Vancouver get their crucial win in the Battle of the West, await their playoff fate

Vancouver Rise 3–2 Calgary Wild · October 25, 2026 · Swanguard Stadium, Burnaby

Mia Pante scored twice in the first 35 minutes, De Filippo came off the bench to score the winner, and the Vancouver Rise held on through a second half that belonged to Calgary. The 3–2 win at Swangard Stadium on Sunday keeps the Rise’s playoff hopes alive. Now they wait.

The opening 20 minutes were chippy, open and slippery, with crunching tackles on the wet grass from both sides. Calgary pressed with a very high line leaving space in behind, and Pante made them pay for it almost immediately. In the 7th minute, she pounced on a loose ball in midfield, beat Stordy and Jones for pace, cut back onto her right foot and finished past Keilty-Dilling.

Both left flanks were busy all afternoon, with Pogarch and Johnson sending in plenty of crosses for the Wild. Calgary’s first real chance came in the 16th, when McAslan palmed a Stewart free kick around the post. Two minutes later, Pante went on another blistering run from halfway, but Stordy got the block in. Stordy was in the right place at the front post on the ensuing corner, crucially blocking a dangerous header from Tumeth.

The game settled after the first 20 minutes as both teams gathered themselves. In the 29th, Pante created another chance with her pace, but Lamontagne and Oularbi both narrowly missed her cross. Calgary’s next big opportunity came from a corner in the 32nd (they had 10 in this game), but Johnson missed the target.

In the 35th minute, Vancouver doubled the lead. Lamontagne settled a long ball in midfield and played a beautiful through ball between Stordy and Moore. Pante did the rest: she sprinted, evaded Stordy’s tackle, rounded the keeper and slotted it home for the 2–0.

That scoreline was a little harsh toward Calgary who were very much in the game, and the Wild pushed hard before the break. In the 45+1st minute, McAslan saved Otto’s header from a Stewart corner. On the ensuing corner, Stewart played it short to Aulicino, who curled a beautiful finish in from the top of the box. Calgary deserved the 2–1 at halftime.

Both coaches made changes at the half. Calgary sent on Sawicki for Stewart and pushed Aulicino into the 10. This switch would have a major tactical impact as it allowed Sawicki to be the deep-lying playmaker and Aulicino had more freedom to roam. Vancouver brought on De Filippo for Lamontagne, who was limping due to all the knocks she took in the first half. She was unfortunately seen in crutches after the match.

De Filippo was in the game straight away. In the 47th, she headed an Oularbi cross onto the top of the crossbar. In the same minute at the other end, Jones sent a header over from a Johnson cross.

In the 53rd minute, De Filippo got her goal. Longhurst slipped a smart pass to Bout in the space behind Pogarch, and Bout squared it for De Filippo, who buried it emphatically and blew a kiss to the crowd. The goal likely seals her Golden Boot.

From the hour mark, it was all Calgary. The Wild pinned Vancouver in their own half with suffocating possession and an effective high press. Baucom pulled one back in the 69th minute at the end of some great buildup involving Stordy, Thurton and Aulicino. Aulicino found space on the right outside the box and struck the bar, and Jones headed the rebound back to Baucom, who finished.

A flurry of chances followed as the Wild pushed for their 3rd goal. In the 70th, Stordy’s long-range effort forced a save. Three minutes later, Baucom went down in the box after a tussle with Tumeth, but the referee waved play on. In the 75th, Jones couldn’t put a Thurton cross on target. Calgary’s last real chance came in the 77th, when Aulicino forced another save from McAslan.

The final ten minutes were eventful. In the 81st, Stordy pulled Pante down in the box, and again there was no call. De Filippo then narrowly missed a Pante cross that would have restored the two-goal lead. At the back, Tumeth, Hansen, Yekka and co shut the game down and conceded no more big chances. In the 90+2, co-captain Shannon Woeller came on for her first appearance of the season, a welcome sight after her recovery from an ACL injury late last season.

Darbyshire took a gamble by leaving his two top scorers, De Filippo and Abdu, on the bench, and it paid off. Pante started and was the player of the match, taking the game by the scruff of the neck with her pace, directness and work rate. She could easily have left with a hat trick, and Calgary never found an answer for her. When the call came at halftime, De Filippo needed only eight minutes to score what proved to be the winner.

Calgary can feel hard done by. They were too expansive in the first half and paid for it, but they dominated after the break and outshot the Rise 15 to 8. Neither side can complain about the officiating, though: each had a strong penalty shout waved away.

For Vancouver, it was the right result on the right day. On Fan Appreciation Day, the Rise gave the Crow Collective and the Swangard crowd a huge win.

The Rise have done all they can, and their season now rests on Halifax’s final game against Toronto on Monday. If Halifax win, they take fourth place back. Any other result sends Vancouver through to a semifinal against the Shield-winning Montréal Roses.

For Calgary, Sunday was the end of the road, but they finished the season as one of the stories of the year. Their second half of the year was impressive and a joy to watch. Over the last 10 games, they were the best team in the league, stealing results all over the place with a fluid, high-pressing style. If they can carry that form into next season, they won’t be missing the 2027 playoffs.