Ottawa Rapid Beats Calgary Wild 5-2

OTTAWA Keera Melenhorst scored twice in the first half to spark a comeback as the Ottawa Rapid defeated the visiting Calgary Wild 5-2 in Northern Super League action Saturday at TD Place Stadium.

The Rapid trailed 2-1 just 12 minutes into the match before rallying to lead 4-2 at halftime. Melenhorst's brace proved decisive early, with Melanie Forbes, Florence Belzile and Choo HyoJoo adding second-half goals to secure the victory. For the Wild, Meggie Dougherty Howard and Taegan Stewart scored the early tallies, but the team could not hold the lead.

Ottawa dominated possession with 59 percent to Calgary's 42 percent, though the visitors outshot the hosts 13-12 overall and 8-6 on target. Each team earned three corner kicks, and Ottawa received the match's only yellow card.

The win evens Ottawa's record at 1-1 after a 3-1 season-opening loss to the Halifax Tides at Wanderers Grounds. Calgary, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 following a 2-0 defeat to the visiting Montreal Rose in its opener.

The result highlights Ottawa's resilience after a shaky start to the campaign. Coach Pat Turcotte praised the team's response after the early deficit. "We showed character today," he said. "Keera's goals...