AFC Toronto suffers shutout loss at BMO Field

• AFC Toronto 0, Montreal Roses FC 1 (Bennett 88’) 
• Toronto suffers its 1st loss of the 2026 NSL campaign   
• Kaylee Hunter still looking for her 1st goal of the season 
• Esther Okoronkwo missed 1st game of 6-week injury layoff  

TORONTO – The BMO Field jinx continues for AFC Toronto.

Toronto dominated rivals Montreal Roses FC for large stretches but came out on the wrong end of a heartbreaking 1-0 loss on Sunday afternoon in Northern Super League action.  

A late goal by Elyse Bennett sunk Toronto (1-1-1) who sits fourth in the NSL table and is still looking for its first win at BMO Field. The club suffered three losses at the stadium during the league’s inaugural 2025 season, including a defeat to Vancouver Rise FC in the NSL Final, and drew last week’s home opener vs. Halifax Tides FC.  

“I thought we played well enough to score one, maybe even two goals. Tough one, definitely, because I thought we deserved more, but at the same time you have to take your chances. I don't think that's luck, we just need more quality in front of goal,” Toronto coach Marko Milanović told reporters after Sunday's setback.

It’s also notable that forward Kaylee Hunter, the NSL’s second-best scorer in 2025 with 14 goals, has yet to register a single goal contribution this year for Toronto. 

“I think today was her best game this year. I think the first two games, she wasn't at her best. We obviously expect so much from her. She showed everyone how good of a player she was last year and she's better this year," Milanović said of last the 2025 NSL rookie of the year.

He added: "I'm sure she's feeling a little bit of pressure as well because last year she came in and nobody really knew who she was. Now goals are expected of her, but I thought she played really well today. She carries it all really well and really proud of her.” 

BMO Field is hosting seven of Toronto's 13 home games during the 2026 regular season. The other six matches will be held at York Lions Stadium on the campus of York University, the club’s usual home.   

Toronto entered this weekend with four points from its opening two matches of the season while first-place Montreal (3-0-0) was coming off a pair of wins.  

Milanović fielded a starting 11 featuring Canadian internationals Hunter, Victoria Pickett and Sarah Stratigakis. Goalkeeper Danielle Krzyzaniak and forward Lauren Rowe earned their first starts of the year. Unavailable were midfielder Samantha Chang (out with a season-ending injury), defender Kaela Hansen and forward Esther Okoronkwo (out six weeks with a knee injury). 

Toronto dictated terms through the first half with the quartet of Hunter, Stratigakis, Rowe and Nyota Katembo causing constant problems for Montreal’s back line. The visitors, meanwhile, had dangerous moments in transition without registering a shot on target. 

Rowe nearly opened the scoring inside the first 20 seconds when she picked off a back pass from Montreal defender Hailey Whitaker and had her deflected shot saved by Anna Karpenko. The Montreal goalkeeper came up big when she stopped Stratigakis from close range in the eighth minute.  

Hunter had a trio of decent scoring chances, the best coming right before halftime when her free kick from 25 yards out was tipped over the crossbar by Karpenko.  

Toronto appeared to have opened the scoring in the 55th minute when Montreal’s Charlotte Bilbault stabbed the ball into the back of her net while trying to poke it away from Hunter as she was bearing down on goal. But the goal was waived off for offside.   

A corner kick resulted in a goalmouth scramble in front of Karpenko with Rowe and Kaila Novak unable to poke the ball home before Montreal cleared away the danger.  

Untested up to that point, Krzyzaniak made a pair of solid saves in the 77th minute, including tipping a shot from distance by Evelyn Badu around the post. Hunter flashed a half volley from just inside the box over the crossbar a few minutes later in what was the game’s best scoring chance.  

The breakthrough came when Bennett latched on to a cross from Badu, gave her defensive mark the slip inside the box and then fired her angled shot through Krzyzaniak. 

This marked the second game in a row in which Toronto was shut out, and it only has two goals this season. But Milanović isn't pushing any panic buttons.

“I think we're getting into our spots. Take a look at how many times we were in their box today. I think it would be much more concerning to me if we weren't getting in those spots. We are there and then we are creating those chances. I think it's quality at times, timing, a little bit of luck sometimes as well. I know we don't want to say luck was the cost for our missing chances, but that also plays a factor as well. So as long as we're creating chances we're going to score goals I'm sure,” Milanović said.

NOTES: The all-time regular season series between Toronto and Montreal is tied at three wins apiece. Toronto beat Montreal 6-1 on aggregate in last year’s playoff semifinals… Sunday was the first of five matches this season between Toronto and Montreal. Their next meeting is on June 13 at York Lions Stadium… AFC Toronto's next match is away to Vancouver Rise FC on Saturday, May 23 (4:00 p.m./CBC Gem & YouTube)...

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