MONTREAL – AFC Toronto played the first game of the Northern Super League playoff semi-finals, defeating the Montreal Rose 2-0 on Saturday.
Nikayla Small scored in the seventh minute and Kaylee Hunter scored in the 70th for Toronto, which will host Montreal in the return leg Nov. 9 at York Lions Stadium. Goalkeeper Sierra Cota Yarde kept a clean sheet for Toronto at the Stade Boreale.
The Ottawa Rapid and Vancouver Rise open the second semifinal on Tuesday at TD Place.
Hunter, 17, finished second in scoring in the NSL's inaugural season, 15 goals behind Ottawa's Delaney Pridham (18). Hunter was named Rookie of the Year and recently attended Team Canada's training camp in Europe.
Toronto topped the NSL standings in the league's inaugural season with 16 wins and went on a five-game playoff winning streak under coach Marko Milanovic.
The Roses earned the fourth and final playoff spot with a 10-9-6 record.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2025.
