ANALYSIS – Lauren Rowe has now scored in her third straight game in the Northern Super League (NSL), for AFC Toronto. She continues to perform when needed and is now AFC Toronto’s leading goal scorer.
Also, AFC earned a point against the Rapid, which is currently first in the NSL.
Lauren Rowe Continues to Impress as AFC Toronto Earns Second Straight Draw
Lauren Rowe Scores in Her Third-Straight Game
Rowe has now scored in three straight games for AFC Toronto. In the sequence seen above, Olivia Chisholm noticed a bit of an errant pass from goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais. Chisholm won the ball from Ottawa’s Jung Min-young and then passed the ball to Rowe. Rowe finished the job and scored what would end up being the goal-tying goal.
She also had other chances to score, including:
- Chisholm delivered a great pass to Rowe, but Rowe’s shot was just off target in the 35th minute.
- Zoe Burns found Rowe, but Rowe’s shot was off target in the 70th minute.
- The pass sequence from Sarah Rollins to Nikayla Small to Lauren Rowe was excellent and led to a goal-scoring opportunity for Rowe.
Rowe can also set other players up, as she passed the ball to Linda Owusu Ansah, but her shot went sky high.
Could Rowe have been more ruthless, like the rest of the AFC Toronto players, probably? However, she always puts herself in the best places and/or positions to score. She is also able to capitalize on them often and is a big reason why she is a player to watch out for with AFC Toronto.
This is what Rowe said about her form and the team in general, according to the AFC Toronto website:
AFC Toronto’s Defence Was Solid
AFC Toronto’s defence was solid for most of the game today. Ottawa Rapid FC were limited in their scoring chances, and a big reason for that was the AFC Toronto backline of Sarah Rollins, Ashley Cathro, and Jordan Brewster.
Some examples include:
- Jordan Brewster made some good defensive plays early in the game.
- Sarah Rollins made possibly a clear-cut scoring chance as she prevented Delaney Baie Pridham from getting past the AFC Toronto defence. She also made an important tackle to end Ottawa’s counterattack.
- Ashley Cathro made a good defensive play late in the first half, as well as in the 78th minute. This was a big play as she intercepted the pass into the box that Keera Melenhorst was trying to give to Florence Belzile. Cathro also tried to score at least two times for AFC Toronto.
The most significant defensive play was by Colby Barnett, who cleared the ball after the goalkeeper, Sofia Manner, got a hand to it. It was a big reason why AFC Toronto got a result in this game.
AFC Toronto Were Not Clinical Enough with their Scoring Opportunities
AFC Toronto had a few chances to score and could have led the game by a few goals, but could not convert. Some of these examples include:
- Nikayla Small delivered a great pass to Kaylee Hunter, but her shot went straight to the Ottawa Rapid FC goalkeeper, Melissa Dagenais.
- Lauren Rowe delivered a great pass to Linda Owusu Ansah, but her shot was off target.
- Later in the game, Nikayla Small passed the ball to Kaila Novak, who was able to find Linda Owusu Ansah, but her shot was off target.
- Rollins passed the ball to Small with a flick pass to Rowe. She was all alone but could not convert in the 74th minute of play.
Linda is only 19 years old, just getting used to playing in the Northern Super League (NSL), so one will cut her some slack on the lack of finishing. It also showed that she was able to get into positions to score.
However, this is not just the case with Linda but with other players on the team as well, as they just cannot convert in the final third, although part of that is how well Rapid FC goalkeeper Dagenais played on Sunday.
READ MORE: Roses FC Earns Draw Late Against AFC at York Lions Stadium
Other Factors: Melissa Dagenais Steps Up
Dagenais made save after save against AFC Toronto. She was the reason why Ottawa got the hard-earned point at home. Some of her saves included:
- Being brave and standing tall when Hunter and Rowe had clear-cut chances to score.
- Making at least six saves to keep her team in the game.
Her performance was exceptional and was a big reason why she consistently gets called up for the CANWNT. This is what Small said about her, according to the AFC Toronto website:
She is not the only talking point for the Rapid. Defender Jyllissa Harris played well, and Delaney Baie Pridham (DB Pridham) continued to impress as she now leads the Golden Boot Race in the NSL with six goals scored as of right now.
As for AFC Toronto, Chisholm is really playing well, assisting in Rowe’s game-tying goal, and making plays for her teammates to try to score the game-winning goal.
AFC Toronto head coach, Marko Milanović, had very positive things to say about the team’s performance and how they responded to conceding an early goal:
There does seem to be confidence with the team, and Milanović thinks that things are now turning around for the club.
Additionally, it was nice to see CANWNT centre-back Vanessa Gilles at the game, as mentioned by the Ottawa Rapid FC X Account on June 21, 2026.
READ MORE: Four AFC Toronto Goal Scorers in Road Win At McMahon Stadium
Games Coming Up For Both Teams
Each team only has one game left this month. For AFC Toronto, they will travel west to Burnaby, British Columbia, to face the Vancouver Rise FC at Swangard Stadium. That game will be shown live on YouTube and CBC Gem on Sunday, June 28.
READ MORE: PWHL and NSL: A Bond Like No Other
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Rapid FC will travel north to Laval, Quebec, to face the Montreal Roses FC at the Stade Boréale on June 25 at 7:00 pm ET. That game will be shown live on TSN+ and RDS INFO in Canada. Fans can also watch the game worldwide, including Canada, on YouTube, as well as ESPN+ in the U.S.
Photo Credit: AFC Toronto on June 21, 2026.
