VANCOUVER — Being first is rarely easy.
Navigating the first season of the Northern Super League came with unique challenges, each of which brought a lesson, said Vancouver Rise captain Samantha Chang.
“There’s a lot of mental, emotional toll that takes on you,” she said. “We had to deal with slumps of not scoring and getting scored on and injuries. We really have dealt with a lot of things happening to us this season. We’re just trying to learn from that.”
After finishing the regular season third in the six-team league, the Rise are now looking to put all those lessons toward their first-ever NSL playoff game when they host the Ottawa Rapid on Tuesday.
“Playoffs always means a bit more than a regular game,” Chang said. “You’re one of four teams left and you’re fighting for a championship, which is what you start out the season aiming for. Being here is definitely a great achievement, but we still have a lot to do.”
The NSL semifinals are two-legged aggregate series, and the Rise and Rapid will face off again in Ottawa on Saturday.
The other semifinal features league-leading AFC Toronto and the Montreal Roses. Toronto took a 2-0 decision in the first leg of that series on Saturday.
If the score in either semifinal matchup is level after the second leg, there will be two 15-minute periods of extra time. If extra time doesn’t produce a winner, there will be a penalty shootout.
“Two legs, so it’s kind of a 180-minute battle, maybe even more than that. So it’s kind of a marathon, it’s kind of a chess match,” Chang said.
Both teams head into Tuesday’s game well rested.
Ottawa closed out its regular season schedule with a 2-1 road win over the Halifax Tides on Oct. 15, and Vancouver hasn’t played since dropping a 2-1 decision to the Calgary Wild on Oct. 16
Many players spent time with their national teams during the break, but the time off has also given the clubs time to rest and regroup ahead of the playoffs.
“I think that break was good for us, so we could have some time off just to reset,” said Rise head coach Anja Heiner-Moller. “And then coming in, building up with the things we want to prepare for the game. So it’s been good for us. I know the national team players, of course, they’ve had a busy schedule, but they’re back into it with high moods.”
Vancouver and Ottawa carry identical 11-8-6 records into the playoffs, and went 2-2-1 in the head-to-head matchup.
The two sides have similar playing styles, said Heiner-Moller.
“We are both teams that want to play and be on the ball and have possession, so we’re always fighting for that,” she said. “The thing about Ottawa, they don’t need that many chances to score, so we need to have high focus throughout the game.”
The Rapid’s biggest offensive threat is striker DB Pridham, who was crowned the NSL’s player of the year after finishing with a league-leading 18 goals.
The 29-year-old American brings a lot to Ottawa’s roster, Chang said.
“She can go in behind, she can score in many different ways,” said the Vancouver midfielder. “So it’s kind of trying to keep that pressure on her all game, making sure she doesn’t get an inch of space, and making sure everyone knows where she is. Someone’s got to have an eye on her.”
The Rise can take confidence in knowing that they nullified Pridham as a threat the last time the two teams battled. Vancouver took a 2-0 victory in Ottawa back on Oct. 8.
“That was definitely a team performance, that win,” Chang said. “I think (we’re) just leaning on that confidence and leaning on the good games we’ve had against them, recently.”
While Tuesday’s game may be a first, most of the players have experienced high-stakes bouts before.
Chang is looking back to her days playing in the NCAA for South Carolina as she prepares for these playoffs.
“Those playoffs are do or die every single game,” she said. “So for me, it’s kind of leaning on that experience I had previously.
“Big players step up in big moments and that could be anyone on the day. It’s just about pushing yourself extra to give that little extra that you can to be that player for your team.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
