Kaylee Hunter sends AFC Toronto into W Canadian Championship semifinal
AFC Toronto needed more than 90 minutes to settle its W Canadian Championship quarterfinal against Vancouver Rise FC, with Kaylee Hunter delivering the decisive goal in extra time Sunday at York Lions Stadium.
The unusual format meant the same match produced two different outcomes. Toronto and Vancouver recorded a 1-1 draw in the Northern Super League standings after regulation, before play continued to determine which club would advance in the inaugural W Canadian Championship.
Hunter scored in the 100th minute to give Toronto a 2-1 victory in the cup competition and a place in next year’s semifinals.
In league play, AFC Toronto moved to 38 points with a 10-8-5 record and remained second in the NSL standings.
Silano continues scoring run
Lena Silano opened the scoring for Toronto after receiving a pass from Lauren Rowe inside the penalty area.
Silano converted for her third goal in two matches, continuing her strong run after scoring twice against Ottawa Rapid FC in Toronto’s previous game. Rowe collected her third assist of the season.
The advantage lasted only 10 minutes before Latifah Abdu equalized for Vancouver.
Neither side could find another goal during the second half, leaving the score at 1-1 after 90 minutes. That result became official for NSL purposes, extending Toronto’s unbeaten league streak to seven matches.
AFC Toronto has now lost only once in its last 12 NSL games and finishes its season series against Vancouver with a 2-1-2 record.
Hunter decides quarterfinal in extra time
While the league portion of the match was complete, the cup quarterfinal still required a winner.
Toronto found one in the 100th minute from a set piece.
April Lantaigne sent a corner into the penalty area and Shelina Zadorsky got the first header before Hunter redirected the ball with her head to put AFC Toronto ahead 2-1.
The goal counts toward Hunter’s W Canadian Championship total rather than her NSL regular-season statistics.
“We definitely wanted to win within 90 minutes, that was our goal,” head coach Marko Milanović said. “I thought we created more than enough chances to do that.”
Milanović pointed to Toronto’s response after the disappointment of not deciding the game in regulation.
“I think we showed a lot of character in extra time,” he said. “They left that aside and played a great 30 minutes, even though they were tired. And that just speaks volumes.”
Toronto protected the advantage through the remainder of extra time to become one of four semifinalists in the inaugural tournament.
The eight-team, single-elimination W Canadian Championship provides a route into next year’s Concacaf W Champions Cup, which itself serves as a pathway toward the inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup in 2028.
The semifinal matchups have yet to be announced and will be played early next year.
Toronto heads into international break unbeaten in seven
AFC Toronto now enters the NSL international break with its playoff place already secured and an active seven-match unbeaten run.
Defender Sarah Rollins has also played every minute of Toronto’s season to date, reaching 2,070 minutes.
Toronto returns to league action on Sunday, Oct. 18 against Calgary Wild FC at BMO Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, with the match available on TSN.
