AFC Toronto defeated the Halifax Tides FC 2-0 on Sunday at Wanderers Grounds, earning its seventh road win of the season and maintaining third place in the Northern Super League (NSL) standings with 28 points.
Toronto opened the scoring in the 20th minute when captain Nikayla Small received a pass from Lena Silano before sending a long-range strike past the Halifax goalkeeper. The goal marked Small’s first of the season and Silano’s first NSL assist. Toronto doubled its lead in the 32nd minute when Kaylee Hunter converted a penalty for her eighth goal of the season, marking the 18-year old striker’s third from the penalty spot this season and moving her into a tie for third in the NSL’s Golden Boot race.
Halifax threatened to cut into Toronto’s lead before halftime, but goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo denied a free-kick attempt with a fingertip save in stoppage time. Toronto’s defence held Halifax scoreless through the second half, giving D’Angelo her fourth clean sheet in six starts since signing with the club.
“It’s hard to win in Halifax,” head coach Marko Milanović says. “Very organized team, great staff, hardworking players. The first goal bounced; it went our way, and I thought it made a big difference. We did well to score the second off of that throw-in play and were able to keep the clean sheet, which is very important for us as well.”
The club now holds a 7-2-1 record away from home, the best road record in the NSL. Toronto also remains tied with Montréal Roses FC for the fewest goals conceded in the league, allowing 17 goals through 17 games. The club’s +11 goal differential ranks second in the league.
The result also gives Toronto a 2-1-0 record against Halifax this season. Toronto has yet to concede a goal against the Tides in their three meetings this season. Despite the team’s strong defensive record, Milanović credited Toronto’s depth amid several injuries throughout the season.
“We’re a very deep team,” Milanović says. “We take a lot of pride in being deep and developing our full roster. And I’m honestly comfortable playing anyone at any time.”
Silano also credited the team’s training environment for preparing players to step into the lineup when needed. “Our training is really hard and intense; I don’t think anyone slacks off,” Silano says. “So I know anyone that comes in, they’re going to be ready.”
