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AFC Toronto's Nikayla Small challenges Ottawa Rapid's Ellen Gibson for the ball. (Photo Credit: Ottawa Rapid FC)
Ottawa Rapid Claims Victory In Inaugural Season Opener
By On a day that the homeside was branding as the start of a new ‘legacy’, it had finally come turn for the nation’s capital to see the Northern Super League kick off as the Ottawa Rapid hosted AFC Toronto at TD Place.
A strong northernly wind along with clear blue skies accented the joyous occasion as 6,980 fans – mostly adorned in the baby blue of the hosting Falcons – descended into the stands. They brought with them the excitement, atmosphere, and energy that we have seen already at BC Place, BMO Field, and the Wanderers Grounds over the course of the three opening matches of the 2025 NSL season.
Despite the relatively smaller crowd when compared to the two opening NSL matches, it was clear that this is a team that is loved by their city, and that was touched on by Rapid keeper Mollie Eriksson post-game.
“All week, a few of us were saying that we were quite nervous because this was our professional debut,” said the Swedish-born, Ottawa-raised keeper. “It was electric though… I knew Ottawa was going to show up!”
Come the opening whistle however, and the match was not going the way of the cheering fans and the hosts. Having had the opportunity to ‘break-in’ the new team when AFC Toronto lost to the Montreal Roses one-nil last week, Marko Milanovic’s side were much more confident than their fledgling opponents and this was demonstrated early.
See Also: AFC Toronto’s Kickoff Beyond ‘Wildest Dreams’ Of Head Coach Milanovic
Out of the gates, the vermillion visitors dominated possession and attacking-third statistics for the first 30 minutes of the match. Although only a few chances truly tested keeper Eriksson, Toronto denied most of Ottawa’s clearance chances. This pressure reached a fever pitch courtesy of a close-up chance by AFC Toronto forward Shaina Ashouri, forcing her opposing keeper to make a sprawling save to tip it over the bar.
Toronto’s offence did not relent all match as Ashouri’s stellar chance was later complimented by strong performances by Nikayla Small, Cloey Uddenberg, and Esther Okoronkwo who all, in their own right, challenged the Ottawa backline, nearly causing an early capitulation by the hosts.
Despite the onslaught, the first half brought with it no break to the deadlock. Ottawa would start to find their footing come the 40′ mark, and would carry the momentum in to the second 45-minute period, as a different team emerged from the dressing room than the one that had started the match. This renewed fire within the Falcons culminated in what can only be described as a Sportscentre Top 10-worthy goal for the hosts.
Off of a through ball by midfielder Ellen Gibson, South Korean national Lee Min-a (Mina Lee/Min-a Lee) was sent sprinting down the centre of the pitch. Although flanked by teammates Pridham and Forbes, Lee carried the ball skillfully from the centre dot to the penalty spot, dancing around five Toronto defenders and notching the Ottawa Rapid’s first-ever goal in the bottom-left corner past keeper Sofia Manner.
Six minutes later and Toronto would begin their push once more as the side sought to level the match back up at one. Chance after chance were attempted by the visitors, only for them to be denied, intercepted, or caught by Mollie Eriksson who had preformed spectacularly.
Toronto would eventually find mesh in the 62′ in what was thought to be the equalizer, as a series of quick passes at the top of Ottawa’s 18-yard box would come to the head of Okoronkwo. A beautiful header by the 28-year-old would make its way past Eriksson, only for the Assistant Referee to flag it down as an offside violation, keeping Ottawa in the lead.
The final ten minutes presented the roaring crowd with another two goals, one for either side as both Desiree Scott and Kaylee Hunter capitalized for their respective teams in the 81′ and 90+3′. Although the latter of these two conversions was futile in terms of changing the outcome of the game, both were historic firsts. For Scott, her 81′ tap-in represented her first ever goal in her 19-year long career, while the two-time League1 Canada Interprovincial Champion Hunter netted her club’s first-ever goal.
Both Scott and Hunter spoke about their individual moments of finesse during post-match press conference. Although deflated, the Toronto forward described it as the realization of “a dream I’ve had since I was a kid,” adding that her side is going to “keep working at it to make sure there’s more to come.”
Oppositely, having just announced her retirement from the international game, Hunter’s Ottawa counterpart in Scott focused on what her first-ever goal meant in the context of the NSL at large. “It wasn’t the top-of-the-18 banger of my dreams… but this is a historic, special day and I’m so proud of the team,” said the midfielder. “It wasn’t an easy match but to have some impact and see the start of women’s pro soccer here… I’m just proud to be a part of it.”
Looking at the next set of matches for the two sides, both gaffers spoke to the strengths of their rosters and those of their opponents when questioned by the media if they would be making any tactical changes.
For Toronto – who now sit at 0W-0D-2L – they make their York Lions Stadium debut against the Calgary Wild on Thursday. Coach Milanovic defended his girls’ performance citing that they are only two-games in, however he highlighted that “we had chances in both games, we just couldn’t finish.” Milanovic added that they needed to eliminate the opportunities from transitions as their play style – one that includes a high-sitting backline – requires them to be more solid than they have been.
In Ottawa’s case, Head Coach Katrine Pedersen was obviously much more elated seeing the scoreline, but remained cautiously optimistic for their upcoming meeting with the league-leading Roses. “We played them in a training match so we know a little bit about them and how they play. It’s gonna be a hard game,” said Pedersen. “They’ve got a strong team and we met strong team today so we’ll prepare for a good match on Saturday.”
The 2025 Northern Super League season continues this week as AFC Toronto hosts the Calgary Wild with the Albertan’s rounding-out their three-game road trip, while the Ottawa Rapid become the visitors at the Centre Sportif Bois-De-Boulogne, home of the Montréal Roses.
