NSL Week 13 Review: Momentum is starting to shape the season in Canada | OneFootball

After several weeks of tight margins and constant movement in the NSL standings, Week 13 saw the league’s in-form teams separate themselves from the pack. Ottawa Rapid FC, Montréal Roses FC, and defending champions Vancouver Rise FC all collected another three points, strengthening their cases as genuine title contenders.

For Vancouver, the past weekend may have been the most significant. Their victory over AFC Toronto lifted the Rise from fifth into third place, a reminder that the reigning champions are finding their rhythm at exactly the right time. With confidence growing and key players hitting form, they’ll now have one eye on the teams above them.

Meanwhile, Ottawa continue to set the standard. The Rapid have now won four straight matches, while Montréal’s disciplined performances have stretched their unbeaten run with a third consecutive victory. Every point is becoming more valuable as the season moves into its decisive stretch. The race at the top is beginning to intensify.

Ottawa Rapid FC 2-1 Halifax Tides

Ottawa’s winning streak didn’t come easily. It showed exactly why the Rapid have become one of the league’s toughest teams to beat.

The opening half was evenly contested with Halifax creating enough chances to trouble the hosts. Melissa Dagenais was called into action on multiple occasions and produced several important saves to keep the match level.

Just when it seemed both sides would head into halftime scoreless, Ottawa struck.

Five minutes before halftime, DB Pridham calmly finished from inside the box for her eighth goal of the season.

Less than ten minutes after the restart, Sadie Waite produced the goal of the weekend. Meeting the ball outside the box, she fired a stunning first-time volley into the top corner to double Ottawa’s lead.

Halifax refused to back down, and Cho So-hyun calmly tucked her finish into the bottom corner to pull one back and set up a tense finish.

They continued to press for an equalizer, but Ottawa stayed compact to see out a hard-fought 2-1 victory. In the end, they managed to extend their winning streak to four matches.

Calgary Wild FC 0-2 Montréal Roses FC

Montréal once again demonstrated why they have become one of the league’s most complete sides.

They took control early, dominating possession and making the most of their set pieces in the opening half.

The breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute when a corner delivery caused confusion inside the Wild penalty area. Lucy Cappadona reacted quickest to the loose ball, firing home from close range to give Montréal a deserved lead.

Only four minutes later, another corner punished Calgary. This time, Hailey Whitaker rose highest to power a header beyond the goalkeeper, doubling the advantage and leaving the home side with a mountain to climb before halftime.

Despite trailing by two goals, Calgary refused to fade.

After halftime, the Wild played with greater urgency, pushing numbers forward and forcing Montréal onto the back foot for extended periods. Serita Thurton was particularly lively, repeatedly testing the visitors with her pace and direct running.

However, every time Calgary looked capable of finding a breakthrough, Anna Karpenko was there. The Montréal goalkeeper produced several confident saves while her back line remained disciplined under sustained pressure.

Although Calgary enjoyed their best spell after the break, Montréal’s defensive organisation never truly wavered. The Roses absorbed the pressure, protected their clean sheet and closed out another professional 2-0 victory to extend their winning streak to three matches.

AFC Toronto 0-3 Vancouver Rise

Sometimes matches are decided before the opposition has a chance to settle which was exactly the case in Toronto.

Playing in difficult, windy conditions, Vancouver produced one of their sharpest starts of the season, overwhelming AFC Toronto with relentless attacking football during the opening minutes.

Only two minutes had elapsed when Anna Bout capped off a flowing passing move with a composed finish to give the Rise an early lead.

Toronto barely had time to regroup before Vancouver struck again. In the eighth minute, Quinn delivered a pinpoint cross into the area, where Jessica De Filippo rose above her defender to power a header into the net and make it 2-0.

Three minutes later, the visitors turned complete control into complete dominance. From a corner kick, defender Tori Tumeth climbed highest to head home her first Northern Super League goal, extending the advantage to 3-0 after just 11 minutes.

It was a ruthless spell that effectively decided the match.

Vancouver continued to dictate the tempo throughout the remainder of the first half, creating chances almost at will while limiting Toronto’s opportunities through aggressive pressing and quick ball recovery.

The hosts responded with greater determination after the break and enjoyed more possession in attacking areas, but Morgan McAslan remained composed whenever she was called upon, preserving another clean sheet with a series of confident interventions.

At the other end, Toronto goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde prevented the scoreline from becoming even more lopsided with several impressive saves as Vancouver continued to threaten on the counterattack.

While the second half lacked the fireworks of the opening 45 minutes, the damage had already been done.

The Rise comfortably managed the remainder of the match, sealing a convincing 3-0 away victory that not only secured a second consecutive win but also propelled the defending champions into third place in the standings.

The bigger picture in NSL

Ottawa continue to look like the league’s benchmark, combining defensive resilience with timely goals to make it four straight victories. Montréal are quietly building one of the strongest runs in the NSL, relying on disciplined defending and efficiency from set pieces to keep climbing.

Then there’s Vancouver.

A few weeks ago, Vancouver were searching for consistency and sitting outside the top three. Two convincing performances later, the defending champions have climbed back into the playoff places. The Rise look to be finding their identity again. Contributions are coming from across the squad and the defence has started to provide the foundation that defined last year’s championship run.

With the second half of the season underway, the margins at the top are beginning to shrink. Ottawa remain the team to catch, but Montréal and Vancouver are gathering momentum at the right time. If the last two weeks have shown anything, it’s that every weekend is starting to carry a little more significance.

Related articles from Her Football Hub: