Montréal Roses FC made sure their supporters went home happy on Thursday night, securing a 2-0 win over Halifax Tides FC at Stade Boréale to clinch their spot in the playoffs. In a match where Montréal controlled the pace and created chance after chance, goals on either side of halftime sealed a professional, composed victory that keeps the Roses surging toward the postseason.

The atmosphere was electric from the opening whistle, with fans filling the stands and the Roses rewarded their supporters with an assertive performance, piling up shots and forcing Halifax onto the back foot for much of the contest.

Hill Opens the Scoring
After a spell of early pressure and several near misses, Montréal finally broke through in the 40th minute. Stéphanie Hill unleashed a thunderous strike that flew into the top of the net, just past the fingertips of the Halifax keeper. The goal sent the Stade Boréale crowd into a frenzy and gave the Roses the advantage heading into halftime.

Paquin Seals It
The second half saw Montréal continue to dictate the tempo, pinning Halifax deep and hunting for a second goal. The breakthrough came in the 71st minute, when Noémi Paquin danced past her defender with quick footwork near the corner of the net and slotted home Montréal’s insurance marker. The finish brought the crowd to its feet again and all but secured the three points.

Match Stats

• Possession: The contest was even at 50-50, but Montréal made their time on the ball count with sustained attacking pressure.
• Total Shots: The Roses unleashed 17 attempts compared to just 5 for Halifax, underlining their control in the final third.
• Passing Accuracy: Both sides finished with a matching 77% pass completion rate, but Montréal were more incisive when it mattered.

Looking Ahead
The victory moves Montréal to 10-6-5 (35 points) and locks in their place in the four-team Playoffs. They’ll have a chance to climb even higher in the standings when they host Calgary Wild FC on September 27, a matchup that could help determine playoff seeding.

For Halifax (3-13-4, 13 points), the result continues a difficult campaign. Mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they’ll finish out their season on the road against AFC Toronto on September 21, looking to play spoiler and close out the year on a positive note.

For full match statistics, lineups, and a detailed play-by-play, visit the official NSL match page.