The Montréal Roses gave their home crowd a night to remember Saturday at Stade Boréale, downing the Vancouver Rise FC 4-0 in their 2026 home opener. The defending NSL champions had no answer for a Roses side that took control early and never let go. Co-captain Tanya Boychuk netted a brace, while Elyse Bennett and Noémi Paquin also got on the scoresheet. The two clubs will meet again at Stade Boréale on May 30 for their second matchup of the season; tickets are on sale starting at $28 at en.rosesmtl.ca/tickets.
Bennett opened the scoring once again, in the 12th minute, picking up where she left off in Calgary the week prior. Boychuk took over from there: she doubled the lead in the 44th, then made it three just three minutes into the second half. Noémi Paquin closed the night out in the 85th, the home crowd on its feet.
Anna Karpenko earned her second consecutive clean sheet to open the season. Despite ceding possession to the visitors (56% to 44%), the Roses dominated everywhere it counted, outshooting Vancouver 16 to 7, with a 7-to-1 advantage on shots on target, and 3-to-1 on corners.
The match also marked a return of note for Lisa Pechersky, the Montreal midfielder facing her former club for the first time in Roses colours, having lifted the inaugural Diana B. Matheson Cup with Vancouver in November.
Beyond the result, the atmosphere defined the evening. The unveiling of the upgraded Stade Boréale, the first live performance of L'Année des Roses at halftime, and the wave of light deployed by PixMob as the players entered the pitch turned the night into a milestone for women's soccer in Québec.
MATCH STATISTICS
Possession: Vancouver 56% – Montreal 44%
Shots: 7 for Vancouver (1 on target) – 16 for Montreal (7 on target)
Completed passes: 346 for Vancouver – 275 for Montreal
Corners: 1 for Vancouver – 3 for Montreal
Yellow cards: 1 for Vancouver – 0 for Montreal
Venue: Stade Boréale
Referee: Myriam Marcotte Assistant
Referees: Marie-Han Gagnon, Félix Côté Leclerc
"We held our foundations and built on what was working. What I take from today is our ability to be a complete team — disciplined across all four moments of the game. The players worked extremely hard, particularly defensively, and that rigour is what's letting us build a very strong start to the season." — Robert Rositoiu, Montréal Roses Head Coach
"I'm very proud of this group. These are players who don't let anything go, who work hard and who are always looking to score the next goal. In the big moments, they rise and show their character — and that's exactly what they did today." — Robert Rositoiu, Montréal Roses Head Coach
The Roses (2-0-0) return to action next Saturday, May 10 on the road in Toronto. Their next home match is set for Saturday, May 30 at Stade Boréale.
Tickets to upcoming home matches are on sale now starting at $28 at en.rosesmtl.ca/tickets.