Forge, Cavalry battle to feisty draw in 1st leg of CPL playoff semifinal

Woobens Pacius netted the equalizer for Forge FC on Saturday in the opener of its two-legged CPL playoff series against Cavalry FC.

Forge, Cavalry battle to feisty draw in 1st leg of CPL playoff semifinal
  • Forge FC 1 (Pacius 47’), Cavalry FC 1 (Klomp 42’)
  • Forge’s U-21 star Woobens Pacius bags 11th goal of year
  • All to play for between these rivals in 2nd leg on Oct. 23

Forge FC’s Woobens Pacius picked the perfect time to break out of a goal-scoring rut.

Pacius headed into this weekend mired in a 10-game goal drought that dated back to Aug. 5 of the Canadian Premier League regular season. But the 21-year-old forward finally ended his slump on Saturday, scoring a crucial equalizer in Forge’s 1-1 draw against Cavalry FC at Calgary’s ATCO Field in the first leg of their CPL playoff semifinal.

Forge hosts Cavalry in the return match at Hamilton's Tim Hortons Field on Oct. 23. The away goal rule is not in effect during the CPL playoffs, so if the aggregate score is tied after 180 minutes of regulation time, the second leg will go straight to a penalty shootout.

There wasn’t much difference between these two teams during the regular season, as they sported identical 14-5-9 records. This affair provided another enthralling chapter in the history of a bitter rivalry that goes back to the inaugural CPL Final in 2019 when Forge bested Cavalry over two legs.