Marie-Yasmine Alidou secured 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 matchup on Sunday. Elyse Bennett, scoring her ninth goal of the season, provided additional cushion for the Roses, who currently hold the second spot with a record of 9-4-3. This game marked their debut under interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel.
Despite a potential equalizer by Shelina Zadorsky for Toronto, disallowed due to an offside ruling in the 68th minute, the Roses maintained their lead. Goalkeeper Anna Karpenko showcased a stellar performance, facing 20 shots, nine of which were on target, to secure a clean sheet.
Toronto’s goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo faced seven shots, with five on target. This match was significant for the Roses as it followed the recent dismissal of head coach Robert Rositoiu after a shocking 1-0 loss to Simcoe County in the W Canadian Championship.