Ottawa Rapid FC suffered their first home loss of the Northern Super League’s (NSL) inaugural season against the top-seeded Montreal Roses FC after a 26th minute red card left them shorthanded.
Montreal forward Tanya Boychuk’s quick response to Ottawa’s lone goal handed the club a 2-1 defeat at TD Place on Saturday.
“Obviously going down to 10 [players] made it hard,” head coach Katrine Pedersen said in a post-game press conference. “But I also think that our players showed real character — we limited their chances and got chances ourselves.”
Ottawa’s league-leading offence recorded more shots on target than Montreal and outshot their opponents 3-2, despite getting dominated in shot attempts.
The Roses opened the scoring in the 23rd minute after midfielder Charlotte Bilbault’s whiffed strike was controlled by teammate Latifah Abdu, who successfully cut into the box and slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner.
Just three minutes later, Ottawa’s climb grew even steeper.
An unsuccessful tackle from Ottawa defender Olivia Scott took down Montreal’s Boychuk. The officials deemed the play a denial of an obvious scoring opportunity, booking Scott with a red card.
The club quickly adapted to the booking, substituting Lee Min-a for Susanne Haaland while rearranging their formation.
“We had a plan, and the players executed it very well,” Pederson said, crediting her group. “We showed that today, the people coming from the bench and making a difference as well.”
The shorthanded Ottawa squad regained life at the 58th minute. Choo Hyo-joo’s lofted free kick found the NSL scoring leader Delaney Baie Pridham, who headed in her eighth goal of the season to level the match.
But just eight minutes later, Montreal restored their lead.
Defender Jodi Smith joined the offence and found herself alone on the left wing before passing to Boychuk within feet of the net. The Montreal attacker made no mistake and netted the eventual game-winning goal.
“I was in the right position at the right time, but also for my teammates it’s coming through for them too,” Boychuk said. “If it wasn’t me in there, it could have easily been Noémi [Paquin] or Meg [Sauvé].”
For Boychuk, chemistry has been the main factor in Montreal’s recent success. The club remains undefeated in their last three contests.
“I think [Montreal] is a cohesive team that has a method to their madness and a process, and I think they’re diligent in their team game plan,” said Rapid FC captain Desiree Scott. “Every time we play them, it’s a close match, it could go any way.”
Ottawa is winless against Montreal this season, posting a 0-1-2 record with both losses decided by one goal. Ottawa remains in third in the NSL, although the gap widened between them and Montreal.
In pursuit of the top of the standings, Ottawa’s main focus is now on their Week 10 matchup.
“Of course we won’t take three points in every game we play, but luckily we’ll have a game again next week,” said Ottawa midfielder Ellen Gibson. “We’re just ready to go into a new week and work even harder towards that game.”
Ottawa will look to respark their dominance on home turf during Week 10 of the NSL season — when they host Calgary on June 21.
Featured image provided by Ottawa Rapid FC
