MONTREAL – AFC Toronto secured a 2-0 victory over the Montreal Roses in the first leg of the Northern Super League semifinal on Saturday. The match took place at Stade Boréale in Laval, Quebec, where Toronto's Nikayla Small opened the scoring just seven minutes into the game.

Small controlled the ball inside the box and delivered a right-footed shot that found the back of the net. "I’m happy we scored early because the conditions weren’t the greatest," Small said. "It was cold, it was windy. The wind wasn’t in our favour. To get that early goal ... was really important for us to settle down."

Kaylee Hunter, a 17-year-old striker, added a second goal for Toronto in the 70th minute. She replaced Esther Okoronkwo at halftime and managed to shake off a defender before scoring with a low shot past Montreal goalkeeper Anna Karpenko.

Toronto's goalkeeper, Sierra Cota-Yarde, played a crucial role in the victory by keeping a clean sheet. "I thought both teams had their chances. We were fortunate enough to finish two of ours and come away with the win," said Toronto coach Marko Milanovic. He praised Cota-Yarde's performance, noting, "(Sierra Cota-Yarde) had a phenomenal game in goal, and the rest of our backline also did really well, considering it was their first game playing together this year."

Despite facing a series of injuries, including sidelined players Croix Soto, Kaela Hansen, Jade Kovacevic, Hong Hye-ji, and Mya Jones, Toronto managed to secure the win. Kaila Novak is also serving a suspension due to a red card received during the regular season.

AFC Toronto, the regular-season champion, will host the second leg of the semifinal on November 9 at York Lions Stadium. The aggregate winner will advance to the championship match for the Diana B. Matheson Cup, scheduled for November 15 at BMO Field.

In the other semifinal, Ottawa Rapid FC will face the Vancouver Rise, starting Tuesday at TD Place. Toronto and Montreal previously met five times during the regular season, with Toronto winning three of those matches. The Roses secured the fourth and final playoff spot with a record of 10 wins, 9 losses, and 6 draws.

Hunter, who ranked second in scoring during the NSL's inaugural season with 15 goals, was recently named rookie of the year and attended a Canadian team camp in Europe. Toronto finished the regular season with 16 wins and entered the playoffs on a five-match winning streak under coach Milanovic.