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Atlético Ottawa have claimed their first ever Canadian Premier League title, winning a chilly November thriller 2-1 in extra time over Calgary-based Cavalry FC.
David Rodriguez scored the game winner in the 106th minute — his second of the night — on a pitch that had just been cleared of copious amounts of snow after regulation time ended with nothing decided.
The two sides fought the conditions in Ottawa as much as each other Sunday night, with the battle for the North Star Cup taking place amid a mid-November snowstorm in the nation’s capital.
The start of the game was delayed due to the snow. Crewmembers used snowblowers and shovels throughout the night to clear the lines at TD Place, with players occasionally pitching in to help.
Fans who braved the Ottawa cold, meanwhile, were warned to not hurl snowballs on the field.
Cavalry FC got the scoring underway when Fraser Aird netted a penalty kick in the 32nd minute, but Rodriguez tied things up with a stunning bicycle kick a few minutes later.
After the first 90 minutes, crews spent almost an hour clearing the field of the snow that hampered passes and limited scoring opportunities throughout the evening.
Midway through extra time, Rodriguez took a long ball from Manny Aparicio and chipped it past Cavalry goalkeeper Marco Carducci for his second goal.
Cavalry FC tried valiantly to tie it up in the dying minutes, but Ottawa’s defence held firm. When the final whistle blew, the home crowd — still sizable, despite the bad weather — erupted in ecstasy.
‘This night was my night’
Speaking to CBC on the pitch after the game, Rodriguez called it a game he’d never forget.
He also said he couldn’t wait to celebrate with his teammates in the much-warmer locker room.
“This night was my night … I’m just happy with the coaches, with my teammates. [It’s] incredible,” Rodriguez said.
Atlético had only made the final once before, in 2022, when they lost to Hamilton-based Forge FC.
Cavalry FC won the North Star Cup in 2024 and were trying to repeat as league champions.
