Marie-Yasmine Alidou secured the decisive goal from a penalty kick in the 55th minute, leading the Montreal Roses to a 2-0 victory over AFC Toronto in Northern Super League play on Sunday. Elyse Bennett contributed her ninth goal of the season to provide additional comfort for the Roses, who hold the second position with a 9-4-3 record. The team was under the guidance of interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel for their inaugural match under her leadership.

Despite an apparent equalizer by Shelina Zadorsky for Toronto in the 68th minute, the goal was disallowed due to an offside ruling. Montreal Roses’ goalkeeper Anna Karpenko showcased a stellar performance, facing 20 shots, nine of which were on target, to secure a clean sheet.

In contrast, Toronto’s goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo confronted seven shots, with five on target. This match marked the Roses’ first appearance following the dismissal of head coach Robert Rositoiu after a surprising 1-0 defeat to semi-professional team Simcoe County in the W Canadian Championship.