ANALYSIS – On Sunday, Calgary Wild FC earned their first-ever point against AFC Toronto. AFC had plenty of chances early on but couldn’t convert them.
The draw also extended both teams’ unbeaten runs. AFC’s unbeaten run has gone to three games, while the Wild extended it to six games.
Calgary Wild FC Earns an Important Draw in Toronto
AFC Toronto’s Sabrina D’Angelo Stepped Up Big
Sabrina D’Angelo was quiet for the first half, as she did not need to make any big saves. However, she was called upon to make some big saves for her team on Sunday. Some examples include:
- In the 69th minute, D’Angelo made a big stop on Jorian Baucom to keep the game tied.
- D’Angelo also had to be sharp on another occasion as Calgary had another big chance near the penalty box. However, both the defenders and the goalkeeper dealt with it well.
This is what Zadorsky said about it in the post-game press conference:
“Yeah, I think credit to Sab. That’s unbelievable to stay focused, especially second half late in games.”
READ MORE: AFC Toronto Wins for the Very First Time at BMO Field
D’Angelo also made some big saves in the last home game and has made a big impact on the club since signing a few months ago. She has been a very good signing for AFC Toronto.
AFC Toronto Did Not Capitalize on Their Scoring Chances
AFC Toronto had 11 shots, but only one shot on target in the first half. They ended up with 22 shots, but only five on target.
What might have been the case in the first half, at least, was that Calgary defended in a more compact way. They had numbers in the box, which forced AFC Toronto to take some tough shots.
- Lauren Rowe’s shot at the start of the game missed the target.
- Colby Barnett’s shot was off target in the 54th minute of play.
They also had scoring chances in the second half, with the best being Rowe’s clear shot on goal, but Katelin Talbert stopped it.
READ MORE: Lauren Rowe: AFC Toronto’s 2026 Leading Goalscorer
The Calgary Wild FC Defence Was Exceptional
The Wild FC defence was fantastic. They were sharp and alert to danger all the time. The two players that had a fantastic game were Grace Stordy and Frédérique St-Jean. Some of the plays they made included:
- St-Jean made some good defensive plays early on in the game.
- Grace Stordy made some great defensive plays, this included clearing the ball in the 90+1 minute of play.
When asked about Stordy, this is what Calgary Wild FC interim head coach Kory Babington said about it:
“Grace is a supremely motivated player. She’s, a very, very good athlete, and she’s a super competitor. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and she competes, she competes at a level which, which allows her to be successful every game. She doesn’t, hold back. She chases everything to the end. Her mentality is something all the other players in our Calgary team look up to.”
Also, Mikayla Moore made some great defensive plays as well, as Calgary was able to weather the storm, despite a lacklustre first half.
READ MORE: Nikayla Small: A Standout AFC Toronto Midfielder
Other Factors: Zoe Hasenauer Played Her First Game Since Coming Back
Zoe Hasenauer made her debut on Sunday against AFC Toronto. This is what AFC Toronto head coach, Marko Milanović, said this about her:
“You could tell she’s a footballer, first of all, and I thought she had some good actions going forward, some, some good final balls. She’s gonna need some time to get used to the team and to integrate fully, but what we saw today was encouraging.”
Hasenauer came in the second half, as AFC will hope she plays a big role in the team’s success moving forward. She along with Jasmine Vilgrain was officially signed by AFC Toronto on September 5.
This is while the Calgary Wild FC’s Meggie Dougherty Howard, made her return for the club since the injury she had earlier in the year. This is what Babington said about her:
“Maggie come back today, who I thought was outstanding in the second half, that brings a whole lot of experience and calmness to the group.”
Calgary is certainly playing better now with a six-game unbeaten run. However, it is unlikely they will make the playoffs. The Calgary Wild FC are 12 points behind the Vancouver Rise FC and 13 points behind the Halifax Tides FC with only six games left for every single team in the league. The Wild would need to get past both the Tides and the Rise to make the NSL playoffs.
Games Coming Up and Wrapping Up the Atmosphere at BMO Field
When Shelina Zadorsky was asked about playing at BMO Field twice in a row with the celebrations of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), this is what she said:
“Yeah, I mean, we loved it. I think obviously the last game, getting that big result and just the crowd, everyone was loud, enjoying themselves, and you could feel that energy. So obviously we wanna keep creating that. And today, you know, all the support, even though we didn’t get the win, I think we really appreciate all that support. And yeah, to be in Toronto and continually growing our fan base here is really cool to be a part of.”
The CNE ended on September 7, so the festivities that AFC Toronto experienced with these two games will not happen again for the rest of the year.
READ MORE: AFC Toronto Captain Nikayla Small Scores in a 2-0 Win in Halifax
AFC Toronto is one point behind the Ottawa Rapid FC and five points behind the Montreal Roses FC. An important game against the Roses takes place at 7:00 pm ET at the Stade Boréale. That game will be shown in Canada on TSN Premium and RDS Info. This is while the game will be shown live in the U.S. on ESPN+ and shown globally on YouTube.
Their final road game of the regular season will be against the Halifax Tides FC at the Wanderers Grounds. That game will be televised nationally on CBC at 2:00 pm ET (3:00 pm AT).
This is while the Wild host the Tides at McMahon Stadium on September 12 at 12 pm MDT (3:00 pm AT and 2:00 pm ET). Then, the Wild travel to the nation’s capital at TD Place Stadium to face the Ottawa Rapid FC (7:00 pm ET and 8:00 pm AT).
AFC Toronto Post-Match Press Conference (Source: AFC Toronto YouTube Account on September 8, 2026): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIyCow7zGaE
Photo Credit: AFC Toronto X Account on September 6, 2026.
