AFC Toronto's Kaylee Hunter earns her 1st Canada call-up

Kaylee Hunter's outstanding form for AFC Toronto during the inaugural Northern Super League season hasn't gone unnoticed by Canadian women's team coach Casey Stoney. 

Stoney on Monday released her 24-player roster for October's international window that will see Canada play a pair of high-profile European friendlies, and included in her roster is Hunter, a 17-year-old forward who has taken the NSL by storm. 

Ranked No. 9 in the world by FIFA, Canada will face No. 24 Switzerland on Oct. 25 in Lucerne, before facing the Netherlands (ranked 11th) four days later in Nijmegen. 

Hunter, a native of Calgary, is second in NSL scoring this season with a team-high 14 goals, behind only Delaney Pridham (18 goals) of Ottawa Rapid FC. Hunter also has three assists in 22 appearances (1,775 minutes) for Toronto and is second in the league in total shots (56) and shots on target (36).  

The youngster has played a big role in helping Toronto win the Supporters' Shield as the regular season champions while also boasting the best attack in the NSL with 40 goals. 

Hunter officially joined AFC Toronto in January just seven days after her 17th birthday to become one of the youngest players to sign a pro contract ahead of the NSL's debut season. She previously played for Whitecaps FC Girls Elite in League1 British Columbia, winning a pair of league titles and being named the MVP at the 2024 Women's Inter-Provincial Championship. She also helped the team qualify for the 2024 Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup.

The young AFC Toronto star previously represented Canada at both the under-17 and under-20 levels, making her international debut in 2023 at age 15 and scored four goals in her first match.  

Hunter is one of three players on Stoney's latest roster to earn their first Canadian call-ups. The others are goalkeeper Emily Burns (FC Nantes), and midfielder Florianne Jourde (Paris Saint-Germain). 

There's also a recall for defender Sydney Collins (Bay FC) who returns to the squad after after being sidelined by an injury for more than a year. The last of her six caps for Canada came in a 1-0 win over Australia in Vancouver on Dec. 5, 2023. 

The most recognizable names on Canada’s latest roster are captain Jessie Fleming and fellow midfielder Julia Grosso, goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, defenders Ashley Lawrence and Shelina Zadorsky, and forwards Janine Sonis and Adriana Leon. 

Unavailable for Canada for this international window due to injury are midfielder Simi Awujo (Manchester United), defenders Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea) and Vanessa Gilles (Bayern Munich), and goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx (Juventus). Forward Annabelle Chukwu of (University of Notre Dame) and midfielder Kayla Briggs (Michigan State University) were unavailable for selection by mutual agreement with their schools. 

Other notable absences are Vancouver Rise midfielder Quinn and Utah Royals forward Cloé Lacasse. It's the second camp in a row in which Quinn, who has 106 caps for Canada hasn’t been selected. Quinn was recently named NSL player of the month for September.

Canada sports a 4-1-0 all-time record against Switzerland dating back to their first meeting in 2010, including a 1-0 victory in their previous meeting in the round-of-16 at the 2015 World Cup in Vancouver.   

The Canadians and the Dutch have met 14 times since 1988. Canada has nine wins, four draws, and a loss against the Netherlands with their most recent encounter coming at the Tournoi de France in 2020, which resulted in a 0-0 stalemate.  

Canada has been idle since the previous FIFA international window in late June/early July when it earned a 4-1 win over No. 43 Costa Rica in Toronto before being blanked 3-0 by the No. 1 U.S. in Washington, D.C.  

CANADA'S SQUAD  

Goalkeepers: Sabrina D’Angelo (Aston Villa), Kailen Sheridan (San Diego Wave), Emily Burns (FC Nantes).  

Defenders: Ashley Lawrence (Olympique Lyonnais), Shelina Zadorsky (West Ham United), Jade Rose (Manchester City), Sydney Collins (Bay FC), Gabrielle Carle (Washington Spirit), Jayde Riviere (Manchester United), Zara Chavoshi (Orlando Pride), Marie Levasseur (Montpellier HSC).  

Midfielders: Jessie Fleming (Portland Thorns), Marie-Yasmine Alidou (Portland Thorns), Julia Grosso (Chicago Red Stars), Emma Regan (AFC Toronto), Florianne Jourde (Paris Saint-Germain). 

Forwards: Kaylee Hunter (AFC Toronto), Jordyn Huitema (Seattle Reign FC), Adriana Leon (San Diego Wave), Nichelle Prince (Kansas City Current), Olivia Smith (Arsenal), Janine Sonis (Racing Louisville), Evelyne Viens (AS Roma), Holly Ward (Vancouver Rise). 

(Top courtesy of AFC Toronto)

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