The Northern Super League’s inaugural final is set: AFC Toronto will host Vancouver Rise at BMO Field on November 15 (2:00 pm ET / 11:00 am PT).
Toronto cruised past Montreal in the semi-finals with a dominant 6-1 aggregate win, while Vancouver Rise had a much tougher path — edging Ottawa Rapid on penalties after a 2-1 win in the first leg and a 2-1 loss in the second.
Aside from Toronto’s 7-0 trashing in September, meetings between the two sides have been tightly contested. Both clubs have two wins apiece, along with one draw. The most recent clash, however, was completely one-sided, with Toronto dismantling Vancouver in their biggest win of the season.
How AFC Toronto got here
Toronto kicked off the semi-final with a 2-0 win over Montreal in Quebec, as Nikayla Small opened the scoring early and Kaylee Hunter doubled the lead in the 70th minute.
In the return leg, Esther Okoronkwo stole the show, netting a hat-trick in under 30 minutes to seal Toronto’s place in the final — and take home the match ball.
How Vancouver Rise got here
The Rise faced off against second-placed Ottawa Rapid, hosting the first leg at home. Latifah Abdu struck twice in quick succession for Vancouver, but Delaney Pridham pulled one back for the visitors late on.
In the return leg, Pridham opened the scoring before Melanie Forbes made it 3-2 on aggregate early in the second half. Just as it looked like the Rapid were heading to the final, Holly Ward equalized for Vancouver, sending the tie to extra time.
After 120 minutes couldn’t separate the sides, the Rise won 5-4 on penalties to book their spot in the inaugural Northern Super League final.
Game information and how to watch
📆 Saturday, November 15
⏰ 2:00 pm ET / 11:00 am PT
📺 CBC, TSN, RDS
👤 TBA
🏟 BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
