Final Report
Ladies Soccer
21 April, 2025
Tanya Boychuk with the first goal in front of the sold out crowd at BMO Field⚽️🔥
On Saturday, Montreal Roses FC made history as Tanya Boychuk scored the club’s first-ever goal on the road against AFC Toronto with over 14,000 fans at BMO Field.
Tanya Boychuk made history for the Montreal Roses FC, scoring the first-ever goal in the Roses’ history. As a result, Montreal was able to beat Toronto by a score of 1-0.
Tanya Boychuk Makes History at BMO
Tanya Boychuk Scores First-Ever Montreal Roses Goal
At certain points of the game, AFC Toronto’s passing did not look sharp. The player who took advantage of this the most was Tanya Boychuk. There were two instances where Boychuk’s awareness almost led to a goal, and one that made history.
Nyota Katembo made an error as Tanya Boychuk was the first to get to Katembo’s pass. Boychuk then scored the first-ever goal for the club.
In another instance, Boychuk stole the ball, but some desperate defending from Toronto prevented Montreal from scoring a second goal.
When asked about scoring the first-ever goal in Montreal Roses FC history, this is what Boychuk said in excitement after scoring her club’s first-ever goal:
“Well, I was like, I got to get on the end of that. But yeah, it didn’t feel real when I finished that, that was like, it didn’t even process to me that I scored. I was like, did I just do that? And then I started running and I started running away from my teammates. Like, I don’t even know where I’m going, but it was awesome. It was a great opportunity and I’m happy that I finished it.”
These types of stories will keep coming in the league’s inaugural season as new clubs and players create history for their clubs in the NSL/SLN.
Montreal Roses FC Goalkeeper Anna Karpenko Stepped Up
Anna Karpenko really played well. It was not necessarily the fact that she made six saves. It was more about her being in the right position at the right time. Some examples of this include:
Karpenko is getting into the right position to stop Esther Okoronkwo, who got past the Montreal Roses FC defence thanks to a through pass by Nikayla Small.
Karpenko got to the ball where Victoria Pickett had a great chance. Karpenko eliminated Pickett’s angle to shoot, with the shot ending up in Karpenko’s hands.
The saves on TV might look easy to stop. However, they were only seen as easy as Karpenko was always alert and eliminated a lot of AFC Toronto’s angles to shoot the ball.
This is what Roses FC co-captain, Mégane Sauvé, said about Karpenko’s performance:
“I mean, I think Anna’s somebody who’s consistent, like in training and in games, like she’s somebody who’s always going to have the same work ethic. So, I think that show was in big moments, she’s there and she saved us in the game. That was amazing. Like literally saving us in the game. So, I think it’s just a testimony to her work during the preseason. Like she’s always 100%. So, I think that show today.”
Karpenko really played well, and while other players like Boychuk and Latifah Abdu had big games, Karpenko was the best player in the game.
AFC Toronto’s Final Touch Was Missing
AFC Toronto did really well in creating scoring opportunities. Both Shaina Ashouri and Esther Okoronkwo played really well, creating space and troubling Montreal’s midfielders and defenders. There were also moments when Toronto got behind Montreal’s backline. Also, Colby Barnett and Kaylee Hunter came off the bench and had excellent games.
However, the final touch was missing. They had many opportunities to tie the game, but were unable to do it. Some examples include:
Ashouri had a clear header, as she was unmarked, but she headed the ball off-target.
Ashouri had a header late in the game, but was unable to make good contact with the ball.
There was also one instance where Ashouri was able to get the ball into the box. The ball went to an AFC Toronto player. She had the option to pass it to a few players inside the box, but instead shot the ball wide.
Game Overview: What This Moment Means for AFC Toronto
Even with no goal or win, AFC Toronto still made history by being part of such a historical occasion. This is the first-ever top-tier pro women’s soccer team in Toronto. It is also the first major women’s soccer team to play in Toronto since the Toronto Lady Lynx played their last season in 2015.
The lower bowl seats were sold out at BMO Field, and they were able to sell over 14,000 tickets at BMO Field. It is safe to say that pro women’s soccer has arrived in Toronto. This is what Emma Regan said about the occasion when answering a question from the media:
“Yeah. I think before the game we took a second and just said, wow, this is a very cool moment for, you know, women’s soccer in Canada.”
It is important to note that BMO Field is seen as the national home of the CANMNT and has hosted many big CANWNT games.
And although the result didn’t go our way, I think it’s just a first step in a very long season that is quite historic. So, I think we’re just going to use this as motivation and, you know, we’ll bounce back next week.
This is also what the AFC Toronto head coach, Marko Milanovic, said about the support of the club by the Toronto Sceptres. The question was asked by the author of this article:
“It’s a great relationship with all the clubs. All the clubs in the city were great. We felt supported by all of them. We went to two games that we went to, but yeah, it’s been one community, it’s been phenomenal. We support them, they support us, and it’s a united city for sure.”
Other teams, such as Toronto FC and the Toronto Tempo, also supported AFC Toronto. There was also one Toronto Raptors game that advertised the historical game between both AFC Toronto and the Montreal Roses FC.
Games Coming Up for Both Teams.
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