MONTREAL - AFC Toronto took the first leg of a Northern Super League playoff semifinal with a 2-0 victory over the Montreal Roses on Saturday.

Nikayla Small struck in the seventh minute and Kaylee Hunter in the 70th for Toronto, which hosts Montreal in the second leg Nov. 9 at York Lions Stadium. Goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde maintained a blank sheet for Toronto at Stade Boreale.

Ottawa Rapid FC and the Vancouver Rise open the other semifinal Tuesday at TD Place.

Hunter, 17, ranked second in scoring in the NSL's inaugural season with 15 goals behind Ottawa's Delaney Pridham (18). Hunter was named rookie of the year and recently attended a Canadian team camp in Europe.

Toronto topped the NSL standings in the league's first season with 16 wins and rode a five-match winning streak into the

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