Esther Okoronkwo has successfully reached the Northern Super League inaugural championship game as she scored three goals within the first 26 minutes of Monday’s semifinal match at York Lions Stadium, helping AFC Toronto secure a 4-1 victory over Montreal Roses. The overall aggregate score of the two-leg match was 6-1 in favor of Toronto.
In addition to Okoronkwo’s hat trick, Lauren Rowe netted a fourth goal for Toronto in the 83rd minute, while Tanya Boychuk found the net for the Roses in the 74th minute. The victory sets up a final showdown between Toronto and Vancouver Rise at BMO Field on Saturday. Vancouver advanced to the final after defeating Ottawa 5-4 in a penalty shootout following a tied 3-3 aggregate score in their semifinal series.
Inclement weather and heavy snowfall in Toronto forced the postponement of the second game of the Toronto-Montreal series from Sunday to Monday. Okoronkwo, who had an impressive regular season with eight goals and eight assists in 1,486 minutes of play, showcased her skills early in the match, scoring in the seventh minute and adding two more goals within the first half.
Toronto coach Marko Milanović praised the team effort and Okoronkwo’s performance, highlighting her ability to deliver in crucial moments. Midfielder Nikki Small emphasized the strategy of simplicity in playing in the snow, focusing on direct play due to the challenging weather conditions.
The first leg of the semifinal ended with Toronto securing a 2-0 victory at Stade Boréale in Laval, Que., with goals from Small and Hunter.
