Atletico wins North Star Cup in 2-1 extra-time ‘fight’ over Cavalry in snowy showdown

OTTAWA – Atlético Ottawa forward David Rodríguez had never seen snow until February of this year.

Months later, he scored twice in snowstorm conditions and ankle-deep snow to clinch the North Star Cup and to distinguish himself as the Canadian Premier League Finals MVP.

Not to mention that his first goal of the final was a bicycle kick. It was a dose of championship magic that earned high praise from Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía.

“It’s the best goal ever in this league,” Mejía said. “Ever in this league.”

Thanks to his heroics, Atlético Ottawa have won the North Star Cup for the first time in their history, albeit it took four hours to record a 2-1 win in the snowstorm showdown against the defending champions Cavalry FC of Calgary.

“Even if we had played in water, in a pool, we’d win the match,” Mejía said.

It took extra time for Rodríguez to score the deciding goal, his second of the night, which he chipped past Cavalry goaltender Marco Carducci in the 106th minute. After the final whistle blew, an emotional Rodríguez circled the field alone to show his gratitude to the fans who watched his heroics through hours of snow.

“I’m never going to forget this night,” Rodríguez said. “I just want to thank all the people that showed up tonight.”

Home-field advantage has been a real factor for the second-seeded Atlético (15-2-11), who have gone undefeated at home since Aug. 3, 2024, when they lost to this season’s third-seeded Cavalry (11-8-9).

This time, TD Place was blanketed by a thick fog of heavy snowfall, setting up a distinctly and stereotypically Canadian bout.

“That wasn’t a game,” Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said. “That was a fight.”

Atlético, a side often focused on ball movement under Mejía’s leadership, adapted to the weather with speed up the sides of the pitch. The visitors held strong in their disposition as one of the most solid defensive groups of these Canadian Premier League playoffs, allowing only one goal in two matches.

The stalemate broke when a desperate tackle from Ottawa midfielder Kevin Dos Santos led to a penalty shot as Cavalry’s attack broke through Ottawa’s defensive line.

At the 33rd minute, Cavalry defender Fraser Aird tucked the ball into the bottom right corner. In a testament to the rivalry between the sides, the celebrating visitors were met with a barrage of snowballs from Atlético fans.

But just six minutes later, Ottawa midfielder Gabriel Antonaro lobbed a ball into the box that evaded the crowd through the snow until Rodríguez attempted a daring bicycle kick, striking a bar-down beauty for the game’s tying goal. It was a difficult manoeuvre to attempt in any conditions, but dumbfounding to actually convert the attempt in a snowstorm. 

“I didn’t think about it,” Rodríguez said. “I just did it.”

Chances were difficult to find in the second half as an ever-increasing blanket of snow caused players to blow a tire with the lack of traction.

Best protecting the stalemate was substitute Ottawa midfielder Aboubacar Sissoko, who made a heroic goal-line save with just over 10 minutes left in regulation.

After snowplows cleared the bulk of the snow, extra time was a different game now that the players weren’t struggling to stay on their feet.

That led to a fast-break play where Atlético’s Rodríguez played hero for the second time, racing past the Cavalry defender and goal-scorer Aird and chipping the championship-clinching goal past Carducci.

Cavalry desperately challenged the lead in the waning minutes of extra time, but Atlético held on to lift the North Star Cup.

As CPL champions, Atlético is set to play for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they will go up against the best clubs across North and Central America as well as the Caribbean.

Looking ahead to next season, Ottawa will have to find a way to defend its title without their top scorer, 2025 CPL MVP and league Golden Boot winner Sam Salter, who is leaving to play in Sweden. On the field right after the match ended, Salter, who scored a CPL record 19 goals in the regular season, had a simple message for Ottawa fans.

“I love you guys,” Salter said. “Thank you so much for all the support.”

Even heading into the 2026 campaign as reigning CPL champions constitutes its own new challenge according to Cavalry’s head coach who has plenty of experience after defending his own title this season.

“There’s going to be no easy week for them,” Wheeldon Jr. said. “Especially when they play us next year.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2025.