Atlético Ottawa beats Cavalry FC in 'Snow Bowl' to win CPL Final

• Atlético Ottawa 2 (Rodríguez 40’; 107’), Cavalry FC 1 (Aird 33’)         
• Ottawa lifts its 1st North Star Cup trophy to deny Cavalry of a repeat 
• Man-of-the-match effort by David Rodríguez was difference for Atlético  

OTTAWA – Memes about Canadian Heritage Minutes have become commonplace in the sports world.    

But Sunday evening’s CPL Final in the nation’s capital provided the ultimate inspiration for the social media trend, as Atlético Ottawa beat Cavalry FC 2-1 in extra time to lift the North Star Cup trophy on a snow-covered pitch at TD Place amidst an unforgettable snowstorm.  

David Rodríguez’s second goal of the match in the 107th minute was the difference in the “Canadian Snow Bowl” in a contest that will go down as a classic in the annals of Canadian soccer history. The Mexican midfielder was named the game's MVP, and rightly so.     

Ottawa joins an elite group that includes Cavalry (last season’s champions), Forge FC and Pacific FC as the only teams to win the CPL title since the league’s inaugural campaign in 2019. This was the first ever CPL Final that didn’t include Forge.

"The guys start to play in the snow in the same way we do all season. Guys, I think it's fair to say now, the best season ever for a team in the CPL. We are champions,” Ottawa coach Diego Mejía said.

Ottawa forward Sam Salter marked his final match for Ottawa with a championship victory, capping off the single best season by any player in CPL history. The 25-year-old from Laval, Que., won the Golden Boot as the CPL’s top scorer with 19 goals, a new league record. He also took home the league’s MVP award and the Players’ Player of the Year honour. Salter signed a pre-contract last month with GAIS of Sweden’s first division and is scheduled to officially join the Gothenburg-based club in January.      

The weather was the story of this match. The minus-2 Celsius temperature, blistering winds and a heavy snowfall turned TD Place into a winter wonderland, the pitch turned into a white canvas that was brilliantly juxtaposed by the neon-orange ball and both teams’ colourful jerseys.      

Credit has to be given to the players for the way they fought through the wintery weather. Slips and falls were commonplace on the snow-covered pitch, but both teams weathered the storm and the skill level remained relatively high in a wildly entertaining affair before a throng of fans who wholeheartedly embraced the chilly conditions.   

The CPL said 13,132 tickets were sold and an approximate crowd of 10,000 spectators showed up, although that number decreased before extra time kicked off at 8:33 p.m. local time. But you couldn’t have asked for a more Canadian experience, and what a great advertisement this was for the CPL – this will go down among the country’s most memorable sports events in recent memory.      

The game was halted for the first of many times in the 13th minute when referee Michael Venne, braving the elements in a short-sleeve shirt and without gloves, called upon the stadium crew to come out and clear the lines on the snow-covered pitch, which they dutifully did with shovels and leaf blowers. Ottawa goalkeeper Nathan Ingham even helped out by grabbing a shovel as he dug out snow from in and around his penalty area.

There were similar stoppages throughout the match and extra time was delayed by just over an hour as snow ploughs cleared the pitch of the accumulated downfall while the players rested in the locker room.  

“It was a factor for both teams, not an excuse, just another addition to what was another memorable final,” Cavalry midfielder Sergio Camargo said.

Mejía and Cavalry counterpart Tommy Wheeldon Jr both fielded unchanged lineups from their semifinal wins. It proved to be the right decision as both sets of players picked up where they left off from the semifinals while handling the difficult conditions with aplomb.      

The hosts had two quality scoring chances early in the contest. A botched clearance by Cavalry goalkeeper Marco Carducci landed at the feet of Rodríguez who unleashed a shot from distance that just went over the crossbar.      

A key defensive clearance by Ottawa turned into a quick counterattack when former Toronto FC midfielder Manny Aparicio played a great ball that released Salter down the left side. The Atlético forward burst into the box while being hounded by a Cavalry defender before pushing his angled shot just wide of the far post.       

The breakthrough came after the half hour mark when the visitors attacked down the middle and Ottawa wingback Kévin dos Santos fouled Cavalry forward Goteh Ntignee from behind inside the 18-yard box. Fraser Aird converted the ensuing penalty by sending Ingham the wrong way and was pelted by snowballs thrown by Atlético fans as he celebrated with his teammates.

Ottawa refused to take things lying down and battled back to level the score on a spectacular goal. Cavalry couldn’t properly clear its lines off an Ottawa corner kick and the ball dropped to Rodríguez who connected on a fabulous bicycle kick from 10 yards out that looped over Carducci, hit the crossbar and nestled into the back of the net. Pure highlight-reel stuff from the Mexican attacker.   

The hosts came out strong to start the second half, putting the visitors under a barrage of pressure. Rodríguez had a chance to add a second goal when he pounced on a loose ball, but his chipped shot from 20 yards out with Carducci well off his line went over the crossbar.  

At the other end, Ingham made a great save to deny Cavalry defender Daan Klomp from the edge of the six-yard box and Ottawa substitute Aboubacar Sissoko made a crucial goal-line clearance on Eryk Kobza’s rebound attempt from inside the six-yard area with Ingham out of position. Carducci made himself big as he came up with an important block on Ballou Tabla’s low shot from the edge of the six-yard box.   

Atlético carried the bulk of the attacking play through the first 15-minute period of extra time without seriously testing Carducci. 

The game was settled early in the second half of extra time when Aparicio scooped up a loose ball inside his half and then played a wonderful cross over the top of Cavalry’s back line for Rodríguez. The Mexican scampered into the penalty area to get onto the end of the ball and then held his nerve as he expertly chipped an onrushing Carducci with his first touch. 

NOTES: By virtue of Sunday’s victory, Atlético Ottawa also qualified for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup where it’ll compete in the continental competition alongside fellow CPL sides Forge FC and Vancouver FC… Ottawa finished second in the CPL table during the 2025 regular season, a whopping 14 points above Cavalry. Atlético also won the season series between the clubs with three wins and a draw… Canadian men’s team defender Joel Waterman was involved in the pre-game coin toss… Concacaf president Victor Montagliani was among the dignitaries in attendance for the match….   

(Top photo by Vitor Munhoz/CPL)

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