ANALYSIS – The game had four AFC Toronto goal scorers in a road win at McMahon Stadium, in Calgary, Alberta. This included players like Sarah Stratigakis and Lauren Rowe.
Four AFC Toronto Goal Scores In Important Win In Calgary
Nikayla Small Shined In Today’s Game
The midfielder and captain of AFC Toronto, Nikalya Small, showed why she is the captain of the team. She created scoring opportunities for her teammates and looked sharp all game long. Some examples of this include:
- Small won the ball for her team in the first half and was able to get past many defenders before passing the ball to another player.
- She assisted in Kaylee Hunter’s first goal of the season.
Small’s ability to read the game and to slow the game down has shown her maturity and importance to the team. She also played a role in the third goal scored by Stratigakis.
READ MORE: Nikayla Small: A Standout AFC Toronto Midfielder
AFC Toronto’s Sarah Stratigakis Made an Immediate Impact
Sarah Stratigakis made an immediate impact on the team after coming into the game. This includes:
- Scoring the third goal was really impressive, as it was a one-touch pass from Small to Lauren Rowe to Stratigakis.
- With the last goal scored by Kaila Novak, Stratigakis was able to feed her the ball. Novak took full advantage and shot the ball, which went past the Calgary Wild FC goalkeeper, Katelin Talbert.
READ MORE: AFC Toronto’s Newest Midfielder: Sarah Stratigakis
AFC Toronto’s Defence Was Solid
- Olivia Chisholm made some key defensive plays. One was being in the right position to intercept Taegen Stewart’s pass. She also made a good defensive play earlier in the game.
- AFC shut down Calgary’s offence for most of the game, not allowing them to earn a corner.
There was one chance which Calgary had. It was when Tilly James’ was able to beat the AFC Toronto goalkeeper, Sofia Manner by getting to the ball first. However, fortunately for Toronto, James’ header was too high and off-target.
However, despite that one chance, AFC shut down Calgary offensively. This is what Marko Milanović said, according to the AFC Toronto website:
The whole backline played very well, which included Victoria Pickett, Zoe Burns, Ashley Cathro, Sarah Rollins. Even midfielders like Chisholm played well defensively.
AFC Toronto, after winning their opening game on the road against the Vancouver Rise FC, only had one point in their next three games. The win against the Calgary Wild FC also broke a two-game losing streak for AFC Toronto.
This win puts AFC Toronto in fourth place. They are tied in points with the Halifax Tides FC, but Halifax is fifth because of goal differential. This is while Calgary Wild FC remains last with only one point. They have now experienced back-to-back losses at home. This is also the second-straight time they lost 4-0, with the previous game being their 4-0 loss to the Halifax Tides FC.
Other Factors: Lauren Rowe and Kaylee Hunter
Rowe had a solid game, she saw the Calgary Wild FC goalkeeper, Katelin Talbert, being too casual with the ball, and was able to steal the ball from the goalkeeper, before putting it into the back of the net.
She also assisted on Stratigakis’ goal late in the game.
READ MORE: Kaylee Hunter: Promising Canadian Teenager for AFC Toronto
Also, Hunter was able to score her first goal in the 2026 NSL season. This is what she said in the post-game conference (provided by AFC Toronto Media via email):
“I think we had a game plan coming into it, and we followed that. Like Marko said, we were really good defensively, and then once we kind of got into their attacking box, we were ruthless and finished all the chances that we got and gave them nothing. So we’re happy with the win.”
Defender, Zoe Burns, also added to this comment (provided by AFC Toronto Media via email):
“I’m really proud of our performance. I think we all knew what we had to do coming in, and we stepped up onto the field and did it.”
The Northern Super League (NSL), will be taking a short international break, as all teams will resume play within two weeks time.
Games Coming Up For Both Teams
AFC Toronto will play its third home game, and its first game at York Lions Stadium, on June 13 at 4:00 pm EDT. They will host the current number one seed in the NSL, the Montreal Roses FC, which will be shown on YouTube, ESPN+, TSN+, and RDS.
This is while the Calgary Wild FC will travel to face the Halifax Tides FC at the Wanderers Grounds. That game will be televised nationally on TSN at 10:30 am MDT (2:30 pm ADT) on June 13.
Note: The game between the Calgary Wild FC and AFC Toronto celebrated retro day, which also meant dressing up in retro costumes and taking photos with a retro photo booth, retro relay halftime race, and money raised for the Pet Access League Society. This is according to the Calgary Wild FC Instagram account.
Photo Credit: AFC Toronto X Account on June 1, 2026.
