An exciting game ended with the Montréal Roses getting pruned by the Vancouver Rise at Stade Boréale this weekend. With the Rise being the team to beat and the Roses on a winning streak, both teams came out with high energy.

Montreal Roses
✍️ Traci Morrissette 

From the start, the Roses came out in top form with a 4-3-3 formation, with attacker Elyse Bennett at the head of the point. Right away, Bennett and Lisa Pechersky made their marks, with Pechersky passing the ball to Bennett for a quick goal, only to be matched by a Vancouver goal at 16 minutes.

With the two teams tied, the frenetic back and forth began. While the Rise kept tight possession of the ball, what was impressive was the Roses' equally tight defence. Goalkeeper Anna Karpenko was well supported by Stephanie Hill, Lucy Cappadona, and Anne-Valérie Seto.

Up front, Lisa Pechersky and Elyse Bennett became the pair to beat, though noticeably, while the two were able to show fantastic precision in ball control and getting up the field, the coordination was just not there.

While Megan Sauvé and Chaerim Kang were quick to get the ball up the field, the problem came in terms of placement for goal shots. There were just too many instances where Bennett or Pechersky would go up field and find themselves alone, attempting a cross-pass with their teammates just too slow to be in the right spot to take the shot.

That being said, they did have the support of midfielders Tanya Boychuk, Chloé Minsas, and Charlotte Bilbault as well. All the Roses were giving their all in terms of working through the Rise's strong offensive pressure, but when it came to being in place for the pass-to-goal conversion, the tactics just were not there.

One standout for the game was Chloé Minsas. She was notably quick to switch from offence to defence to frustrate the Rise's efforts to take the ball back down field, and while she didn't win every challenge, her speed and tenacity made it clear she is someone to pay attention to.

Frustrating to both teams' efforts was the wind. While the weather was beautiful for a full day of football, the wind was probably an influence on the total number of goals scored. Shots that might have easily gone in found their way onto the crossbar, reducing the scoring on the day.

This game was also a significant one for Lisa Pechersky, whose first season in the NSL was with the Rise. On the field, she was absolutely a force to be reckoned with, taking control of the ball against Quinn and Abdu. Pechersky was a standout with some impressive ball control, including stopping the ball with a raised-leg kick and expertly running it up the field. In playing against her old squad, you could definitely tell some old familiarity was there, especially when going up against Quinn in the second half, which led to a tough scramble for the ball.

Where some of the tactical planning of the Roses' strategy has to be commented on, one has to question why coach Robert Rositoiu waited so late in the second half to make substitutions. While the Roses were playing with everything they had, it was noticeable that some players were starting to fall behind, especially defender Stephanie Hill. Hill drew some harsher commentary when she was overrun by Jaime Perrault of the Rise, and the lack of pace was noticeable.

While overall the Roses put on a commendable performance, this end to their winning streak is going to require some evaluation of how they approach the Rise, a team that has shown that even when they are down, they are never out.

Vancouver Rise
✍️ Fleur Dias

Three wins on the bounce. The first defeat handed to Montréal Roses FC all season. And perhaps most importantly, another reminder that Vancouver Rise FC are quickly becoming one of the Northern Super League's most resilient teams.

On a night where momentum swung wildly between both sides, Vancouver found a way.

In front of a lively crowd at Stade Boréale, Rise twice responded to adversity before Jessica De Filippo's late winner secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Montréal Roses. The result extends Vancouver's winning streak to three matches, tying the longest run in the NSL this season alongside Montréal and Ottawa.

More than the three points, however, this felt like a statement.

Montréal entered the match unbeaten and sitting among the league's early pace setters. Vancouver arrived carrying growing confidence after consecutive victories over Calgary and Halifax. By full time, it was Rise leaving Laval with all three points and a growing reputation as one of the league's most dangerous sides.

The evening could hardly have started worse for Vancouver.

Just eight minutes in, Lisa Pechersky floated a difficult ball into the area that eventually found Elyse Bennett. The Roses striker reacted quickest, lifting her finish into the roof of the net to give the hosts an early lead.

Against an unbeaten side playing at home, it could have been a moment that shifted the entire match.

Instead, it revealed something increasingly evident about this Rise team.

They don't panic.

Eight minutes later, Vancouver were level.

Latifah Abdu sparked the move, chasing down a ball in behind and creating chaos inside the Montréal penalty area. Jessica De Filippo looked set to shoot before a Roses defender intervened, but the clearance fell kindly to Anna Bout. The midfielder needed no second invitation, driving her strike off the crossbar and into the net for her first goal in Rise colours.

For Bout, it was a deserved reward after a strong start to her inaugural NSL campaign. The goal also brought her total contributions this season to two, adding to the assist she registered earlier in the year.

The equalizer reflected Vancouver's approach throughout the evening. They remained aggressive, direct, and willing to attack the game rather than manage it. The remainder of the first half became a showcase of just how evenly matched these two teams were.

De Filippo came within inches of giving Rise the lead when her free kick thundered off the crossbar after Abdu had been fouled outside the area.

Moments later, Montréal nearly answered through Chloé Minas, whose effort rattled the woodwork at the other end.

Camila Reyes continued to provide energy down the flanks and tested Anna Karpenko with a late volley, while Montréal struck the crossbar again before halftime as Jessica Wulf managed to get enough on a dangerous effort to divert it onto the frame of the goal.

By the interval, the scoreline remained level at 1-1, but the match already felt destined for a dramatic finish.

While the goalscorers will naturally grab headlines, much of Vancouver's attacking threat flowed through Latifah Abdu.

The forward has quietly become one of Rise's most influential players this season, and Saturday night provided another example of her growing impact.

She nearly created a second goal just after the hour mark when she found Josie Longhurst alone at the back post. Longhurst couldn't keep her effort down, sending it over the bar from close range.

Both players, however, would get another chance.

In the 72nd minute, Reyes drove forward and cut the ball back into the area. Abdu used her strength brilliantly to shield the defender before squaring once more for Longhurst.

This time, the forward made no mistake.

Longhurst poked home her first goal for Rise, capping an excellent team move and giving the visitors a deserved 2-1 advantage.

The assist was Abdu's first of the season, adding to the two goals she had already scored and bringing her total goal contributions to three.

If there has been one criticism levelled at any league side, it is often whether they can handle pressure when momentum turns against them.

Vancouver answered that question emphatically.

Montréal equalized in the 81st minute through Noémi Paquin, who produced an outstanding finish into the top corner after being found by Evelyn Badu.

An unbeaten team at home had seized momentum. The crowd sensed it. The game felt ready to tilt in Montréal's favour.

Rise had other ideas.

Five minutes later, the visitors delivered the decisive blow.

Abdu started the move once again, releasing substitute Jaime Perrault down the right-hand side. Perrault drove into the penalty area, beat her defender, and calmly cut the ball back into a dangerous position.

Waiting there was De Filippo.

The forward struck first time and buried her finish into the roof of the net.

It was a goal worthy of winning any match.

It was also De Filippo's second goal of the NSL season and Perrault's first goal contribution in Rise colours.

Most importantly, it was the goal that handed Montréal their first defeat of the campaign.

For all the attention that naturally surrounds expansion clubs, Vancouver Rise FC are beginning to show signs of something more substantial than a promising start.

This team is developing an identity.

They are comfortable suffering through difficult moments. They are capable of creating chances through multiple avenues. Different players are stepping up each week. Most importantly, they are showing an ability to win games in different ways.

The result leaves Vancouver tied for the longest winning streak in the Northern Super League this season and firmly established among the league's early contenders.

The challenge now is maintaining that momentum.

Ottawa Rapid FC await at Swangard Stadium on 14 June in what is shaping up to be one of the biggest matches of the young NSL season.

If Saturday's thriller in Laval proved anything, it is that Vancouver Rise FC are no longer simply participating in this league's first season.