AFC Toronto Falls 2-1 to Vancouver Rise FC on the Road
Kaylee Hunter strikes again, solidifying second in Golden Boot chase
Burnaby, B.C. (July 24, 2025) – Kaylee Hunter netted her seventh goal of the season in a hard-fought battle at Swangard Stadium on Thursday night. AFC Toronto couldn’t capitalize on their second-half push, falling 2-1 to Vancouver Rise FC to open their four-game road trip.
Toronto opened the scoring early after Victoria Pickett forced a misplay from Vancouver goalkeeper Morgan McAslan in the 9th minute, setting up Hunter for a composed finish. But the Rise answered back with a brace from Samantha Chang, giving Vancouver a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
Looking to spark a second-half comeback, the pitch saw debut appearances of Zoe Burns and Sarah Stratigakis, both entering the match with fresh energy and intent. While their presence helped shift momentum and create a few late chances, it ultimately wasn’t enough to break through Vancouver’s defensive line.
“Every game has its own story in a way. I really thought we deserved more today,” said head coach Marko Milanovic. “We can blame the schedule and the fatigue, but we're not going to do that... We just left a little bit of quality, maybe final decisions, a final ball. It's one game at a time and we keep going.”
Next, AFC Toronto continues the four-game road stretch as they head to McMahon Stadium to face Calgary Wild FC on Saturday, August 2 at 4 p.m. ET.
KAYLEE HUNTER: AFC forward nets her seventh of the season, cementing second place in league-wide scoring.
DEBUTANTS: Zoe Burns and Sarah Stratigakis both made their Northern Super League debuts as second half substitutes.
UP NEXT: AFC Toronto are at McMahon Stadium in Calgary to take on Calgary Wild FC on Saturday, August 2 at 4 p.m. ET (Stream on CBC Gem and NSL.ca).
MATCH SUMMARY
AFC Toronto - 1 Vancouver Rise FC - 2
Venue: Swangard Stadium
Referee: Marie-Soleil Beaudoin Assistants: Stéphanie Fortin, Shukwia Tajik Fourth Official: Kelsey Carrothers
Referee Observer: Jose Branco
SCORING SUMMARY
AFC Toronto: Kaylee Hunter (9’)
Vancouver Rise FC: Samantha Chang (19’), Samantha Chang (35’)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
21’ - Yellow: Kennedy Faulknor (Vancouver Rise FC) 42’ - Yellow: Jessica De Filippo (Vancouver Rise FC) 90’+3’ - Yellow: Sofia Hagman (Vancouver Rise FC)
STARTING LINEUP & STATS
AFC Toronto Starting Lineup:
GK Sofia Manner (Finland)
DF Kaela Hansen (Burnaby, BC)
DF Ashley Cathro (Victoria, BC)
DF Sarah Rollins (Toronto, ON)
MF Nikayla Small (Pickering, ON)
MF Emma Regan (Burnaby, BC) NL)
Substitutes: Sierra Cota-Yarde (GK), Hong Hye-ji (DF), Croix Soto (DF), Zoe Burns (DF), Sarah Stratigakis (MF), April Lantaigne (MF), Cloey Uddenberg (MF), Nyota Katembo (MF), Jade Kovacevic (FW)
Total Shots: 13 Shots on Goal: 3 Fouls: 10 Offsides: 1 Corner-Kicks: 5 Saves: 1
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/vancouver-toronto-2025-07-24
MF Colby Barnett (USA)
MF Victoria Pickett (Barrie, ON)
MF Aoi Kizaki (Japan)
FW Kaylee Hunter (Calgary, AB)
FW Lauren Rowe (Conception Bay South,
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Head coach Marko Milanovic on Hunter’s goal: “It was part of the plan and something that we've done the entire season. We tried to press high and we were on the front foot – [Victoria Pickett] did a great job of stealing the ball. Kaylee made sure we finished and it's something that we try to do regularly.”
Milanovic on Zoe Burns and Sarah Stratigakis debuts: “I thought they made an impact on the game. I still don't think they're there physically, fully – they’ve had a month off and they've only been training with us for the last 2-3 weeks – they're still not fully in game shape to be able to play more meaningful minutes. Overall, I thought it was quite good. I think they played about 25 minutes, both of them, and I was happy with their performance.”
Kaylee Hunter on team morale: “I think after a loss like this, we like to all come together and circle back. We look at the learnings from the game... I mean nobody likes to lose like this, so we use this as motivation to keep moving forward and hopefully get a win next time.”
Milanovic on back-to-back losses: “I don't question this team's character at all. I know we're going to be great next game. We have a week of training now and we're looking forward to that. We actually love these road trips because we spend a lot of time together. We really enjoy each other's company.”