Montreal Roses advance to the 2026 NSL final

Montreal showed its thorns in the semi-final, winning 5-2 across both legs against the Vancouver Rise

SportsNicolas Tremblay — Published November 10, 2026 4 minutes

The 2026 NSL Supporters Shield winners entered the second leg of the semi-final with a 3-0 lead against Rise FC and around 2,900 spectators in attendance.

Both teams played a physical match marked by frequent stoppages and created strong scoring chances through their aggressive yet technical play styles.

Montreal Roses interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel wants to maintain her team’s energy going into the NSL final match.

“We have this duality. We are able to be aggressive, very aggressive, to suffocate the other team,” Bard-Martel said. “But we are also able to play good football, to dominate the ball. We want to continue to bring this duality to the match.” 

Montreal struggled to contend with the Rise’s start to the game. Rise FC interim head coach Iain Darbyshire said his team pushed itself physically and mentally, with the players arriving prepared.

“I think it was something we prepped this week; it was something that we worked on and trained in,” Darbyshire said. “It's also something we did in the last game, and we had a couple of chances early on and then again, we took it to them today, and it was great, but I think it's just about the team proving they can do it.”

Vancouver spent much of the opening half in the offensive zone, a half marked by frequent fouls, with Vancouver midfielder Anna Bout receiving a yellow card for a defensive foul.

Former Roses player Latifah Abdu almost opened the scoring for Rise FC in the 8th minute, but the attacker’s powerful shot rang off the crossbar. Montreal then enjoyed a couple of scoring opportunities, but Rise FC goaltender Morgan McAslan stood tall.

Eventually, in the 40th minute, forward Noémi Paquin opened the scoring for Montreal. However, this joyous advantage was short-lived, as Jessica De Filippo equalized in the 42nd minute. Running on the momentum, Abdu put Rise FC ahead 2-1 in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. 

Rise FC captain and defender Tori Tumeth spoke about her team’s belief in a semi-final comeback after they scored the two goals, and reflected on the hardships her team faced throughout the season.

“We've changed coaches, and the number of injuries we had. This team is a team that never says die. We knew that we could get back into it and unfortunately things didn't go our way today, but you can't back down [from] our fight,” Tumeth said.

The second half saw the physicality and intensity ramp up, with both teams committing many fouls and enjoying a share of corner kicks. This intensity saw Montreal’s Marie-Yasmine Alidou and Evelyn Badu receive yellow cards for aggressive challenges.

Badu’s tackle left Rise FC forward Alex Lamontagne on the ground for nearly a minute after the foul. Lamontagne continued playing until Audrey François substituted her in the 72nd minute.

In the 77th minute, Montreal midfielder Lisa Pechersky put the semi-final to bed as she tied up the second leg at 2-2, putting the Roses ahead 5-2 on aggregate against Vancouver.

After four minutes of injury time were added on, the Roses’ efforts were rewarded with jubilation and joyous screams from their supporters following a gripping match.

Overall, it was a very close game. Possession remained almost equal throughout the match, with Rise FC leading, having 52 per cent of the ball. Montreal eked ahead in total shots with 16-to-14, and the Roses had the most shots on target, with 7-to-3.

The game was also midfielder Charlotte Bilbault’s 350th professional match. Bilbault said that she still has the desire and ability to continue playing professional soccer.

“The day I [don't] feel like it anymore, and my body will be too difficult to manage, I'll stop there. But now I still feel like playing. I still have the ability to play. I think I'm trying to take care of my body. I have the discipline for it,” Bilbault said after the game.

Montreal attacker Tanya Boychuk approached the topic of playing in the final with optimism, as she looked back at the Roses’ past two seasons and accomplishments.

“I think what we are bringing to the last game is a celebration. It’s a final, but it’s a celebration of everything we’ve done all season and, honestly, for last year as well. It’s not just what was built in the past 10 games; it’s about coming [out] on top when it really matters,” Boychuk said.

Boychuk anticipates an exciting final as she looks forward to seeing what will come out of the seeds of their preparation.

“I think we're going to just enjoy ourselves and do everything that we've done. The preparation doesn't start tomorrow; it's been building throughout this whole time,” Boychuk said.

Montreal will face AFC Toronto in the final. The Queen City won its semi-final matchup 8-2 on aggregate against Ottawa Rapid FC, which ended with a 4-0 Toronto win in the second leg of the tie.

The NSL final is set for Nov. 14, as Montreal and Toronto will compete for the Diana B. Matheson Cup. Kickoff will be at TD Place in Ottawa at 2 p.m.