Vancouver Rise: Setting competitive and cultural foundations in women’s sports

In the inaugural season of the Northern Super League (NSL), Vancouver Rise FC established themselves as a competitive presence, finishing third with a record of 11 wins, eight losses, and six draws, accumulating 39 points.

The Vancouver Rise took on Association Football Club (AFC) Toronto in the first NSL final on Nov. 15 at Toronto’s BMO Field. After defeating Toronto 2-1 in front of a pulsing crowd of 12,429 fans, Rise players lifted up the Diana B. Matheson Cup as the reigning champions, cementing the team as the top women’s soccer talent in Canada.

Playing home matches at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, the Rise is one of six founding teams in Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league. From the outset, Vancouver had to establish a club identity, build cohesion among players and staff, and cultivate connection with fans.

The journey of the NSL, as shown in the documentary The Pitch, provides a broader context of the Rise’s season. It follows the process of launching the league, featuring voices like Olympic medalist and NSL founder Diana Matheson.

The documentary highlighted logistical and systemic challenges — and the hurdles organizers faced when seeking to create sustainable professional opportunities for women’s soccer in Canada.

The broader structural challenges the NSL faced gives additional perspective to the Vancouver Rise’s inaugural campaign, framing it as part of a larger movement within Canadian sport.

Vancouver Rise secured their first playoff berth following a 1-1 draw with Halifax Tides FC in late September. This milestone marked the team’s entry into post-season competition in its first year. While securing a playoff spot was an important achievement, the regular season offered more insight into the team’s development, tactical growth, and adaptability under pressure.

The Rise’s progression over the season reflected a combination of preparation, tactical planning, and in-game adaptability. Early in the season, coaching staff, led by Anja Heiner-Møller, emphasized structure and cohesion.

Players and coaches noted how initial training sessions focused on defining roles, establishing team principles, and creating clarity around expectations. This phase was crucial in laying the groundwork for consistency and performance under varying match conditions.

Tactically, the Vancouver Rise struck a balance between organization and creativity. Defensively, the team maintained disciplined patterns, pressing opponents strategically while ensuring transitional stability. Key defender Jasmyne Spencer provided consistency at the back, helping organize the defensive line and limit opponent opportunities.

“I just love winning,” Spencer told The Runner, speaking on what fuels her defensive edge in high-stakes matches.

As for her connection with goalkeeper Morgan McAslan, Spencer said it’s “centred around trust.”

“I [have to] give a shoutout to Mo’ for how much she’s grown in responsibility back there … being our last line of defence outside the box. I think she’s really gotten more and more comfortable with that — and that’s enabled our entire line to be more secure.”

In a given match, Spencer said it is all about reading the rhythm of the game and knowing whether it is with or against the Rise.

“[It’s] knowing when we can push and try to secure the ball, or be a little bit more risk-taking and try to catch teams out,” Spencer said.

“We’ve gotten it wrong at times in the season. But I think as a unit, we’ve really embraced those different moments [and] phases of the game. We’ve approached it with more of a balance, being like ‘It’s OK to take risks if it’s worth getting three points’ and knowing when that’s worth it all paying off.”

When it comes to defence, she applauded her team’s resilience. 

The Rise lost three centre backs during the season, including Jessika Cowart due to international duties.

Rice FC Academy players stepped up, Yuka Okamoto came in mid-season, and Jaylyn Wright has been so solid — whether she’s starting or coming off the bench, Spencer said. 

“It’s a testament to everybody’s mentality — you will not put in easy goals against us.”

Offensively, players were given opportunities to express individual skills within the team structure. Forward Jessica De Filippo finished the regular season in strong form, finding the net in three consecutive October matches.

“I think I’ve gained a little bit more confidence throughout the season,” De Filippo said. 

“I was trying to find my confidence and [improve] my touches on the ball, and being in this new position, I’ve found comfort in it. I’ve been working really well with teammates on and off the field to create connections. Overall, we’re creating really good pictures, and I’m able to find myself in good positions.”

De Filippo highlighted her connection with Holly Ward and Latifah Abdu in the forward line. 

“We’re all very dangerous players and it works well for us. We create different pictures, so it’s really hard for a backline to defend us as a unit. Everyone that provides us the ball and creates opportunities [for us] helps us as a team.”

Her Oct. 11 game-winning goal against Montreal Roses FC carried a fitting symmetry — Vancouver’s 11th win, scored by the player wearing No. 11, on the 11th day of the month. 

“It’s crazy how numbers work,” she said. “I think the 11 is going to follow me around for a bit, but I was excited for us to get the win in my hometown as well, so it was pretty cool.”

De Filippo said the team’s growth since the start of the season has gotten stronger. 

“We’ve got to stay true to that. We’ve told everyone to be ready, the whole team. No matter what player or position, be ready to push for the next 14 days before the next match,” De Filippo said.

“I want to be the most confident and comfortable I can be. I always say that I play the best when I’m having fun, so I want to have fun with it, win a title, and bring my competitive side like I always do. I hope, and I know, the whole team is going to follow me in that, and we’re all going to push each other.”

As the regular season concluded, head coach Heiner-Møller wrote to The Runner that the team’s approach in preparation for the playoffs has been focused on execution.

“We are very much focused on performing and winning the games we have left,” Heiner-Møller wrote in an email statement in early October. “We do have a very tight schedule with three games within eight days, so there is a lot of focus on managing load as well, but we would like to go into the playoffs with confidence.”

Considering the team’s packed schedule, Heiner-Møller wrote coordination with the Rise’s performance and medical staff, as well as careful management of the players’ time between games has been a key element in optimizing recovery.

“We have an experienced team that has done this before, so we will get the best out of it.”

She added that knowing Vancouver would be on a tight schedule from the get-go has prepared the team in a way that has helped with preparation. 

“Motivation is naturally high since we would like to aim for the highest spot possible in the table,” Heiner-Møller wrote.

Reflecting on lessons from the team’s past matches this fall, one of which was losing at home to Ottawa, Heiner-Møller wrote there were many positives that the Rise could build on, such as creating chances and dominating possession in both games. 

Key turning points emerged throughout the season. In August, a 1-0 win over the Montreal Roses marked a step in the team’s development.

Between July and September, the Rise went on an eight-match unbeaten run, featuring commanding victories with minimal defensive lapses. This period reinforced belief within the squad that they could consistently compete with top-tier NSL teams.

However, not all results went in the Vancouver Rise’s favour. In October, the team suffered a 2-1 loss to Calgary Wild FC, a match in which they maintained possession and created several chances. 

The result served as a reminder of the competitive margins in the league and the challenges of converting performance into consistent outcomes. Looming in the backdrop were the approaching playoffs.

A third-place finish in the regular season reflected the competitiveness of the league, with Vancouver ending level on points with the second-place team but falling one spot due to goal difference. The placement secured home advantage for the first leg of the semifinal, while highlighting the fine margins that shaped playoff seeding in the league’s opening year.

The semifinal against Ottawa Rapid FC unfolded across two legs. At Swangard Stadium, Vancouver secured a 2-1 advantage through a brace by Latifah Abdu, a fitting sendoff for supporters at home. 

The return leg in Ottawa demanded composure. Ottawa scored through Delaney Pridham and Melanie Forbes, placing Vancouver under significant pressure. In the 85th minute, Holly Ward delivered the crucial response with a header that kept the tie alive. Extra time produced no breakthrough, and the match went to penalties. Morgan McAslan made two pivotal saves, and Sofia Hagman converted the winning penalty to send Vancouver into the first NSL final.

Ahead of the championship, Heiner-Møller reflected on the quick turnaround compared with Toronto’s schedule and emphasized the team’s approach to recovery and readiness.

“Toronto is a strong team, that’s for sure. It is no coincidence they finished first,” she said. “But we have had good games against them … [including one] with one less player for more than half of the match. We know we need to stay focused the whole time, but that’s the same against Ottawa.”

Summarizing the significance of the season as a whole, Heiner-Møller said being in the final and having the chance to win makes her incredibly proud.

“We have been fighting to get into the playoffs,” she said. “We haven’t been up there on the table at the top the whole time. We’ve had pressure on, and to turn that around and then just build on top of that, makes me very proud of this team.”

Abdu’s mindset going into the match has been equally clear.

“All or nothing. It is the last game for a long time. We’re going to give it our all. We’re going to want to come out with that win. We’re going to come out strong. We’re going to make sure after that game ends that we have no regrets.”

The final delivered the perfect conclusion for the Rise. Vancouver had scored the league’s first-ever goal months earlier and closed the season with a decisive finish from Ward in the championship match. 

AFC Toronto opened the scoring in the first half, and a lightning delay added another layer of disruption. Vancouver grew into the game, and midfielder Nikki Stanton equalized in the 54th minute with a curling corner.

In the 68th minute, Ward made a direct run down the left side and slotted the winner past Sierra Cota-Yarde. McAslan, already the Golden Glove recipient, delivered another commanding performance and was named MVP.

However, the triumph carried an added edge. Not a single Vancouver player was selected for any major regular-season award. Across the defender, midfielder, forward, goalkeeper, and overall player of the season categories, the Rise were entirely absent. 

Vancouver Rise’s inaugural season set both competitive and cultural foundations. Their tactical discipline, adaptability in possession, and timely individual contributions shaped a clear on-field identity. Their commitment to supporters, community visibility, and internal cohesion cemented the club’s presence in the broader landscape of women’s soccer in Canada.

With a playoff berth secured, a semifinal survived, and a championship claimed, Vancouver Rise FC closed their first season as both title winners and the first great standard-setter of the NSL.