AFC Toronto Closes Four-Game Road Swing with 1-1 Draw in Ottawa
Kaylee Hunter finds the net in her fourth straight match for her tenth of the season
Ottawa, ON (August 13, 2025) – AFC Toronto wrapped up their four-game road stretch on Wednesday night with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Ottawa Rapid FC at TD Place Stadium, marking the club’s first-ever draw with Ottawa and just the second in franchise history.
Kaylee Hunter continued her impressive run of form, netting her 10th goal of the season in the 21st minute – and remarkably, remaining the only AFC player to score at TD Place Stadium. The first half saw both sides exchange quick-paced attacks and create quality chances, but an Ottawa equalizer and an organized home backline kept Toronto from pulling ahead.
Despite Ottawa controlling more possession in the second half, Toronto’s defensive unit – anchored by the composed play of Croix Soto – frustrated league-leading scorer DB Pridham and kept the home side from finding a breakthrough. In a match brimming with intensity and physicality, Toronto matched Ottawa stride for stride, showing resilience and composure in a tough road environment.
“I think their aggression matches ours – they're a high press team just as we are,” said Player of the Match Colby Barnett. “It's always fun and it's always tough to play Ottawa.”
With the result, AFC Toronto returns home unbeaten in two straight and carrying plenty of positives into the next stage of their season. Next, AFC hosts Vancouver Rise FC at BMO Field on Sunday, August 17 at 7 p.m. ET, as part of the opening weekend of the 2025 Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).
ZOE BURNS: Made her first Northern Super League start, contributing effectively over 75 minutes and helping stabilize Toronto’s midfield.
KAYLEE HUNTER: AFC forward nets her 10th goal of the season, keeping her just two goals shy of the Golden Boot race and stretching her red-hot form to a four-game streak.
ASHLEY CATHRO: Recorded her first Northern Super League goal assist, showcasing her vision and creativity in the attack.
UP NEXT: AFC Toronto are headed to BMO Field in Toronto to host Vancouver Rise FC on Sunday, August 17 at 7 p.m. ET (Watch on TSN and NSL.ca).
MATCH SUMMARY
AFC Toronto - 1 | Ottawa Rapid FC - 1
Venue: TD Place Stadium
Referee: Salma Flores-Desrochers
Assistants: Gabrielle Lemieux, Camille Raymond Fourth Official: Laura McNicholas
Referee Observer: Joe Audi
Attendance: 2,887
SCORING SUMMARY
AFC Toronto: Kaylee Hunter (21’) Ottawa Rapid FC: Min-a Lee (42’)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
11’ - Yellow: Ellen Gibson (Ottawa Rapid FC) 57’ - Yellow: DB Pridham (Ottawa Rapid FC)
STARTING LINEUP & STATS
AFC Toronto Starting Lineup:
GK Sierra Cota-Yarde (Toronto, ON) DF Ashley Cathro (Victoria, BC)
DF Croix Soto (USA)
DF Sarah Rollins (Toronto, ON)
DF Zoe Burns (CAN)
MF Nikayla Small (Pickering, ON)
MF Emma Regan (Burnaby, BC) MF Colby Barnett (USA)
MF Victoria Pickett (Barrie, ON) FW Kaylee Hunter (Calgary, AB) FW Jade Kovacevic (Acton, ON)
Substitutes: Danielle Krzyzaniak (GK), Hong Hye-ji (DF), Kaela Hansen (DF), Aoi Kizaki (MF), Sarah Stratigakis (MF), April Lantaigne (MF), Cloey Uddenberg (MF), Esther Okoronkwo (FW), Lauren Rowe (FW)
Total Shots: 7 Shots on Goal: 4 Fouls: 17 Offsides: 2 Corner-Kicks: 2 Saves: 3
Video Highlights of Opening Game
Media can access video highlights from the opening match on the Northern Super League YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NorthernSuperLeague
Match Summary
A complete summary of the match facts and stats can be viewed at:
https://www.nsl.ca/games/ottawa-toronto-2025-08-13
More from the locker room:
Head coach Marko Milanovic on the draw: “I thought it was an entertaining game for a neutral fan. It was open – a lot of chances both ways. We're satisfied with the point. We always want to win, obviously, but how the game went, Ottawa had a lot of chances, too. So the draw is the most fair.”
Forward Kaylee Hunter on her 10th goal: “The goal today, I'll credit to [Ashley Cathro]. It was a brilliant ball we played. It was a good team play in the buildup... I think every time we come here it’s a big game, it's the Capital, we want to put on our best performance.”
Midfielder Colby Barnett: “It's an honor to be named Player of the Game... It's been super exciting and I feel super honored to be able to play as many minutes in this league as I am.”