Photo essay: AFC Toronto concludes Supporters' Shield run with win over Roses FC
- mitch11fox
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Mitchell Fox and Pierre-Philipe Wanya-Tambwe
To cap off an inaugural regular season that saw them earn the Northern Super League's (NSL) Supporters' Shield, AFC Toronto defeated Montreal Roses FC 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
The result brings AFC to a 16-6-3 record and 51 points for the season, 12 points ahead of second place. Roses FC's 36 points puts them in fourth-place, setting up a first-round playoff matchup between the two teams beginning on Nov. 1.
Here's how Toronto closed out their regular season, in photos:
After the match, AFC celebrated winning the Supporters' Shield for the best regular season record in the league. Following some words from CEO Helena Ruken, Vermillion Vanguard fan group members handed the trophy off to captain Emma Regan, who brought it to her team.
Regan played every minute of every game (2,250 minutes) this season for Toronto, leading the way as captain and a top performer at midfield. The 25-year-old scored three goals this year, equal to her output in 32 appearances playing professional soccer in Denmark.
Head coach Marko Milanovic was appointed to the team in August 2024. He previously served as an assistant coach on the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold men's soccer team and head coach of the North Toronto Nitros men's team in League1 Ontario, where he worked with Wilson. A year later, he stands at the pinnacle of Canadian pro women's soccer, leading the NSL's top-scoring team (42 goals) and strongest defensive squad (272 tackles won).
All five matches between AFC and Roses FC have been close, with a 2-0 victory for Toronto on May 22 as the biggest difference. AFC takes a 3-2 edge in the season series thanks to the season-ending win, but will be well-challenged as the two teams take part in a two-game playoff series on Nov. 1 and 9.
Montreal opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a strike from Alexandria Hess, but AFC answered late in the half with Sarah Stratigakis' second goal of the season. Nikayla Small broke the deadlock in the 86th minute, netting her fifth goal of the season and unleashing a heartfelt reaction.
Esther Okornkwo's assist on Small's goal was her seventh of the season, placing her at the top of the NSL. She also had eight goals, good for second on the team and fourth in the league.
Assistant coach Sylvia Forbes led the club's set piece tactics, an area where the team found success as the season progressed.
The game also represented AFC's Fan Appreciation Night. The team took photos with, signed autographs for and spoke with supporters, including many young girls from schools and soccer teams.
Toronto also wore jerseys with unique nameplates for Sunday's match, part of a partnership with Dove beauty brand's #ChangeTheCompliment campaign aiming to redefine empowerment for women and girls. Players wore nameplates such as "Fearless," "Strong," "Resilient" and "Confident" to replace overused words such as "pretty" and "beautiful."
UP NEXT: AFC Toronto takes to the road to face Montreal in the first game of their playoff series on Nov. 1, followed by a home game on Nov. 9.