Calgary Wild FC showed their growing resilience Sunday, coming from behind to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Montreal Roses FC at Stade Boreale in Laval.
The result extended Calgary’s unbeaten run to four games and capped a contest that swung repeatedly between the two sides, with both teams having opportunities to claim the win.
The Wild appeared set to take control when they were awarded a penalty in the 35th minute after Kahli Johnson was clipped inside the box by Montreal defender Anne-Valerie Seto.
Eighteen-year-old Taegan Stewart stepped up and made no mistake from the spot, converting her second penalty in as many attempts this season to give Calgary a 1-0 lead and score her third goal of the campaign.
But Montreal responded almost immediately.
After Lisa Pechersky narrowly missed from the left flank, the Roses increased the pressure and eventually found their equalizer just before halftime.
Elyse Bennett produced a superb long ball from inside her own half, picking out Mimi Alidou’s run. Alidou controlled the bouncing pass, used her body to create space from Grace Stordy and calmly guided the ball beyond goalkeeper Katelin Talbert.
“We should have gone to halftime with a 1-0 lead, but a lapse in concentration brought it back to parity at the break,” Calgary assistant coach Kory Babington said.
Montreal seize momentum before Calgary respond
The Roses carried their momentum into the second half, which began with rain falling over Laval. Four minutes after the restart, Montreal completed the turnaround through Bennett, who capitalized on a costly Calgary mistake.
Talbert ventured outside her penalty area and attempted to find Stordy with a pass, but the ball went straight to Bennett, who wasted no time firing from distance into the empty goal.
The strike was Bennett’s 10th of the season, moving her to the top of the Northern Super League (NSL) goalscoring charts.
Calgary struggled to regain its rhythm as Montreal continued to control possession and create openings. Pechersky came close to extending the lead in the 68th minute, cutting inside from the left before her shot was blocked by Meikayla Moore.
Then, against the run of play, Calgary found its answer.
In the 70th minute, Jorian Baucom collected the ball in her own half and embarked on a remarkable solo run, weaving past several Montreal defenders before beating goalkeeper Anna Karpenko with a spectacular strike from outside the box.
The goal marked Baucom’s third straight game on the scoresheet and restored parity at 2-2.
“To be able to stay focused on our game plan and execute exactly what we’ve been training on throughout the week was very present today,” Baucom said.
Teams chase winner as match goes down the wire
Calgary nearly took the lead in the 79th minute when Johnson delivered an excellent cross from the left to Baucom, whose header drifted narrowly wide.
Montreal responded five minutes later, with Talbert making a strong save to deny Noemi Paquin following a corner and keep Calgary level.
Baucom had one final opportunity to steal the win in stoppage time. But the striker fired over the crossbar after beating a defender with some clever footwork on the right flank.
“It was a hard-fought affair in difficult conditions with the weather. It was pleasing to walk away with one point,” Babington said.
The draw nevertheless offered encouragement for a Calgary side continuing to establish itself as a difficult opponent.
“I think teams are starting to rethink about Calgary Wild when it’s time to play against us and I love it,” Baucom said.
The Wild will now turn their attention to Vancouver Rise, hoping to carry that confidence into next Saturday’s match at Swangard Stadium in British Columbia.
