The curtain closed Saturday on the inaugural Northern Super League season with a financial commitment from the federal government, a weather delay and no shortage of drama on the pitch.

When the dust settled, it was the Vancouver Rise celebrating a memorable 2-1 comeback win over AFC Toronto before an announced crowd of 12,429 at BMO Field. Two female Mounties brought the Diana B. Matheson Cup to the pitch for NSL president Christina Litz to give away.

It was a fitting end to a remarkable first year for the six-team league.

“This league, it’s been a long time coming … When I heard about it, I knew that it was something I wanted to be a part of,” said Vancouver captain Samantha Chang.

“We hit a lot of milestones this year,” she added. “Playing in the first-ever game and now winning the

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