In a match that will be remembered for its brutal conditions as much as its football, Atletico Ottawa were crowned Canadian Premier League champions after a gruelling 2-1 extra-time victory over Cavalry FC. The final, played in a relentless -8ºC blizzard at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, was a testament to resilience, culminating in a spectacular overhead kick now immortalised as the 'icicle kick'.
A Battle Against the Elements
The North Star Cup final on Sunday, November 10, 2025, was as much a fight against the weather as it was a contest between two football teams. Nearly four inches of snow blanketed the pitch, causing repeated delays throughout the initial 90 minutes so that ground staff could clear the lines. The situation became so dire that Atletico Ottawa goalkeeper, Nathan Ingham, was spotted grabbing a shovel to assist with the efforts at one point.
The match's playability deteriorated so significantly in the second half that a snowplough was required to make the pitch viable before extra-time could commence. The first breakthrough came from Cavalry FC, with former Rangers midfielder Fraser Aird slotting home a penalty in the 33rd minute to put his side ahead.
The 'Icicle Kick' That Sealed a Legacy
With the game slipping away and the conditions worsening, Atletico Ottawa found their hero in David Rodriguez. The Mexican-born forward produced a moment of pure magic, scoring a stunning bicycle kick that has since been dubbed the 'icicle kick' due to the freezing blizzard in which it was executed. This incredible goal levelled the score and sent the match into extra-time.
Rodriguez wasn't finished, however. The match-winner found the net again during the additional period, securing a historic 2-1 victory for his team. The final whistle blew a staggering four hours after the match was initially scheduled to kick-off, finally crowning Atletico Ottawa, the club with Spanish parent club Atletico Madrid, as Canadian Premier League champions.
Quintessentially Canadian Celebrations
The post-match reactions were a mix of disbelief and jubilation. Atletico Ottawa goalkeeper Nathan Ingham captured the surreal nature of the evening, stating, 'The whole night feels fake. You play us in sand, you play us in snow, you play us on the moon, this team is going to win.'
For match-winner Rodriguez, the adverse conditions were a source of excitement. He revealed, 'I came to [the] locker room and I was excited. I saw it was snowing, and I was like, 'It's going to be a good day'.' This was a particularly poignant moment, as the player had never seen snow before arriving in Ottawa from Mexico earlier in the year.
The club itself described the event on its official website as 'a season finale that embodied the heart and grit of Canadian soccer' and 'a night that felt quintessentially Canadian'. A bundled-up crowd of 13,132 hardy fans witnessed the historic victory, a symbol of both Canadian resilience and the growing passion for the domestic game.
