We Speak Soccer

Toronto Leave Ottawa With Nothing: Hunter’s Brace Seals a 4-0 Rout and a Second Straight NSL Final

Published

2 minutes ago

November 10, 2026

AFC Toronto score against Ottawa Rapid FC at TD Place.

Toronto put the tie beyond Ottawa at TD Place, the ball loose after beating goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais. Photo by Neil Patel.

AFC Toronto carried a two goal lead into TD Place on Saturday, and for about six minutes Ottawa Rapid FC could still dream. Then Kaylee Hunter scored, scored again, and by half time the Northern Super League semifinal was settled. Toronto won the second leg 4-0, the tie 8-2 on aggregate, and a place in a second straight NSL Final. Our correspondent Neil Patel was pitchside in Ottawa, and his photographs tell the night as it happened.

A Tie Put Away Before Half Time

*The ball crosses the line at TD Place as Ottawa goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais is beaten again. Photo by Neil Patel.*

The opener came early, and it came from Ottawa pressure on their own goalkeeper. Lena Silano chased down Melissa Dagenais, the ball broke to Hunter, and she buried her third goal of the postseason with six minutes gone. The second arrived on 29 minutes, midfielder Zoe Hasenauer chipping a pass into the box that Hunter charged in to finish, her fourth of the postseason and Hasenauer’s first career NSL assist.

Ottawa needed a miracle by then, and instead they got a third. Nearing half time, Lauren Rowe chased a ball down the wing and flung it in front of the net, where Silano put the finish for her second goal of the postseason. Toronto led 3-0 on the night and 7-2 on aggregate, and the home crowd had gone quiet.

Small Finishes It, and the Door Slams Shut

*Captain Nikki Small takes in her goal, Toronto’s fourth, at TD Place. Photo by Neil Patel.*

Seven minutes after the restart, the captain closed the scoring. Rowe crossed again and Nikki Small buried it, her first goal of this postseason and her second career NSL playoff goal, with Rowe collecting her second assist of the night. From there Toronto managed the game the way experienced playoff teams do. Sabrina D’Angelo made three saves to secure her first NSL playoff clean sheet, and Sierra Cota-Yarde entered in the 60th minute for her first minutes since July 18.

What They Said

*Toronto gather after the second goal, the tie all but settled before half time. Photo by Neil Patel.*

Head coach Marko Milanović: “We’re obviously really happy with the result and the performance. I thought the girls again delivered in a big game. It’s something that we’ve done over the last few years. Anytime there was a big occasion, these girls show up and play the way they did today. So really happy for them and obviously the job is not done for us. We have one more.”

Kaylee Hunter, on the team’s offensive success: “It’s amazing. I think we’ve been ruthless in our attack. We’ve shown that these past two games. Putting eight goals on the scoresheet in two legs isn’t easy. I think our attack just speaks for itself. We’re on a high right now. We just hope to carry that into next weekend.”

Captain Nikki Small: “I think as you’ve seen throughout the season, if we start on the front foot, we’re obviously winning the game. And I think last game, the first leg, we started off on the front foot and it went well for us. So we had that mindset going into this game of just scoring a goal early, putting the tie away. But obviously we weren’t satisfied with one goal, so we got multiple.”

Milanović, on the clean sheet: “I don’t think people realize how hard it is to defend against this Ottawa team, because they’re such a good attacking team. They’ve been that for the last two years under Katrine (Pedersen). You really have to be focused the entire 90 minutes not to allow too many chances.”

The Numbers

*Sierra Cota-Yarde claims a high ball late on with the scoreboard reading 0-4. Photo by Neil Patel.*

Scoring summary: AFC Toronto, K. Hunter (6′, 29′), L. Silano (44′), Small (52′). Toronto finished with 17 shots, 6 on goal, 6 corner kicks and 4 saves as a team. Yellow cards went to Shelina Zadorsky of Toronto on 61 minutes and Keera Melenhorst of Ottawa on 73. The referee was Alain Ruch, assisted by Marko Kalic and Allycia Carlucci, with Salma Flores-Desrochers as fourth official.

Toronto starting lineup: Sabrina D’Angelo; Colby Barnett, Sarah Rollins, Shelina Zadorsky; Olivia Chisholm, Zoe Hasenauer, April Lantaigne, Lauren Rowe, Nikayla Small; Kaylee Hunter, Lena Silano.

What Comes Next

AFC Toronto return to TD Place on Saturday, November 14 for the 2026 NSL Final against Montréal Roses FC, kicking off at 2 p.m. ET. The match is available on CBC and TSN, in French on RDS, and streaming in the United States on ESPN+. It is Toronto’s second straight appearance in the Final, and on this form, they will take some stopping.

Photo Gallery

All photos by Neil Patel.

Sheffield United Host West Ham Under The Lights At Bramall Lane

Published

1 day ago

November 9, 2026

We Speak Media

Sheffield United play at Bramall Lane. Photo via Sheffield United.

Sheffield United welcome West Ham United to Bramall Lane on Friday, December 4, 2026, for a Championship meeting under the lights in Sheffield.

Bramall Lane, the oldest major league ground in the world still hosting football, gives a Friday night game an atmosphere all of its own, and the Blades’ home crowd is one of the most demanding in the country. West Ham arrive in South Yorkshire as one of the division’s glamour visitors, and Championship nights like this one rarely lack for edge.

With the season’s shape beginning to settle, three points in December carry weight at both ends of the table, and both clubs know it.

We Speak Media will be watching the Sheffield match closely, and we will bring readers the full story from the game.