NSL Playoffs preview: Can Montreal decelerate Toronto’s high-powered offence?

The Northern Super League’s first common season was a serious success, because the upstart league supplied loads of motion and leisure on the pitch whereas capturing the eye of soccer followers throughout Canada.

The NSL is the nation’s first skilled ladies’s league, that includes six golf equipment: AFC Toronto, Ottawa Rapid FC, Vancouver Rise FC, Montreal Roses FC, Calgary Wild FC and Halifax Tides FC.

The 25-match common season wrapped up in late October with the highest 4 groups within the ultimate standings advancing to the post-season, which kicks off this weekend.

Here’s what it is advisable to know concerning the 2025 NSL playoffs.

The semifinals are a two-legged, home-and-away collection. If the mixture rating is tied on the finish of regulation time within the second match, the sport will go to additional time, and penalties if vital.   

The two semifinal winners advance to the ultimate on Nov. 15 at Toronto’s BMO Field the place they are going to battle for the newly minted Diana B. Matheson Cup.

The league’s championship trophy is known as after Diana Matheson, a former Canadian ladies’s nationwide group midfielder who performed a pivotal position within the formation of the NSL. Matheson scored 19 objectives in 206 appearances and received a pair of Olympic bronze medals with the Canadian ladies’s group from 2003 to 2020. She was inducted into the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame earlier this 12 months.

Leg 1: AFC Toronto vs. Montreal Roses FC, Nov. 1 at Stade Boréale

Leg 2: Monreal Roses FC vs. AFC Toronto, Nov. 9 at York Lions Stadium

Leg 1: Vancouver Rise FC vs. Ottawa Rapid FC, Nov. 4 at Swangard Stadium

Leg 2: Ottawa Rapid FC vs. Vancouver Rise FC, Nov. 8 at TD Place Stadium

This must be an attention-grabbing matchup because it pits the group that boasted the NSL’s finest offence towards the league’s finest defence: AFC Toronto scored 42 objectives, whereas Montreal conceded simply 23 instances.

Toronto enters the playoffs with momentum after going unbeaten in its final 5 matches of the marketing campaign (with 4 wins). Four of its gamers have been named to the NSL group of the season: ahead Kaylee Hunter and Esther Okoronkwo (who mixed for 22 objectives), midfielder Emma Regan (who performed each minute of all 25 video games) and defender Colby Barnett. 

Montreal went winless in its final 4 matches of the common season (three losses) and closed out the marketing campaign with a street defeat in Toronto. Goals have been considerably laborious to come back by for the Roses – they solely discovered the again of the online 30 instances and have been shut out on 9 events.

Toronto received the Supporters’ Shield trophy because the common season champions with a 16-3-6 report and topped the desk by 12 factors. Montreal (10-6-9) completed fourth, seven factors above the playoff line.

The common season collection

Despite the 15-point hole between the golf equipment, the common season collection was fairly shut. Montreal ruined Toronto’s dwelling debut in April when it posted a 1-0 win at BMO Field. Toronto ended up successful three of the subsequent 4 video games, together with a 2-1 dwelling choice on Oct. 19 on the ultimate day of the season.

Toronto participant to look at: Kaylee Hunter

Still solely 17, Hunter is coming off a tremendous marketing campaign during which she received the NSL’s rookie of the 12 months award and was named to the league’s group of the season. The Calgary native was a serious offensive risk for AFC Toronto by scoring 14 objectives (adequate for second within the Golden Boot race) and tallying three assists in 21 video games. She’s carrying an harm and would possibly solely see restricted minutes within the first leg. But she would nonetheless pose a risk towards Montreal coming off the bench.

Montreal participant to look at: Stéphanie Hill

Montreal boasted the league’s finest defensive report in the course of the common season with simply 23 objectives towards. Hill, a 23-year-old centre again from Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., performed a starring position in Montreal’s again line and was named to the league’s group of the season. She additionally proved to be an offensive weapon by scoring 5 objectives.

Ottawa completed a distant second behind desk toppers AFC Toronto, however the membership from the nation’s capital is coming off a robust marketing campaign during which it scored 41 objectives (second finest within the league) and conceded simply 26 instances (third finest). Rapid received three of their ultimate 5 video games of the common season, together with their final two, and will likely be trying to give Desiree Scott a correct sendoff. The 38-year-old midfielder, who received an Olympic gold and two bronze medals for Canada, is retiring on the finish of this 12 months.

Vancouver suffered a 2-1 street loss to Calgary in its ultimate contest of the common season. Had the Rise collected some extent from that recreation, they’d’ve edged out Ottawa for second place and hosted the decisive second leg of the semifinals.

Ottawa completed the common season in a tie with Vancouver on 36 factors – each had an identical 11-8-6 data. But the capital membership edged the Rise for second place by advantage of a superior purpose differential, which was the primary tiebreaker.

The common season collection

Both groups received two out of the 5 video games they performed towards one another, however Vancouver earned a 2-0 street win of their final encounter on Oct. 8.

Vancouver participant to look at: Morgan McAslan

McAslan, a 25-year-old from Waterdown, Ont., received the NSL’s Golden Glove award for goalkeeper with essentially the most shutouts (9) this season. McAslan stored a clear sheet in Vancouver’s first ever recreation, a 1-0 victory over the Calgary Wild, and posted shutouts in two of her group’s ultimate three outings of the season. She ended up beginning in all however one among Vancouver’s 25 matches, logging 2,160 minutes in complete.

Ottawa participant to look at: Delaney Baie Pridham

Who was the most effective participant in the course of the NSL’s inaugural marketing campaign? Look no additional than Pridham, a 28-year-old who received the Golden Boot award because the league’s prime scorer with 17 objectives. Pridham additionally had three assists in 25 video games for Ottawa en path to successful the league’s MVP award and the ahead of the 12 months honour, in addition to being named to the NSL’s group of the season. A twin Canadian-American citizen born in California, she additionally led the NSL in pictures (83) and pictures heading in the right direction (42), and scored the primary hat trick in league historical past in June.

John Molinaro is likely one of the main soccer journalists in Canada, having coated the sport for over 26 years for a number of media retailers, together with Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is at present the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a web site devoted to in-depth protection of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.