With the 2026 season of the Northern Super League in the rear view mirror, it's now time for the chase of the Matheson Cup. The top four of the NSL's six clubs make the playoffs, with the first round being a two match aggregate series. Both lower seeds will host the first match of the round, with one match on Saturday and one on Sunday. After the first match the deciding fixture will be held at the high seed next weekend. The two semi-final winners will then meet on Saturday, 14 November at TD Place in Ottawa to decide the second Matheson Cup champion.
First Round Matchups
#1 Montréal Roses vs #4 Vancouver Rise (Sunday, 6pm CT)
After a rough first season in 2025 the Roses built themselves up even stronger for 2026. Reinforcements, including picking up Mimi Alidou from Portland midseason, made Montréal even more dangerous. Twelve wins and nine draws in the 25 match campaign brought the Roses the NSL Supporters' Shield and the number one seed in the playoffs. Led by Elyse Bennett, the Roses have the third best offence in the NSL this season and have hurt Vancouver plenty this season.
In five matches against each other this season the Roses have won three, drawn one, and lost only one to the 2025 Matheson Cup Champion. Montréal has outscored the Rise 17-9 just this season, so the Roses know how to shut down the league's number two offence.
Vancouver on the other hand struggled through much of the season after losing some key parts over the offseason. That resulted in the Rise only making the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, thanks in part to a draw between Halifax and Toronto. Jessica de Filippo, Latifah Abdu, and Anna Bout run the show offensively for the Rise and all three will need to be stopped if the Roses expect a win. Home field advantage may not be a huge factor for Vancouver in the first match as they have only ever beaten the Roses once in British Columbia.
#2 Ottawa Rapid vs #3 AFC Toronto (Saturday, 1pm CT)
On the other side of the country AFC Toronto hosts Ottawa Rapid in a Battle of Ontario at York Lions Stadium. The two Ontario sides have developed a rivalry and have an evenly matches series history with Toronto leading it 4-3-3 (W-D-L) over the two seasons. In the 2026 regular season, Toronto only lost once to the Rapid, that coming back on 11 July at York Lions Stadium.
Ottawa's NSL best offence will have a challenge cut out for them in the NSL best defence of Toronto. Delaney Baie Pridham and Keera Melenhorst have led the Rapid offence this season with a combined 16 goals and 12 assists. Pridham recently signed a contract extension with Ottawa, keeping the 29 year old forward in the Canadian capital for at least two more seasons. Melenhorst, who led the league in assists this season, is a threat Toronto will need to contain. The midfielders ability to open up the pitch and create chances will sting the double reds if they give her the opportunity.
Toronto however doesn't quite have the same offensive firepower as Ottawa. While the defence has been key in getting AFC Toronto into the playoffs, winning does of course require at least one goal. While the lower seed hasn't necessarily had trouble scoring compared to a team like Halifax, they have struggled at times. Four of Toronto's six losses have been clean sheet defeats, though Ottawa have not shut out Toronto this season. Kaylee Hunter leads Toronto's scoring effort with eleven goals while Lauren Rowe has eight and Sarah Stratigakis has five. Ottawa's defence will need to be in top form to shut down Toronto's trio and take a win into the return leg next weekend.
