Marie-Yasmine Alidou netted the decisive goal from a penalty kick in the 55th minute, propelling the Montreal Roses to a 2-0 victory over AFC Toronto in a Northern Super League match on Sunday. Elyse Bennett contributed with her ninth goal of the season to secure the win for the Roses, who are currently in second place with a record of 9-4-3. This match marked the debut of interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel for the team.
Despite a close call by Shelina Zadorsky in the 68th minute, where she appeared to score for Toronto, the goal was disallowed due to an offside ruling. Montreal Roses’ goalkeeper, Anna Karpenko, put up a solid performance, facing a total of 20 shots, with nine on target, to achieve a clean sheet.
On the opposing side, Toronto’s goalkeeper, Sabrina D’Angelo, had a challenging game facing seven shots, five of which were on target. The match against AFC Toronto was Montreal Roses’ first game after dismissing head coach Robert Rositoiu following a surprising 1-0 defeat to semi-pro team Simcoe County in the W Canadian Championship.
The victory against AFC Toronto marked a positive start under new leadership for the Montreal Roses, demonstrating resilience and determination on the field.