Montreal Roses lose 2-0 to the Wild, suffering their first defeat in four games

The Montreal Roses had to give up their top spot in the Northern Super League (SLN) standings on Saturday after suffering a 2-0 defeat to the Calgary Wild.

With three games left to play and a 10-point gap between them and AFC Toronto, who are in the lead, the Roses will not be able to finish higher than second place.

Already assured of a spot in the playoffs, they are one point behind the Ottawa Rapid, with one game in hand.

The Roses had won their last two games.

Meggie Dougherty Howard scored her third goal of the season late in the first half, Jorian Baucom added an insurance goal in the 79th minute, and the Wild ended a five-game losing streak.

The Alberta club retained its slim chances of making the playoffs, but could be eliminated this afternoon if Vancouver Rise earns at least a draw against the Halifax Tides.

Charlotte Bilbault was not in the Roses’ starting line-up, but she jumped onto the pitch in the 26th minute to replace Noémi Paquin.

Goaltender Anna Karpenko returned to her spot in front of the net after giving way to Gabrielle Lambert last week in a 2-0 win over the Tides.

The Roses will return to action on Thursday when they visit the Tides, who have been eliminated from playoff contention.

An old refrain

The Roses had the first scoring chances, quickly setting the tone. Tanya Boychuk made a nice run down the right flank, but missed her pass in the penalty area in the first minute.

Chaerim Kang then created another good opportunity, but her cross to Claire Monyard was slightly off target.

Mégane Sauvé took advantage of a free kick near the penalty area in the 30th minute. However, her shot missed the target, going over the crossbar.

A poor touch by Kang during a retreat led to the visitors’ first good chance in the first half. With the South Korean unable to keep control of the ball, Ally Green attempted a long-range shot that bounced off the top of the net.

Despite the Roses’ chances, goalkeeper Stephanie Bukovec was not very busy in the first half. She made her mark on a corner kick by Chole Minas, jumping to catch the ball.

Often hampered by a lack of opportunism this season, the Roses probably had a sense of déjà vu when referee Marie-Soleil Beaudoin blew the whistle for half-time, as they conceded a goal in added time.

Dougherty Howard opened the scoring with the Wild’s third consecutive shot on target.

Karpenko had previously dove to her right to block a low shot from Dougherty Howard, then stopped Kathryn Harvey’s shot by falling to her knees.

It was the first goal conceded by the Roses in four games. The last two were in a 2-1 loss to the Rise on Aug. 30 in Vancouver.

While not spectacular, the Roses dominated the first half with 67 per cent possession and more than twice as many successful passes as their opponents.

The Roses did not give up, creating the best chances of the second half.

Monyard attempted to equalize in the 48th minute with a powerful shot, but it was too high. In the 52nd minute, Sauvé found herself alone in front of Bukovec, who had no trouble catching her shot at chest level. In the 58th minute, a cross from Bilbault found no takers. Sauvé came to the fore again in the 65th minute when she accepted a pass from Allie Hess.

Once again, Bukovec made the save.

Kang created another golden opportunity when she found herself alone in front of Bukovec in the 73rd minute. However, she sent her shot just to the left of the net.

Baucom dealt a heavy blow to the Roses when she regained possession of the ball near the penalty area after bringing down Julia Leas. Her shot beat Karpenko to her right.

Karpenko finished the game with three saves, while Bukovec was tested six times to record her fifth shutout in 20 games.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews