AFC Toronto booked their ticket to the inaugural Northern Super League final after defeating Montreal Roses FC in the semifinal second leg 4-1 (6-1 on aggregate) on Monday night at York Lions Stadium.
After a snowy weather delay forced the match to be rescheduled to the following night, Toronto came out flying in the opening stage, with Esther Okoronkwo netting a hat-trick within the first 27 minutes. Adding to Toronto’s total to seal the match was substitute Lauren Rowe, who scored her first postseason goal of the season.
“It’s one more game and this determines who wins the trophy,” said Toronto head coach Marko Milanović. “What comes to mind is the rematch of the earlier BMO game we had against [Vancouver] that we lost. We really wanted desperately to go back to that field because that is one stadium we haven’t won at this year. Hopefully, we can do it on Saturday.”
Okoronkwo’s hat-trick opens the match
With assistance from AFC Toronto supporters, the snow-covered pitch was shoveled in time for kick-off. Toronto, unfazed by the weather conditions, came out on the front foot, looking to add to their first-leg lead.
In the 7th minute, Toronto opened the scoring through a direct passing sequence. Picking up the ball in her own half, Victoria Pickett sent a long ball over the top into the path of Kaylee Hunter, who quickly slid a pass across the goal to Okoronkwo, who tapped it in to give Toronto the early 1-0 lead.
AFC Toronto beat Montreal Roses 4-1 in the second leg of their 2025 Northern Super League playoffs semifinal Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. Photo: Mathew Ko/Total Soccer News
In the 21st minute, Okoronkwo doubled Toronto’s lead with a nifty free-kick. From the edge of the box, Okoronkwo curled a low shot around the wall towards the near post, where it squeaked by Montreal goalkeeper Anna Karpenko.
Moments later, in the 27th minute, Okoronkwo capped off her first NSL hat-trick. Picking up a loose ball at the top of the box off a half-clearance, Okoronkwo muscled her way through three Montreal defenders and slid a shot under Karpenko to score her third goal of the night and give Toronto a commanding 3-0 lead.
Changing weather conditions in the second half
With the snow and wind picking up in the second half, Toronto became more conservative in its play, holding possession to see out the match. Montreal, meanwhile, looking to come back in the tie, played more directly, with multiple teasing passes and long shots towards goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde, hoping for mistakes in the back line.
In the 74th minute, Montreal scored a consolation goal through its co-captains. A pass from Mégane Sauvé towards the Toronto backline slipped past defender Sarah Rollins. Capitalizing on the mistake, Tanya Boychuk picked up the loose ball and hit a shot over Cota-Yarde to put Montreal on the scoresheet.
AFC Toronto beat Montreal Roses 4-1 in the second leg of their 2025 Northern Super League playoffs semifinal Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. Photo: Mathew Ko/Total Soccer News
In the 84th minute, Toronto sealed the tie with its fourth goal of the match. With a looping ball forward, Montreal defender Stephanie Hill’s half-clearance only made it to the top of the box, where Rowe pounced on the bouncing ball to score her first career postseason goal.
With the win, the Supporters’ Shield winners will now face Vancouver Rise FC in the inaugural Northern Super League final for the honour of hoisting the Diana B. Matheson trophy.
“The goal was just to keep it simple – kick it out, no nonsense,” said Nikki Small on playing in the snow. “You couldn’t really dribble; the ball would stop or slide with the snow. Everyone was slipping all over the place, so it was about adapting fast, playing direct, and doing what needed to be done.”
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Commenting on Okoronkwo’s performance, Milanović said post-game, “We know what [Esther]’s capable of. She’s a big-time player who always delivers in big moments – we saw it at the Africa Cup of Nations, and now again in this semifinal. Hopefully, we’ll see more of that in the final, too.”
On preparations for the final, Milanović said the team’s approach will be no different than any other match this season. “From the start of the season, even in preseason friendlies, our approach has always been the same. We prepare the same way, train the same way, and stay true to our process. The final will be no different. Our schedule won’t change, my message won’t change much, and I’m sure Emma [Regan]’s speech will be better than mine, as usual.”
The inaugural Northern Super League final will be played on Saturday, November 15, at BMO Field.
