Latifah Abdu netted two goals in the opening half, propelling Vancouver Rise to a 2-1 victory against Ottawa Rapid FC at home in the initial leg of the Northern Super League semifinals on Tuesday.
Ottawa’s Delaney Pridham managed to reduce the margin in the second half. The second leg of the semifinals is scheduled for Saturday at Ottawa’s TD Place.
In the parallel semifinal, AFC Toronto, the league leaders, will face off against the Montreal Roses. Toronto heads into the upcoming match on Sunday with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.
The winners of the semifinal matches, based on aggregate scores, will progress to the championship game on November 15 at Toronto’s BMO Field, where the inaugural champion of the Canadian women’s professional soccer league will be crowned.
Abdu capitalized on a defensive error near Ottawa’s goal in the 14th minute when Ottawa goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais attempted to play the ball out of the penalty area at Swangard Stadium.
Abdu struck once more in the 21st minute, skillfully creating space with a quick move to score with her left foot.
Pridham narrowed the gap in the 66th minute by outmaneuvering Vancouver defender Rebecca Lake and slotting a low shot past Rise goalkeeper Morgan McAslan.
Pridham, the top goal-scorer in the NSL’s inaugural season with 19 goals, scored her first goal in the playoffs.
Ottawa coach Katrine Pederson expressed disappointment with her team’s performance in the first half but praised their improved showing in the second half. She acknowledged Vancouver’s strong performance and the challenges her team faced.
The second leg of the semifinal promises an intense battle between the teams as they vie for a spot in the championship match.