Latifah Abdu netted two goals in the first half to propel the Vancouver Rise to a 2-1 victory over Ottawa Rapid FC on home turf in the Northern Super League semifinal’s opening leg. Delaney Pridham of Ottawa narrowed the gap with a goal in the second half. The second leg of the semifinal is set for Saturday at TD Place in Ottawa.
In the other semifinal, AFC Toronto, the league leaders, will face the Montreal Roses. Toronto holds a 2-0 advantage going into the second leg scheduled for Sunday. The winners of the aggregate score from the semifinals will progress to the championship match on November 15 at BMO Field in Toronto, where the inaugural champion of the new Canadian women’s professional soccer league will be determined.
Abdu capitalized on a defensive error by Ottawa in the 14th minute, taking advantage of a miscued pass by Ottawa goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais at Swangard Stadium. Abdu struck again in the 21st minute with a skillful left-footed finish after creating space with a quick stop.
Pridham brought Ottawa back into contention in the 66th minute, showcasing her goal-scoring prowess by eluding Vancouver’s Rebecca Lake and slotting a precise left-footer past Rise goalkeeper Morgan McAslan. Pridham, the top scorer in the NSL’s debut season with 19 goals, notched her first postseason goal.
Ottawa coach Katrine Pederson expressed disappointment with her team’s first-half performance but praised the improved display in the second half, emphasizing their enhanced attacking threat and ability to create scoring opportunities.
[Source](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-rise-ottawa-rapid-nsl-game-9.6967306)