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 during Northern Super League play on Sunday. Elyse Bennett also contributed with her ninth goal of the season, providing additional security for the Roses, who are currently in second place with a record of 9-4-3. This match marked their first game with interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel at the helm.
Despite Shelina Zadorsky seemingly equalizing for Toronto in the 68th minute, her goal was nullified due to an offside ruling. Goalkeeper Anna Karpenko of the Roses exhibited a strong performance, facing a total of 20 shots, including nine on target, and securing a clean sheet.
Toronto’s goalkeeper, Sabrina D’Angelo, was tested with seven shots, five of which were on target. The Roses took to the field for the first time following the dismissal of head coach Robert Rositoiu, who was let go after a surprising 1-0 defeat to semi-professional team Simcoe County in the W Canadian Championship.