VANCOUVER — Jessica De Filippo put in extra work ahead of her second season with the Vancouver Rise. The Canadian striker focused her training on developing more confidence in her touches, wanting to know exactly where the ball was going to go, whether she was looking at it or not. The work paid off. De Filippo tallied 13 goals across the 2026 regular season, the most in the Northern Super League, and contributed four assists. Now she’s been named the league’s Player of the Year. “A year ago, this is probably something I would have loved and craved, and this is where I saw myself,” she said of the honour. “And to be here now and be named as that player, it doesn’t feel real.” De Filippo’s parents, Ingrid and Steve, called from their home in Montreal to tell her she’d won. The news didn’t sink in at first and she had to call them back once it had. “I definitely got really emotional,” she said. “I think my parents and my family have been there for me throughout this whole process, and so they were super proud. And seeing them emotional made me emotional.” The award is a recognition of everything that goes on behind the scenes, De Filippo added — and it could be a marker in time for what’s still to come. “For a lot of athletes, I think a lot of work is not what people see, and so having this reward, it was emotional because I know how much time I put in and how much of myself that I put into this sport,” she said. “But I was like, ‘OK, well, yeah, of course. Like, what’s next now?’ So it’s finding that balance of being proud, but also being like, ‘OK, let’s take this as a stepping stone onto something greater.’” The Player of the Year award is the latest in a string of recent honours for the 25-year-old forward. She was dubbed the NSL’s Player of the Month in August after scoring five goals in five games, including back-to-back braces. This week, she was announced as Forward of the Year and named to the league’s Team of the Season. “I think going into this year individually, I knew what I was capable of,” De Filippo said. “I was able to find a groove in the season, and I had a lot of support from my teammates throughout to go chase it, and that definitely helped. “But I think there’s been a lot of years of taking experience from different leagues I’ve played in and bringing it here. It’s been exciting. And I think it’s just the beginning, honestly.” After playing in Spain and Germany, and with the Vancouver Whitecaps women’s team, De Filippo signed with the Rise ahead of the team’s inaugural season last year. She registered seven goals and three assists and helped Vancouver win the first-ever NSL championship. Over the last two seasons, Rise midfielder Nikki Stanton has watched the young attacker grow. De Filippo’s become a more dynamic player, popping down into pockets and improving her turns, Stanton said. “I think she’s a goal scorer. If you get her in front of the goal, she’s going to score, whether it’s with her feet or her head. And every team wants one of those.” Part of what makes De Filippo such an impressive player is her drive, said Iain Darbyshire, Rise’s interim head coach. “I think if every player had that drive and belief in their own ability, but also the team ethic and the togetherness that she brings to the squad, I think that we’d be great,” he said. “So, hopefully, we can lean on that a lot more going into next season, and for this rest of the season as well.” For now, De Filippo and her team are focused on the NSL playoffs. The Rise finished the 2026 regular season with a 9-12-4 record before falling 3-0 to the Montreal Roses in the first leg of a semifinal series on Nov. 1. The two sides will play the back half of the playoff series at Montreal’s Stade Boreal on Sunday. The NSL final will be held in Ottawa on Nov. 14. This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith of The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2026.
