The Montréal Roses officially secured their place in the Northern Super League Playoffs on Saturday afternoon. Already guaranteed a playoff berth prior to kickoff following a 1-1 draw between AFC Toronto and the Halifax Tides, the Roses went on to earn a 2-2 draw against Vancouver Rise FC at Swangard Stadium. The result extends Montreal’s franchise-record unbeaten streak to six matches. The draw moves Montreal to 11-4-6 (39 points), strengthening their position at the top of the table.

Following a competitive opening half that saw Stéphanie Hill hit the post in the 16th minute, the match opened up after the break. Lisa Pechersky broke the deadlock in the 67th minute against her former club with a clinical finish. Vancouver answered in the 83rd minute through Jessica De Filippo, who reclaimed sole possession of the NSL Golden Boot race.

Stoppage time delivered a dramatic final sequence. Tori Tumeth put Rise FC ahead in the 92nd minute, but Montreal responded immediately. Substituted into the match late in the second half, Evelyn Badu struck in the 93rd minute to level the score and secure a point on the road.

The match also featured the debut of Anna Heilferty with the Roses, coming on as a substitute at the start of the second half.

MATCH STATISTICS

• Possession: Montreal 52% – Vancouver 48%
• Shots: 10 for Montreal (3 on target) – 18 for Vancouver (6 on target)
• Completed passes: 309 for Montreal – 284 for Vancouver
• Corners: 4 for Montreal – 8 for Vancouver
• Yellow cards: 1 for Montreal – 3 for Vancouver

Venue: Swangard Stadium

Referee: Carly Shaw-MacLaren

Assistant Referees: Melissa Snedden, Eray Demirtas

" Our playoff spot was confirmed before we even walked onto the pitch, but the players approached this match with the exact same rigor and high standards for themselves. Coming back in the final minutes of stoppage time away against Vancouver speaks to the maturity and character of this group.

That said, we have the squad to win these kinds of matches, so we are not satisfied with a draw. We need to be sharper on the ball to take full advantage of our dominant spells, build a more commanding lead, and put matches away rather than letting opponents back into the game. Extending our unbeaten run to six matches shows our consistency, but we must keep raising our standards as we head toward the postseason. Our ambition is clear: we want to win." — Maryse Bard-Martel, Montréal Roses Interim Head Coach.

The Roses head back on the road on Sunday, September 27 to take on Halifax Tides FC, before returning home to Stade Boréale to host Ottawa Rapid FC on Friday, October 2. Tickets for home matches are on sale now from $28 at en.rosesmtl.ca/tickets.