Calgary Wild FC signed off their home schedule in style Sunday, overcoming Vancouver Rise FC 3-1 at McMahon Stadium in their final Northern Super League (NSL) home game of the season.
Despite falling behind after a powerful half volley from Rise FC’s Alex Lamontagne in the first half, the Owls bounced back in style to take the win courtesy goals from Taylor Otto, skipper Meggie Dougherty Howard, and Jorian Baucom.
The win means Calgary have now won four, drawn three, and lost just once in their last eight games – a run that included a resilient seven-match unbeaten streak that ended last weekend.
“It means everything,” said Calgary head coach Leah Blayney after the match. “Every game is important to us, but particularly today. The fans have been with this team since the start – through the ups and downs – and they have showed up. We owed it to them to leave everything on the field.”
Vancouver came into the match aiming to cement their place in the NSL playoffs. However, the team now find themselves in a spot of bother as they can lose that coveted fourth and last playoff spot to Halifax Tides FC, who are only a point behind in fifth place.
Skipper Dougherty Howard leads Calgary comeback
Having missed roughly half of Calgary’s late-season stretch, captain Meggie Dougherty Howard returned to the starting lineup and immediately made an impact.
Making her first start since July, she was instrumental in powering her team to victory today, having first assisted Otto for the equalizer before getting on the scoresheet herself.
The comeback started in the 47th minute when Dougherty Howard’s picture-perfect corner glided beautifully into the Vancouver box and was headed in by Otto.
Nine minutes later, the captain stunned the visitors when she scored from a free kick from just outside the Vancouver box, giving Calgary the lead and sending the fans in a frenzy.
“At halftime we came together and said we were still in this. It wasn’t our best performance, but the energy was still there, and we proved that in the second half,” Baucom said.
It was Dougherty Howard’s fourth goal this season and perhaps one of the most important ones in her career, having just returned after dealing with an injury spell.
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Calgary’s third goal came in the 64th minute and was perhaps their best of the evening.
Baucom’s stunning strike from distance after some mesmerizing footwork helped seal the victory, showcasing the home team’s clinical efficiency to comfortably put the game beyond Vancouver’s reach despite the visitors dominating overall possession.
“To score at home with a goal like that was pretty cool. I’m still in shock,” Baucom said.
“It was a picture-perfect ending. That’s all we talked about in the locker room. The fans showed up for us day-in and day-out and the least we could do is give them a good performance to end the home season on a high note.”
The Wild, who are already out of NSL playoffs contention, will now hit the road and end their season with away games at Halifax, Toronto, and Vancouver. Meanwhile, Vancouver will next face Toronto before battling Ottawa Rapid FC.
