It was close but no cigar for Calgary Wild FC Wednesday night, as they dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to league-leading Ottawa Rapid FC. Ottawa scored in the 36th minute off a three-on-one break that Keera Melenhorst finished off. In the second half, the Wild came out with renewed purpose and in the 50th minute, Kahli Johnson converted a pass from Mya Jones into a header into the net to tie the score. “You always want to be around that post waiting,” Johnson said. “Mya and I play together really well, so I was hoping she knew I was going to be there. She put a great ball in and all I had to do was jump up and get my head on it, so it was a good goal.” Ottawa held off a push by the Wild, and in the 72nd minute, substitute Johanne Fridlund scored the game-winning goal. Wild FC coach Leah Blayney said the outcome was frustrating but there were positive moments to take away from the game. “I’m a competitor, so I always want to come away with a win. That’s important to me, but we are asking a group of players to apply tactical information in a short amount of time so I’m very pleased with the group’s receptiveness to what we are trying to do,” Blayney said. “I’m going to say the same thing for a little while. We are just concerned with making those little improvements game-by-game. The bigger picture of this is we are getting better each game.” Next up for Wild FC is a road game next Tuesday against AFC Toronto. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. MDT. Coaching addition The Wild also announced Thursday that they’re adding Australian coach Kory Babington to their coaching staff. Babington has more than a decade of coaching experience in both men’s and women’s soccer, most recently as head coach of an A-League Women club in 2025. Babington has worked together with Blayney since 2015 in a variety of elite Australian football programs. “Kory is an excellent signing for us and will complement an already strong coaching staff,” said Blayney. “We’ve worked together for many years across a number of elite programs and national team environments. He is not only a high-quality coach but also an incredible person. Bringing someone of Kory’s calibre to Calgary is a massive coup for both our club and me as we continue building this program.” Babington said in a release that he’s excited to join the Wild. “I’ve enjoyed a long professional relationship with Leah, and the opportunity to work alongside her again is incredibly exciting,” he said. “She is one of the most highly regarded coaches in the game, and I’m looking forward to helping build something special here in Calgary.”
