NSL Week 21 results: Montréal Roses stay top but there’s no room for error as playoffs approach

NSL Week 21 results: Montréal Roses stay top but there’s no room for error as playoffs approach Montréal Roses managed to keep their hold on top of the Northern Super League (NSL) table, while the teams below them are making sure they cannot get too comfortable. Toronto climbed into second after a dramatic late comeback against Montréal, while Calgary kept rolling and stretched their unbeaten run to six games. Meanwhile, Vancouver has turned things around by jumping back into fourth after a 4-0 win over Ottawa. With the table this tight, this close to playoffs, nobody has much room for error. One late goal (seemingly a theme of this season) could change everything. At this point, the playoff race feels less like a sprint to the top and more like a weekly game of musical chairs. Montréal 2–2 AFC Toronto Stade Boréale | September 10 Montreal struck first in the 18th minute. League leader Elyse Bennett rose to meet a corner, sending a powerful header toward goal. The ball took a deflection off Hailey Whitaker and found the back of the net. Toronto tried pushing back but Montreal had other plans. The Roses looked ready to see out the result when Amandine Pierre-Louis doubled their lead in the 79th minute. Her first NSL goal looked like it would be the cherry on top for the Roses. Toronto weren’t done yet. Minutes later, Lauren Rowe gave the visitors a lifeline with a stunning left-footed finish into the top corner. Then came the real drama. Embed from Getty Images In the 88th minute, Nikayla Small produced the moment Toronto needed. She lifted the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net to complete a stunning comeback. From 2–0 down, Toronto managed to secure a 2-2 tie in the last 10 minutes, walking away with a point. More importantly, they avoided a defeat that could have cost them second place. Calgary Wild 1–0 Halifax Tides McMahon Stadium | September 12 Calgary simply refuses to lose. The Wild extended their unbeaten run to six games with another narrow victory. This time, just the one goal was enough. Calgary started brightly and kept testing Anika Tóth in the Halifax goal. The Tides created chances of their own but neither side could break through before halftime. Then the game changed. Halifax came out quickly after the break. Stella Downing picked out Jordyn Rhodes, who found herself with a golden opportunity but Calgary goalkeeper Sarah Keilty-Dilling made a huge save. One that proved decisive. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Calgary Wild FC (@calgarywildfc) Moments later, Taegan Stewart took matters into her own hands. She created space with a clever touch, stayed composed as Tóth rushed out and finished the chance herself. 1–0 Calgary. Halifax pushed for an equalizer. They piled on the pressure and won corner after corner. Keilty-Dilling stood between them and a point. Calgary saw out the win and extended its unbeaten streak to six. At this stage, the Wild are not just picking up results but finding ways to win tight games. Vancouver Rise 4–0 Ottawa Rapid Swangard Stadium | September 13 Vancouver did not leave much room for doubt. The Rise controlled the match from the opening whistle, taking advantage of the fact that Ottawa was missing DB Pridham and Olivia Scott. They won battles in midfield, pressed Ottawa high and kept the Rapid pinned back. The breakthrough arrived in the 31st minute. Audrey François finished from close range after Sura Yekka delivered a perfectly weighted cross. Vancouver went into halftime with a 1–0 lead, but the game already felt like it was slipping away from Ottawa. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vancouver Rise FC (@vancouverrisefc) The second half turned into a statement. Jessica De Filippo doubled the lead with her eleventh goal of the season and a flawless first-time finish from an Anna Bout pass. Five minutes later, Latifah Abdu found space behind the Ottawa defence. She kept her composure and slotted the ball home. 3–0, but Vancouver was still not finished. Mia Pante set up Josie Longhurst at the top of the box. Longhurst’s shot took a deflection and found the net for Vancouver’s fourth. The rest was about control. The Rise kept Ottawa at arm’s length and secured a convincing 4–0 clean sheet. The result also sends Vancouver above Halifax and into fourth place. The race is getting real Week 21 delivered three very different stories. That is what makes the final stretch so compelling. The table is constantly moving. You either hold on or throw caution to the wind. There is no room to coast now. Every goal matters. Every save matters. Every point could be the one that decides where a team finishes when the dust finally settles. Related articles from Her Football Hub: ‘You always have a choice’: Tessel Middag speaks out against Saudi Arabia’s influence on football NSL Week 20 results: No teams giving an inch as Montréal survive five-goal thriller NSL Week 18 and 19: BMO field curse broken, De Filippo heroics and record-breaking attendances