Following a victorious start to their NSL campaign just over a week ago at BC Place, Vancouver Rise FC were defeated by Montreal Roses FC 3-1 on Sunday April 28 in Northern Super League action. Montreal held an early 2-0 lead just 14 minutes into the game and controlled the tempo from there. Hailey Whitaker, Alexandria Hess, and Latifah Abdu all scored for the league-leading Montreal side, who now sit at 2-0-0.
Vancouver Rise came out fresher in the second half and put in a strong effort, trying to recover from the early 3 goals loss. In the 55th minute, Canadian soccer star and Olympic gold medallist Quinn was able to win a penalty after being brought down in the box. They calmly stepped up and converted from the spot, scoring the second goal in team history.
“Well, it definitely was disappointing,” Rise head coach Anja Heiner-Møller said after the match.
“I think there are some things we can take with us, especially in the second half. But in the first half, we were not playing our style of play, and they were stronger overall — in second balls, in the duels — so we didn’t get to play the game we wanted. Still, we’re proud that we came out in the second half and changed the picture of the game.”
The game was played at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, marking Vancouver’s first home match at Swangard after their memorable 1-0 win at BC Place over Calgary Wild FC on April 16 — the league’s historic inaugural game. Over 14,000 fans had packed BC Place for that first match, setting a high bar for energy and support.
Despite the loss to Montreal, there were bright moments for Rise fans to take away. The team showed resilience, improved their possession in the second half, and continued to fight until the final whistle. As a brand-new team finding its identity, these early matches are key experiences heading into the long NSL season.
Looking ahead, Vancouver Rise FC will stay at home to host Halifax Tides FC in their next match at Swangard Stadium on May 5.
Fans can follow the team’s journey and find more updates at https://www.vanrisefc.com.