AFC Toronto extends strong road form with 2-0 win over Halifax Tides

AFC Toronto continued to establish itself as one of the Northern Super League’s strongest teams away from home, earning a 2-0 victory over Halifax Tides FC on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Wanderers Grounds.

First-half goals from Nikki Small and Kaylee Hunter gave Toronto the advantage before Sabrina D’Angelo and the back line completed another clean sheet. The result moved AFC Toronto to an 8-4-5 record and 28 points, keeping the club third in the NSL standings.

Toronto has now won seven of its 10 matches away from home this season, posting a 7-2-1 road record, the best in the league.

Small opens the scoring in Halifax

The difficult conditions played a role throughout the afternoon, but AFC Toronto found its breakthrough in the 20th minute.

Lena Silano, making her first NSL start, connected with Small before the Toronto captain struck from distance. The effort found its way past the Halifax goalkeeper to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.

It was Small’s first goal of the season and Silano’s first assist in the NSL.

The visitors needed only another 12 minutes to double their lead.

Hunter converted from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute, scoring her eighth goal of the campaign. It was the 18-year-old striker’s third successful penalty of the season and moved her into a tie for third place in the league’s Golden Boot race.

Toronto carried the two-goal advantage into halftime, although Halifax nearly cut into the deficit in first-half stoppage time. D’Angelo was called into action on a free kick and produced an important save to keep the Tides off the scoresheet.

Toronto’s defence shuts down Halifax

With the advantage established, AFC Toronto protected it throughout the second half.

Halifax attempted to commit more players forward, forcing Toronto’s defensive unit to adjust while dealing with a wet surface that made second balls and unpredictable bounces an additional challenge.

“We were kind of still playing our game, but just being aware of second balls, supporting each other when the ball’s in the air, because the bounce really just went places,” defender Sarah Rollins said.

Toronto managed those situations without conceding and finished the afternoon with another clean sheet.

D’Angelo has now recorded four shutouts in only six starts since joining AFC Toronto, while the team continues to own one of the best defensive records in the NSL. Through 17 matches, Toronto has conceded only 17 goals, tied with Montréal Roses FC for the fewest in the league.

AFC Toronto also holds the second-best goal differential at +11.

The defensive performance continued Toronto’s dominance in its season series against Halifax. AFC Toronto is now 2-1-0 through three meetings with the Tides and remarkably has not conceded a goal in any of them.

AFC Toronto’s depth continues to deliver

Sunday’s victory also came with Toronto navigating several absences, something head coach Marko Milanović believes the squad has been constructed to handle.

“We take a lot of pride in being deep and developing our full roster. And I’m honestly comfortable playing anyone at any time,” Milanović said. “They all deserve a chance, including our academy kids.”

That depth was evident in Halifax, where Silano took advantage of her first league start by contributing to the opening goal, while Toronto once again found a way to earn three points despite changes within the squad.

Milanović also highlighted the difficulty of leaving Wanderers Grounds with a victory.

“It’s hard to win in Halifax,” he said. “Very organized team, great staff, hardworking players. The first goal bounced, it went our way, and I thought it made a big difference.”

Ottawa Rapid awaits at BMO Field

After another successful road trip, AFC Toronto will return home for an important matchup against Ottawa Rapid FC at BMO Field on Sunday, August 30 at 4 p.m. ET.

With the final stretch of the regular season approaching, Toronto remains firmly positioned near the top of the table and knows there is little room to relax.

“We just know we need to win every single game,” Rollins said. “That’s what we do every game. We come into the same game every way.”

After handling the rain and a difficult trip to Halifax, AFC Toronto will now try to carry its momentum back to Toronto.