When the Vancouver Rise won the inaugural Northern Super League championship trophy, the Canadian government pledged up to C$5.45 million to develop a women's professional soccer league.
The Rise beat Toronto FC 2-1 on Saturday in front of 12,429 fans at BMO Field in Toronto.
“We achieved a lot of goals this year,” said Vancouver captain Samantha Chang. “Playing in the first game in history and now winning the first trophy, we feel like it's come full circle.”
Canada's first professional league started in April with six teams: the Halifax Tides, Montreal Rose, Calgary Wild, Ottawa Rapid, Toronto and Vancouver. The startup league was sponsored by Coca-Cola, Toyota and DoorDash.
The Rise also won their league opener 1-0 over Calgary in front of more than 14,000 fans at BC Place.
Before the championship, the Canadian government announced that the new funding would provide “transformational upgrades to facilities used by the league” to accelerate the growth of the NSL and stimulate regional economic development.
“At NSL, we are focused on creating pathways that turn dreams into reality and help grow the women's sports industry in Canada. We are proud to build with partners like the Government of Canada who share this vision,” said NSL founder and former Canadian national team player Diane Mathieson. “Sports play an important role as we invest in Canada's future, and women's sports, one of the fastest growing fields in the country, is proud to invest in and develop communities across the country.”
The championship match dragged on at lightning speed, but in the end Holly Ward scored the winning goal in the 68th minute, beating goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde.
Toronto (16-6-3) finished first in the regular season standings, while Vancouver (11-8-6) finished third. The league plans to add a seventh team next season.
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