Defending champion Vancouver Rise focusing on themselves ahead of NSL playoffs

VANCOUVER — Nikki Stanton didn’t expect to be cheering for AFC Toronto in the final game of the Northern Super League’s regular season.

The Vancouver Rise midfielder knew, though, that Toronto had to pull out a win or a draw against the Halifax Tides for her side to clinch the league’s fourth and final playoff spot.

“Honestly, it was really, really stressful,” Stanton said. “I feel like we knew that we didn’t perform in certain moments to really control our own destiny, and the fact that we were kind of rooting for Toronto was crazy.”

Toronto battled Halifax to a 1-1 draw on Monday, a result that sent Vancouver back to the post-season.

“I think we had a little bit of luck,” Stanton said. “Halifax had a great season, but I am really excited to go in the playoffs because now the rest of the season doesn’t really matter.”

The Rise (9-12-4) will face the league-leading Montreal Roses (12-4-9) in the NSL semifinals, starting in Vancouver on Sunday. The back half of the two-legged series will be played in Montreal on Nov. 8.

The league’s other semifinal features Toronto and the Ottawa Rapid, and the NSL final will be held in Ottawa on Nov. 14.

Vancouver was crowned champion in a dramatic final that capped the league’s inaugural season last year but struggled with consistency in its second campaign.

There have been expectations on the Rise all season to defend the title, despite significant changes to rosters throughout the league, said striker Jessica De Filippo.

“I think we’ve felt the pressure,” she said. “I think it’s a different team than last year’s. But taking that experience from last year’s playoffs into this year, I think is definitely going to help us.

“I think we don’t want to lean on the expectations of what we achieved last year, and obviously we want to repeat — I think everyone wants that, everyone wants to win. We’re taking the lessons that we can, but also leaving maybe the negatives in the past as well.”

Vancouver’s up-and-down season saw head coach Anja Heiner-Moller fired in early September. Assistant coach Iain Darbyshire was elevated to fill the role, and the Rise closed out the campaign with a 2-3-1 record.

Records don’t matter heading into the playoffs, Darbyshire said.

“Nothing that happened in the first league part of the season matters, really. It’s playoff football now,” said the interim head coach. “And I think that we know that we’re a team that can beat anybody. And I think we have to believe that as a group now. If we do that, we can be successful.”

The Roses are a familiar foe for the Rise. The two sides met five times during the regular season, with Montreal winning the season series with a 3-1-1 record.

“I think they’re a really good team with great individuals that work well collectively,” said De Filippo, who led the league in regular-season goals with 13. “At this point in the season, we’ve already played them five times, so I think going into games six and seven, it’s really not about tactics as much as who wants it more, and seeing as individuals and as a team who can outperform the other.”

Vancouver needs to focus on its game and keep possession in order to get a good result against Montreal, Stanton said.

The team proved it can play with poise in its final game of the regular season, she added.

Last week, the Rise took an early lead against the Calgary Wild, then locked down defensively to hold on for a 3-2 victory.

“I think one thing that we’ve been really working on is just playing our game, and if maybe things don’t go our way, not starting to panic or hit the long balls,” Stanton said.

The Rise have the speed and talent it will take to compete with Montreal, Darbyshire said, but injuries and absences have eaten away at the roster all season.

“We know we’ve got unbelievable individuals. It’s just about piecing the whole thing together,” he said. “And I think that we’re kind of patching up holes at the minute, in terms of who we have available, but you know what? That’s why you’ve got a big squad.

“And the players proved last week with all the changes that we had that they’re good enough. It’s just about that belief now.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press