Jessica De Filippo Named NSL Forward of the Year After Breakout Season With Vancouver Rise
Jessica De Filippo was named the 2026 Northern Super League Forward of the Year after leading the regular season with 13 goals and four assists for Vancouver Rise FC. Her standout campaign included a five-match scoring run and August Player of the Month honours. Vancouver, however, faces a three-goal semifinal deficit against Montreal.
Jessica De Filippo has been named the 2026 Northern Super League Forward of the Year, adding another individual honour to a standout campaign with Vancouver Rise FC.
The 25-year-old Canadian forward received the recognition Wednesday after finishing as the league’s leading goalscorer during the regular season. The announcement comes as Vancouver prepares for the second leg of its playoff semifinal against Montreal Roses FC, with the defending champions facing a three-goal deficit.
De Filippo’s award follows a season in which she established herself as one of the NSL’s most productive attacking players, helping Vancouver remain competitive in the league’s second campaign.
De Filippo’s Breakout Season Earns League Recognition
De Filippo finished the regular season with 13 goals in 25 appearances, according to The Canadian Press, securing the Golden Boot ahead of several prominent attacking players across Canada’s professional women’s league.
She also contributed four assists, providing Vancouver with an important source of attacking production throughout the campaign.
Her strongest stretch came during the summer, when she scored five goals across five matches between mid-July and mid-August. That run included consecutive two-goal performances against Calgary Wild FC and Halifax Tides FC.
The performances helped her earn the NSL’s August Player of the Month award, further establishing her among the league’s leading forwards.
Vancouver had already secured De Filippo’s future before the conclusion of the regular season, announcing a contract extension through 2027 in September.
At the time, sporting director Stephanie Labbé highlighted the forward’s development since joining the club ahead of the NSL’s inaugural season.
De Filippo previously played professionally in Germany and Spain, representing Turbine Potsdam and Sporting de Huelva before returning to Canadian club soccer.
She also represented Canada at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, helping the national team finish fourth, and received a senior national team call-up in 2019.
Vancouver Faces Important Playoff Challenge
The individual recognition arrives during a difficult moment for Vancouver’s postseason ambitions.
The defending NSL champions suffered a 3-0 defeat against Montreal Roses FC in the opening leg of their semifinal on November 1.
Vancouver must overturn that deficit when the teams meet again Sunday at Stade Boréal to remain in contention for another league championship.
The 2026 NSL Final is scheduled for November 14 in Ottawa.
Regardless of Vancouver’s playoff outcome, De Filippo’s recognition represents another important milestone in her development and highlights the opportunities emerging for Canadian players within the country’s professional women’s soccer system.
