OTTAWA — Calgary Wild FC was unable to recover from an early Ottawa surge, falling 3-1 to Rapid FC on Sunday despite a determined second-half effort. The Northern Super League match at TD Place saw Ottawa control much of the opening 45 minutes, applying constant pressure and dictating possession through its midfield.
First-half dominance by Ottawa
The Rapid generated wave after wave of attack, creating a flurry of chances that kept Calgary pinned deep in its own half. The breakthrough came in the 16th minute when Ottawa’s Keera Melenhorst cut inside to her left foot and fired a strike from just outside the penalty spot. Johanne Fridlund doubled the lead in the 42nd minute, sending the hosts into the break with a two-goal cushion after a dominant opening half.
Calgary's second-half response
Calgary responded with greater urgency after the break, showing more grit and determination while battling for loose balls and creating several attacking opportunities. Meggie Dougherty Howard converted a penalty in the 65th minute for the visitors. “I thought the team responded well at halftime. They put forward a better performance that matched our style and game plan which we obviously didn’t do in the first half, so I was pleased with their response and their effort,” said Wild FC interim head coach Sinead McSharry. “There were a couple of chances that we just need to be more clinical to put them away.”
Late goal seals result
Jazmine Wilkinson added the final goal two minutes into stoppage time to complete the result for the first-place Rapid FC. Ottawa (7-2-1) finished with a commanding 29-12 advantage in total shots, including 14 shots on target compared to Calgary’s three.
Looking ahead
Looking for its first win of the season, Wild FC (0-7-2) will now head home to host Vancouver Rise FC (3-6-1) for the Wild West Match at McMahon Stadium on Saturday (5 p.m.).
