Montreal Roses end 5-game losing streak with 2-0 win over Vancouver Rise

ARCHIVE - Montreal Roses goalkeeper Anna Karpenko clears the ball during the second half of a Northern Super League match on April 19, 2025, in Toronto. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press)

The Montreal Roses ended a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over the Vancouver Rise on Saturday at Boréale Stadium.

Robert Rositoiu’s team had a record of 0-2-2 in its previous four games. But with this fourth win in eight games this season, the Roses shot back up to first place in the Northern Super League standings with 14 points.

Stéphanie Hill opened the scoring in the 10th minute with her second goal of the season, both of which came in the last two games. Charlotte Bilbault doubled her team’s lead in the 25th minute.

Back in the Roses net after giving way to Gabrielle Lambert in Ottawa two weeks ago, Anna Karpenko stopped all three shots on goal to record her second shutout of the season.

At the other end of the pitch, Morgan McAslan conceded twice from four shots on goal.

Roses forward Tanya Boychuk made her return to action. She had not played since May 18 due to injury.

The Roses will return to action next Saturday against the Ottawa Rapid.

End of the drought

The Roses scored only one goal in their last four games and failed to find the back of the net in their last two games in Laval.

The players skipped the post-game press conference after suffering their third consecutive shutout on May 22 – a 2-0 loss to AFC Toronto – to talk things over among themselves.

We don’t know what was said during that brief closed-door meeting, but it was clearly enough to get them back on track.

After ending her team’s misery by scoring the only goal in a 1-1 draw in Ottawa on May 25, Hill put an end to the ugly home streak by finding the back of the net in the 10th minute.

Hill, who was playing only her second game of the season, beat McAslan with a shot into the top left corner from outside the penalty area.

Injured in the last game in Montreal, Bilbault made her presence felt by intercepting a pass from Shannon Woeller deep in the Rise zone and finding herself alone in front of the goalkeeper. She opened her SLN account with a low shot near the left post in the 25th minute.

Noémi Paquin attempted a shot moments later, but it was blocked by the Vancouver defence.

There was a worrying moment in the 39th minute when Rise striker Lisa Pechersky was hit in the head by a clearance from Lara Schenk and collapsed on the pitch. Visibly shaken, she nevertheless got up and remained in the game.

The Rise started the second half more aggressively, and Quinn challenged Karpenko with a shot near the right post that the goalkeeper caught in the 53rd minute.

A cross from Mégane Sauvé to Latifah Abdu then brought the 3,855 fans in attendance to their feet, but McAslan came out well to cut off the pass in the 60th minute.

Moments later, contact with Rise player Samantha Chang resulted in a leg injury for Abdu. Chang was penalized for the foul and Abdu was immediately replaced by Claire Monyard.

Karpenko made another save in the 68th minute, diving to her right to block a shot from Holly Ward, but the Roses remained in control to secure their first win since May 3.

The Roses had one last good chance to score in the 82nd minute when Sauvé was fouled by Chang, resulting in a penalty kick. However, Paquin’s shot was saved by McAslan.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French June 7, 2025.