OTTAWA — For the first time in their history, Atletico Ottawa have won the North Star Cup, albeit it took four hours to record a 2-1 win in a snowstorm showdown against the defending champions Cavalry FC of Calgary.

It took extra time for Ottawa’s David Rodriguez to score the deciding goal, his second of the night, which he finally chipped past Cavalry goaltender Marco Carducci in the 106th minute.

Home-field advantage has been a real factor for the second-seeded Atletico (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.

Atletico, a side often focused on ball movement under head coach

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