Golen scores winner for Ottawa Rapid FC in 3-2 win over Halifax Tides

HALIFAX — Nicola Golen scored in extra time for the Ottawa Rapid FC in a 3-2 quarterfinal win over the Halifax Tides in the W Canadian Championship on Monday.

Canada Soccer launched an inaugural W Canadian Championship this summer as a path to the 2027 CONCACAF W Champions Cup and the 2028 FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.

The eight participating clubs features all six from the Northern Super League and two clubs from Premier Soccer Leagues Canada.

Ottawa stormed back from a two-goal deficit with late goals by Florence Belzile and Jazmine Wilkinson.

Golen struck in the 107th minute when she charged into the box and beat two Halifax defenders to get her left foot on a rebound given up by Tides keeper Anika Toth.

Ottawa tops the NSL with a 11-2-1 record. Jordyn Rhodes scored twice for the Tides, ranked fourth in the NSL at 5-7-2.

Belzile halved the deficit in the 83rd minute when she pounced on a bouncing ball in the box to right-foot it out of the air. Wilkinson headed in a Belzile cross in stoppage time to even the score.

Rhodes completed her brace in the 62nd minute to give the host Tides a 2-0 lead. Halifax had a couple of chances during a corner-kick scramble when Rhodes stretched to get her right foot on a rebound.

After a scoreless first half at Wanderers Grounds, Rhodes ended the stalemate by pivoting in the box to shake off a defender and fire a left-foot shot by Melissa Dagenais in the 49th minute.

Calgary Wild FC meets CS Mont-Royal Outremont Wednesday in another quarterfinal, followed by the Montreal Roses versus the Simcoe County Rovers on Aug. 12 and AFC Toronto versus the Vancouver Rise on Oct. 4.

The semifinals and final will be played in 2027.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2026.

The Canadian Press