NDC Ontario and Calgary Blizzard will both go into the final day of action in the 2024 League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship on Sunday looking to end the competition on a high note.

Both squads fell short during Friday night’s semifinal round, when NDCO found itself on the wrong end of a penalty shootout against CS Mont-Royal Outremont and Calgary conceded a pair of goals to the competition’s defending championships, Whitecaps FC Girls Elite.

Sunday represents a fresh start for both sides, who will meet in the competition’s third-place match, which kicks off at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ont. The match will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, Canada’s dedicated soccer channel.

Here is the key to the match for each side as they look to end the Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship on a winning note.

NDC Ontario

Head coach Melissa Bigg’s squad put in a solid performance on Friday against CSMRO. On another night, NDCO could have easily finished the evening celebrating a berth in the championship final match rather than ruing opportunity lost. A lone penalty save by CSMRO goalkeeper Lea Palacio-Tellier was the difference between cheers and tears for the local side, who dominated much of the play in regulation time.

Losing by the slimmest of margins can be a difficult thing to bounce back from, especially when matches are coming thick and fast. It will be the mental game that NDCO will need focus on as it goes into Sunday’s match against Calgary, quickly forgetting the result on Friday’s game and focusing on the successful moments that pushed CSMRO as far as a penalty shootout to decide the semifinal winner.

Calgary Blizzard

The Blizzard is the only team that has yet to score at this year’s Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship, so it goes without saying that getting on the scoresheet will be a priority for head coach Diogo Raposo’s side.

It won’t be an easy task for Calgary, as NDCO conceded just 17 goals in 18 games during the League1 Ontario season. But the Blizzard know what worked for it in front of net throughout the League1 Alberta season — goalscoring by committee. Aislin Phillips was tied for the team lead with four goals, while Grace Moore and Mykena Walker each chipped in a pair of goals themselves.

Spreading the wealth by sharing the opportunities should continue to be the Blizzard’s approach going into Sunday’s match. The more offensive threats they can put in front of goal, the more NDCO will need to defend, the better Calgary’s chance will be to get in the scoresheet.

Match tickets for the 2024 Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship Championship Sunday are on sale here, starting at $15.65.