep Rise FC in it in the 53rd minute, after Jorian Baucom snuck past the defence and fired a shot towards goal, but the Canadian ‘keeper made a reflexive save to keep it to one goal. 

That save kicked the team on, and just two minutes later, Rise FC found their equalizer. 

Anna Bout chipped a ball down the left side for Abdu to latch onto and drive. The attacker saw the late run of Jessica De Filippo and cut it back, with De Filippo taking a touch and drilling it hard and low to bring it back to 1-1. 

That goal shifted momentum in the match back in favour of Rise FC, and it didn’t take long for the home side to take the lead. Camila Reyes managed to grab onto a loose tackle, and crossed it deep into the box. De Filippo was first to it and redirected it past Talbert, making it 2-1. 

Now with the lead, Rise FC brought some fresh legs on to try to maintain their advantage and to even add to it. 

Calgary Wild FC almost had a chance to equalize after a bouncing ball made it through the defensive line, but Tori Tumeth made a last ditch tackle that was adjudged to have denied a goalscoring opportunity, thus earning the defender a red card. 

Down to 10 players, Rise FC tried the hardest to keep the lead and see out the game, but two goals in added time from Calgary flipped the script, taking the lead and three points. 

Rise FC are back in action on Saturday, August 15 as they take on Halifax Tides FC in a crucial matchup. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. PT. Fans can grab tickets at vanrisefc.com/tickets. 

MATCH DETAILS

Referee: Anne-Marie Canuel

Scoring Summary
48’ - CGY - Taegan Stewart (penalty)
56’ - VAN - Jessica De Filippo (Latifah Abdu)
65’ - VAN - Jessica De Filippo (Camila Reyes)
90’ - CGY - Jorian Baucom 
90’+5 - CGY - Keelyn Stewart

Statistics
Possession: VAN 54% - CGY 46%
Shots: VAN 9 - CGY 10
Shots on Goal: VAN 4 - CGY 8
Saves: VAN 5 - CGY 2
Fouls: VAN 12 - CGY 6
Offsides: VAN 3 - CGY 3
Corners: VAN 3 - CGY 4

Cautions
73’ - CGY - Jorian Baucom
75’ - CGY - Meikayla Moore

Expulsions
84’ - VAN - Tori Tumeth

Vancouver Rise FC
13.Morgan McAslan; 4.Sura Yekka (17.Audrey Francois 56’), 6.Tori Tumeth©️, 45.Myla Ewasiuk; 14.Anna Bout, 7.Nikki Stanton (28.Jaime Perrault HT), 10.Camila Reyes (12.Jaylyn Wright 85’), 18.Yuka Okamoto; 11.Jessica De Filippo (24.Josie Longhurst 66’), 99.Latifah Abdu (8.Alex Lamontagne 66’), 23.Maithe Lopez

Substitutes not used
1.Kirstin Tynan, 31.Jessica Wulf, 26.Anais Oularbi

Calgary Wild FC
1.Katelin Talbert; 11.Tilly James (7.Caleigh Boeckx 73’), 23.Taylor Otto, 5.Meikayla Moore, 41.Madison Pogarch (19.Keelyn Stewart 83’); 22.Hannah Boughton, 8.Sonia O’Neil (6.Jaclyn Sawicki 73’); 18.Serita Thurton, 30.Taegan Stewart (16.Jenaya Robertson 73’), 99.Mya Jones (15.Kahli Johnson 41’); 4.Jorian Baucom

Substitutes not used
26.Sarah Keilty-Dilling, 44.Talia White, 12.Frederique St.Jean