Tobias Warschewski’s 27th-minute goal propelled Cavalry FC into the Canadian Premier League championship match with a 1-0 victory over Forge FC in the qualifying semifinals on Sunday.

Defending champion Forge, however, still has a chance to join second-seeded Cavalry in the Nov. 9 final in Calgary.

No. 1 Forge will host the semifinal next Saturday against No. 3 Atletico Ottawa, who beat No. 4 York United FC 5-4 in a penalty shootout earlier Sunday after their quarterfinal was ended tied 2-2 after overtime.

This is the third trip to the CPL finals for Cavalry, who lost to Forge in 2019 and 2023. Forge, meanwhile, suffered only its second loss in 14 career playoff games (10-2- 2).

Cavalry nearly took the lead in the 24th minute Sunday at Tim Hortons Field, only to see Forge’s Alessandro Hojabrpour acrobatically clear a Callum Montgomery header intended for a goal.

But Warschewski made no mistake three minutes later, capitalizing on a long free kick from goalkeeper Marco Carducci just outside his own penalty area that split the Forge defense. Warschewski got the ball first, punched it and pushed away a defender before rounding goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat and slotting the ball home.

Warschewski won the league’s Golden Boot, leading all regular season scorers with 12 goals.

Forge had his chances in the first half, including a mad rush at goal which he failed to capitalize on. Another attack saw captain Kyle Bekker’s header from close range hit the goal post.

Carducci stopped a looping shot from distance from Forge’s Beni Badibanga in the 53rd minute. A minute later, Hojabrpour’s powerful shot went straight to the Cavalry goalkeeper.

Cavalry’s Jay Herdman, son of Toronto FC coach John Herdman, fired a shot over the bar in the 59th minute. Three minutes later, Daan Klomp’s header from Ali Musse’s cross went just wide of Forge’s goal.

Carducci parried a powerful shot just outside the box from substitute Noah Jensen in the 79th minute. Bekker shot high in the 83rd minute.

Forge held a 2-1-1 lead in the regular season series with Cavalry this year, winning 2-1 twice at Tim Hortons Field with a 1-0 loss and a 1-1 tie at ATCO Field.

Hamilton’s Forge is seeking a fifth title – and third in a row – in its sixth playoff appearance. Forge won the title in 2019, ’20, ’22 and ’23 and finished second in 2021.

He is also aiming for the double this season after posting the best record of the regular season (15-8-5), finishing two points ahead of Cavalry (12-4-12).

Cavalry finished atop the regular season standings in 2019, the league’s inaugural campaign, and in 2023, only to come up against Forge in the finals each time.

The Calgary team finished second in the league in 2021, losing 2–1 after overtime to eventual champion Pacific FC in the semifinals. Cavalry lost 3-2 to Forge in the 2022 home-and-away semi-final.

Atlético Ottawa 2 (5), York United 2 (4)

Atletico Ottawa survived two York comebacks to win on penalties in front of an announced crowd of 4,630 at TD Place, its first-ever home victory in the playoffs.

A stoppage-time goal from York substitute Shola Jimoh, 16, equalized at 1-1, forcing extra time. Ollie Bassett gave Ottawa the lead in the 47th minute, scoring from a corner for a scoring “Olimpico”.

The teams traded goals in overtime, with Ruben del Campo converting a penalty for Ottawa in the 92nd minute, after Sam Salter was beaten by Elijah Adekugbe. York captain Mo Babouli equalized two minutes later, heading in a cross from Jimoh.

The ensuing penalty shootout was the first ever in a CPL playoff match.

Amer Didic, Maxim Tissot, del Campo, Alberto Zapater and Ilias Iliadis scored from the penalty spot for Ottawa.

Juan Cordova, Brian Wright, Orlando Botello and Josue Martínez converted for York. Ottawa goalkeeper Nathan Ingham got his hands on Babouli’s penalty attempt in the second round.

Ottawa beat York 2-1 in its season opener in April before losing 2-1, 4-1 and 1-0 in the next three meetings.