Vancouver Rise striker Jessica De Filippo named NSL Player of the Year

Vancouver Rise striker Jessica De Filippo put in extra work before her second season, focusing on building confidence in her touches so she would know where the ball was going whether she was looking at it or not. The work paid off: she scored a league-leading 13 goals in the 2026 regular season and added four assists. De Filippo has now been named the Northern Super League’s Player of the Year.

De Filippo said the honour was something she would have deeply wanted a year earlier, when she pictured herself reaching this point. Now that it has happened, she said, it does not feel real. Her parents, Ingrid and Steve, called from their home in Montreal to tell her she had won. The news did not sink in at first, and she called them back once it had. She said she became emotional because her parents and family had supported her throughout the process, and seeing them moved made her emotional too.

De Filippo said the award recognizes the work that happens behind the scenes and could mark a starting point for what comes next. Much of an athlete’s work goes unseen, she said, and the honour moved her because she knows how much time and effort she has put into the sport. She is trying to balance feeling proud with treating the award as a stepping stone towards something greater.

The award is the latest in a run of honours for the 25-year-old forward. She was named NSL Player of the Month in August after scoring five goals in five games, including braces in back-to-back games. This week, she was named Forward of the Year and selected for the league’s Team of the Season. De Filippo said she knew what she was capable of going into the season, found her rhythm and had strong support from teammates as she pursued her goals. She has also brought experience from other leagues to the Rise and said the experience has been exciting. “I think it’s just the beginning, honestly,” she said.

De Filippo previously played in Spain and Germany and for the Vancouver Whitecaps women’s team. She signed with the Rise ahead of the club’s inaugural season last year, scoring seven goals and recording three assists as Vancouver won the first NSL championship.

Rise midfielder Nikki Stanton has watched the young attacker develop over the past two seasons. Stanton said De Filippo has become a more dynamic player, dropping into pockets of space and improving her turns. She called De Filippo a goal scorer who will find the net with her feet or head when she gets in front of goal, adding that every team wants a player like that.

Interim head coach Iain Darbyshire said De Filippo’s drive is part of what makes her such an impressive player. He said the team would be great if every player had her belief in her own ability, along with the team ethic and togetherness she brings to the squad. He hopes the Rise can lean on those qualities more next season and for the rest of this season.

For now, De Filippo and the Rise are focused on the NSL playoffs. Vancouver finished the 2026 regular season with a 9-12-4 record, then lost 3-0 to the Montreal Roses in the first leg of their semifinal series on Nov. 1. The teams will play the second leg at Stade Boreal in Montreal on Sunday. The NSL final is set for Nov. 14 in Ottawa.

This report by The Canadian Press’s Gemma Karstens-Smith was first published Nov. 6, 2026.