Vancouver Rise FC makes history at inaugural Northern Super League match

With fireworks overhead and more than 14,000 voices rising in unison at Vancouver’s BC Place, women’s professional soccer in Canada finally crossed the threshold — from a long-promised dream to a living, breathing reality.

On April 16, Vancouver Rise FC etched their name into history, defeating the Calgary Wild 1–0 at the inaugural match of the Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s first top-tier professional women’s soccer league. 

It was a moment, decades in the making, that unfolded under stadium lights, on home soil, and in front of the world.

The decisive goal came in the 22nd minute, when Canadian international midfielder Quinn converted a penalty after a blistering run from winger Holly Ward forced a foul in the box. With that strike, Quinn didn’t just give Vancouver the win — they scored the first goal in NSL history.

But for Quinn, the moment held more than just athletic significance.

“I’ve been in some really big games, and so I thought, ‘Oh yeah, this’ll be easy to handle,’” they said post-match, TSN reported. “But then definitely stepping on to the pitch, and seeing (league co-founder) Diana Matheson and (Canadian soccer legend) Christine Sinclair with the ball …  it definitely kind of hit my heart in a different way than I thought it would.”

As someone who grew up watching Sinclair carry a nation on her shoulders — and later fell in love with the tactical brilliance of players like Alexia Putellas — I couldn’t help but feel emotional witnessing this moment. This wasn’t just a win for Vancouver or a milestone for Canadian soccer. It felt like a collective exhale, a long-awaited beginning.

Matheson, co-founder of Project 8 Sports and the visionary behind the league, was front and centre during the pre-match ceremony. Without her, this league might still be stuck in planning documents and boardrooms. She brought belief when all that existed was hope.

I kept thinking back to 2015, when Canada hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the country’s passion for the sport reached a fever pitch. Back then, we imagined a future that looked like this. But for 10 long years, it remained just that — an idea. Financial hesitation, pandemic disruptions, and institutional inertia slowed everything down, until now.

The players, too, carried the weight of that history. The opening minutes were nervous and frantic. But once the jitters faded, the quality was unmistakable — intelligent movement, fast transitions, and a tactical sharpness that left no doubt. This is professional soccer, and these women belong here.

Ward, a hometown product, was electric on the left wing. Her relentless drive through two Calgary defenders led directly to the game’s only goal. It was a moment of individual brilliance, and it belonged to someone raised in this city. There was something poetic about that.

The fans also showed up. Despite the Vancouver Canucks playing their season finale across the street, BC Place’s lower bowl buzzed with energy. This was a crowd that knew the significance of what they were witnessing — that this was history.

The Rise will now shift to their permanent home at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, hosting the Montreal Roses on April 27. It doesn’t offer the large-scale capacity of BC Place, but what it lacks in size it will more than make up for in heart — a field with legacy, a place that feels like home.

Is this the beginning of an era? I believe it is. And as someone who’s been writing about this game, dreaming about this future, and hoping for more investment in women’s sport, it was surreal to witness it finally unfold — not as a highlight on a screen, but as reality.

The NSL has officially launched. And Canada, finally, has a league worthy of the players who’ve carried the flag for so long.