Vancouver Rise Wins First Northern Super League Game
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By Heidi Specter
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Summary:
- The Northern Super League kicked off Wednesday night, with a 1-0 win for the Vancouver Rise over the Calgary Wild.
- Quinn made the victory happen with a penalty kick in the 22nd minute.
- Vancouver will host the Montreal Roses on April 27, while the Wild will play an away game against the Halifax Tides a day earlier.
The Vancouver Rise made history Wednesday night with a 1-0 victory over the Calgary Wild, earning their first win in the Northern Super League.
Good Start to the Inaugural Season
The milestone moment came courtesy of Canadian midfielder Quinn, who calmly buried a penalty kick in the 22nd minute, the first goal ever scored in the new women’s professional league.
Quinn who was born female (hence legitimacy for playing in a female league) from Ontario plays for the Canadian national team, made history as the first transgender and non-binary person to appear at a World Cup event and win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
The atmosphere at B.C. Place was electric, with 14,018 fans cheering on the home team, many waving teal-and-black scarves in support of the Rise.
The crowd was treated to pre-match festivities featuring league co-founder Diana Matheson and Canadian icon Christine Sinclair, a part-owner of the Vancouver club.
The six-team league officially kicked off its inaugural NSL season with this matchup, and it was Vancouver who dictated the tempo for most of the night.
They outshot Calgary 9-7 overall, with a dominant 4-0 advantage in shots on target.
Vancouver Led 5-3 in Shots, with 3-0 in Shots on Goal
From the opening whistle, Vancouver came out pressing. A standout opportunity came in the 14th minute when Lisa Perchersky unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box, forcing a sharp diving save from Calgary goalkeeper Stephanie Bukovec.
Just minutes later, Holly Ward made a dangerous run into the box, only to be brought down by Calgary defender Meikayla Moore.
Referee Marie-Soleil Beaudoin had no hesitation pointing to the spot. Quinn stepped up and made no mistake, delivering a clean right-footed finish to put her name in the history books: the league’s first goal.
Though Calgary held a slight edge in first-half possession at 51 percent, Vancouver made better use of the ball, generating higher-quality chances and leading 5-3 in shots, including a 3-0 edge in shots on goal.
Calgary nearly equalized in the 75th minute when Kahli Johnson threaded a dangerous pass into the area for Danielle Steer, but Vancouver goalkeeper Morgan McAslan read the play perfectly and smothered the ball.
Vancouver nearly added a second late in the game, when Ward again broke free and fired from the top of the box, but Bukovec came up big with a diving stop in the 83rd minute.
In the dying moments of stoppage time, Serita Thurton whipped a corner into a crowded penalty area, but McAslan rose above the pack to secure the ball and the win.
Next up, the Wild will travel to face the Halifax Tides on April 26, while Vancouver will get ready to host the Montreal Roses on April 27.
