What You Need to Know For Women’s Soccer Playoffs across BC
Vancouver Rise take on the NSL playoffs as university soccer ramps up towards national championships
It’s playoff time for British Columbia’s top women’s soccer teams.
The Vancouver Rise look to defend their Northern Super League title at the professional level, while four BC teams contend for the Canada West women’s soccer championship before the University of Victoria hosts the U Sports national championship from Nov. 12-15. On Sunday, Coquitlam will also host the PACWEST women’s soccer championship.
Here, Sports Page BC dives into everything you need to know for the province’s playoff soccer weekend.
Northern Super League Semifinal — Vancouver Rise Look for Montreal Roses Upset
When: Sunday, Nov. 1, 5 pm PCT
Where: Swangard Stadium, Burnaby
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View post ↗The Vancouver Rise snuck into the NSL Playoffs on the final day of the season after a 3-2 win over the Calgary Wild and a fortunate result in other games, securing their postseason spot under interim head coach Iain Darbyshire after moving on from Anja Heiner-Møller, who led them to the 2025 NSL title in October.
Sunday sees the Rise host the first of a two-leg series against the NSL Shield-winning Montreal Roses in a battle that will see the league’s top scorer, Vancouver’s Jessica De Fillipo, look to keep her Golden Boot form going into the playoffs, against Montreal’s Elyssee Bennet, who finished second with 11 tallies, two less than De Fillipo’s output.
Expect a high-scoring affair, given De Fillipo and Bennet, and the fact that Vancouver finished with 47 goals, second-best in the league, but also conceded 55, tying for the worst.
The second leg goes Nov. 5 in Laval.
U Sports Canada West Quarterfinal — Victoria Vikes at Calgary Dinos
When: Friday, Oct. 30, 6 p.m. PT
Where: McMahon Stadium, Calgary
The Victoria Vikes are back in familiar surroundings on Friday night, looking to advance past the Calgary Dinos in the first round of the playoffs after falling to them at this stage last season. Set to battle under the Friday night lights of McMahon Stadium, head coach Tracy David’s side will lean on fifth-year forward Ruby Nichols to produce offence, as the Quesnel native looks to build on her team-high three goals this season.
Having scored just 11 goals in 14 games and facing a Dinos program that allowed just six goals in 14 games, the Vikes will have to stay composed defensively if they hope to stay in contention for next week’s final four.
U Sports Canada West Quarterfinal — MacEwan Griffins at UBC Thunderbirds
When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 12 pm PT
Where: Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver
The UBC Thunderbirds have already locked a spot at the 2026 U Sports Championship as hosts, but they'll want to enter the tournament as the top seed, which requires winning a fourth Canada West title in the past five seasons.
While a 1-1 draw with Thompson Rivers ended UBC’s 44-game win streak, dating back to 2023, in October, the Thunderbirds still finished with a dominant 13 wins in 14 games, and have not lost in regulation time in Canada West since a 3-2 loss to Calgary in September 2022.
Third-year attacker Maddy Norman of Surrey leads the team with 14 goals and eight assists in 14 games, while fifth-year defender Sophia Ferriera, who has represented Portugal at the international level, has enjoyed a career-high offensive season with five goals. Midfielder Sienna Gibson will also play a key role, despite having limited Canada West games under her belt, as the lone U Sports player named to Canada’s U20 Women’s World Cup squad.
U Sports Canada West Quarterfinal — Trinity Western Spartans at Mount Royal Cougars
When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 12 pm PT
Where: MRU Stadium Field, Calgary
The Trinity Western Spartans had an incredibly mixed season, finishing third in the Pacific Division with an 8-4-2 record, matching their 2024 output after a 2023 Canada West Championship. That finish sees them hit the road this weekend, where they will look to silence a Mount Royal Cougars team that scored an impressive 33 goals across 14 games this fall.
Head coach Graham Roxburgh has seen plenty in his 28 years leading the program and will lean on two of the better attacking players in the province, with Mansha Sidhu having seven goals and two assists, alongside New Westminster fifth-year Sophie Crowther, who has eight assists and has established herself as a dynamic force in U Sports soccer over the past half-decade.
U Sports Canada West Quarterfinal —Saskatchewan Huskies at Thompson Rivers WolfPack
When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 12 pm PT
Where: Hillside Stadium, Kamloops
It’s been an incredible year for women’s soccer at Thompson Rivers, as they posted a program-best 8-2-4 record to finish second in the Pacific Division and ended UBC’s 44-game win streak with a 1-1 draw in October. Now, it’s a test against a high-scoring Saskatchewan Huskies program as it looks to secure a spot in the final four, a path the men’s program took in 2022 to a U Sports title on home turf.
This is just the second time the Wolfpack will host a home playoff game, and local freshman forward Allison Hill hopes to lead the way for Mark Pennington’s program after a three-goal, three-assist debut season in orange.
PACWEST Final — Vancouver Island Mariners vs. Capilano Blues
When: Sunday, Nov. 1, 12 PCT
Where: Coquitlam Towncentre Turf, Coquitlam
Vancouver Island University and Capilano University battle for the PACWEST women’s soccer championship in Coquitlam, with VIU looking to become the first program to win three straight titles since Thompson Rivers did from 2011 to 2014, before the program moved to U Sports.
VIU are riding an undefeated season into the final and feature Lauren Grey, a veteran defender who spent four years with Capilano before transferring to VIU. With four goal contributions, she’ll look to come out on the winning side in what could be her final collegiate match.
