There are fast starts and then there is what Ottawa Rapid produced inside 30 seconds at TD Place Saturday. It was a statement that set the tone for a chaotic, breathless, and ultimately one-sided 5-2 victory over Calgary Wild FC in front of the Ottawa home fans.
Ottawa were already in ‘rapid’ motion before Calgary could even settle down.
An early long ball forward to DB Pridham sparked the opening sequence when she created some panic before Melanie Forbes reacted quickest to gently nudge the ball home.
It was relentless, front-foot football, as the commentators called it, which was everything Ottawa had lacked a week earlier in their season-opening defeat.
And for the next ten minutes, the match felt like it might tilt entirely in one direction.
Ottawa controlled possession, carved through Calgary’s shape with ease, and forced goalkeeper Molly Race into immediate action.
But football, as it often does, always has a way to make the fans expect the unexpected.
Calgary’s brief defiance undone by Ottawa’s wave
Against the run of play, Calgary found life. A penalty in the 11th minute, which was calmly dispatched by captain Meggie Dougherty Howard, shifted momentum.
Sixty seconds later, the visitors stunned the home crowd. A long throw sparked a flowing move that ended with Taegan Stewart finishing first-time, giving Calgary an unlikely 2-1 lead.
It should have been a turning point. Instead, it became a brief interruption.
Ottawa’s response was immediate and emphatic. Keera Melenhorst, playing on her 23rd birthday, restored parity in the 25th minute with a composed finish after a clever build-up play. Four minutes later, teammate Florence Belzile put the home side back in front.
Then came the straw that broke Calgary’s back.
Pressed high by DB Pridham, Wild goalkeeper Race’s attempted short pass turned into disaster. Melenhorst pounced, slotting into an empty net for her second of the night.
From 2-1 up to 4-2 down in just over 20 minutes, Calgary’s resistance collapsed under the weight of Ottawa’s intensity.
“The way we responded after last week… we brought a lot of energy and an early goal,” said head coach Katrine Pedersen. “I’m very proud of the girls.”
Melenhorst takes over as Ottawa finish the job
If the first half was chaos, the second carried a different rhythm.
Calgary, to their credit, regrouped. Their possession improved, their passing steadied, and for a brief spell, they looked capable of clawing their way back.
But the same problem lingered. It was all control without consequence. Too often, Calgary’s final ball let them down. Moves broke down at the edge of the box, promising sequences fizzled out, and Ottawa waited.
Then, just as the visitors hinted at a comeback, the decisive blow arrived.
Melenhorst, again at the heart of it, split the defence with a precise through ball. Teammate Choo Hyo-joo timed her run perfectly and finished with composure to make it 5-2 in the 64th minute, thereby ending the contest.
“It’s amazing,” said Melenhorst. “We worked so hard all preseason to get this result here at home… it gives us great momentum moving forward.”
Her performance that consisted of two goals, an assist, and constant involvement, captured the night. Ottawa’s attacking unit thrived around her, repeatedly exposing gaps with sharp movement and incisive passing.
For Calgary, though, there were positives to cling to as well.
Skipper Dougherty Howard led by example, scoring, assisting, and driving her side forward with composure and fight. But the broader picture was harder to ignore. Defensive lapses and costly errors turned a competitive match into a chase they could never win.
The Wild now have time to regroup before a home-opener rematch with Montreal Roses on May 16. Ottawa, meanwhile, will look to carry on the momentum when they host Vancouver Rise next on May 6.
