Lo, how the Roses e’er blooming
The team seeks its first championship as the top seed in the NSL standings
Halifax Tides FC coach Stephen Hart knew exactly what the moment meant for the Montreal Roses. Fresh off a 1-0 loss that sent Montreal to the top spot in the Northern Super League (NSL) standings, he reflected on the raucous crowd that welcomed the two teams to Stade Saputo.
“I said that to the players: they are probably under more pressure than we are. Being at home, first time, fantastic situation,” Hart said. “But I'm sure they had some sort of effect.”
Halifax played well that game, only conceding to Anne-Valérie Seto’s bullet header in the 76th minute after going down to 10 players. But the most prominent story on Aug. 29 was the record-setting attendance of 17,077 fans who watched the teams battle, a hopeful sign of things to come for a league in just its second season.
“I was really happy that the players could experience that moment. And then on a slightly more personal level, it's the level of team that I would have loved to have existed when I was younger too,” Roses interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel said. “So to experience that moment and see the support we had today, it was really incredible.”
The Roses featured in the previous record-setting match as well, a 1-0 victory over AFC Toronto at BMO Field on April 19, 2026, in front of 14,518 fans. Now, they can claim the hometown high-water mark after a signature win.
“We're very happy to break that record. I think it's historic,” Roses captain Mégane Sauvé said. “And in Montreal, we're here to break records with everything we're doing now.”
Montreal broke the Tides down as the game wore on, a trademark of Roses games this season. By the time Sheyenne Allen picked up her second yellow card, all that remained for Montreal was the end product in front of the net—which Seto provided eight minutes later.
Seto, a Montreal native and former member of the Tides, reflected on the moment after the game, though she added that the moment flew by.
“I just remember the ball being at the back of the net and all the fans around me,” Seto said. “And it was just a real feeling, really, really happy to represent my city.”
The Roses have indeed represented Montreal emphatically as they continue their rampage through the NSL.
A year after finishing fourth and just slipping into the playoffs, they lead Ottawa Rapid FC by four points with five games remaining, with a real shot to beat the points record of 51 set by AFC Toronto a year prior. The team boasts a stout defence anchored by star goalkeeper Anna Karpenko’s seven clean sheets, and forward Elyse Bennett leads the league in goals with 11.
Still, Bard-Martel believes the team can get even better. While Montreal largely controlled the match, she wants to see more from the team in early-game situations.
“Something we can keep building on is the resilience that the team has and how we're able to get results and how we're able to adapt at halftime especially,” Bard-Martel said. “I was really happy with how the girls were able to learn from that first half and then stay on task and really focus on the details that were going to make a difference in their position.”
“We’re very happy to break that record. I think it’s historic. And in Montreal, we’re here to break records with everything we’re doing now.” — Mégane Sauvé, Montreal Roses captain
Montreal will receive an extra boost in the back end of the season with the full return of midfielder Evelyn Badu, who made an appearance in the match after an extended absence with the Ghanaian national team at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Bard-Martel praised Badu’s cameo and looked ahead to her full reincorporation.
“It's great to have a player like Evelyn with experience in big tournaments for the national team back in the squad,” Bard-Martel said. “I thought she added good quality on the ball, allowed us to keep the ball and really control the game.”
With the team rolling, it’s natural for pressure to gather. But rather than shy away from it, the Roses want to use it to fuel their efforts. Midfielder Charlotte Bibault spoke about the team’s role as a catalyst for the Montreal soccer community, and for women’s sports as a whole.
“We're not used to playing in front of so many people,” Bibault said. “[...]Our goal is to win the fans over to us. We're lucky to play a sport where we can create emotions, bring people together, and in diversity as well. And I find it liberating to give these emotions.”
Things won’t get easier for the Roses as they enter the home stretch. They face second-place Ottawa twice, as well as third-place Toronto and fourth-place Halifax once and twice, respectively. These results will test the team’s fortitude, but also add experience when the playoffs roll around.
Bard-Martel understands what the moment means for herself, the team and women’s soccer as a whole. And she’s ready to show Canada what her squad can do, something her players have always known they can accomplish.
“Almost two years ago now, the league was starting from nothing. And then, to see such a great crowd here, it really shows the awareness. There are going to be new teams,” Bard-Martel said. “We always knew that we had the level in Canada.”
This article originally appeared in Volume 47, Issue 1, published September 8, 2026.
