The Diana B. Matheson Cup will be on the line Saturday afternoon in the nation’s capital as the Montreal Roses will take AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League championship game.
Montreal enters the second annual NSL final as the favourites after winning this year’s Supporters’ Shield with a first-place finish in the regular-season standings.
They went 12-9-4 over the 25-game season in 2026, finishing with 45 points, five point better than the second-place Ottawa Rapid.
The Roses received balanced scoring from their squad this year, led by American Elyse Bennett, who scored 12 goals, good enough for third in the league.
Lisa Pechersky and Tanya Boychuk also both finished in the top 10 of league scoring with seven and six goals, respectively.
Montreal defeated last year’s champion, the Vancouver Rise, 5-2 on aggregate in the two-legged semifinal to punch their ticket to Saturday’s championship final.
The Roses, who were hammered, 6-1 on aggregate, in the semi-final round by AFC Toronto in the inaugural 2025 NSL season, made the surprise decision to fire head coach Robert Rositoiu in August despite sitting second in the standings.
The move came a day after dropping a stunning 1-0 decision to Simcoe County, a semi-pro team in the Ontario Premier League, in the first-ever W Canadian Championship.
“Robert has left an indelible mark on this club by guiding us through our foundational first steps,” Sporting director Marinette Pichon said at the time. “He established a competitive culture and played a pivotal role in the development of many of our players. Relieving a coach of their duties is always an agonizing decision, and this choice was made with the utmost respect for Robert as both a person and a professional.
“However, we firmly believe a new spark is required to propel the club through the remainder of the season and take the next step in our growth as a franchise. On behalf of the entire organization, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Robert and wish him every success in his future endeavours.”
Assistant and goalkeeping coach Maryse Bard-Martel took over head coaching duties and has led the Roses to within a win of a NSL title.
On the other side of the pitch, AFC Toronto will be looking for redemption.
After dominating the regular season with 16 wins in 25 games last season, Toronto was upset by Vancouver, 2-1, on home at BMO Field in last year’s first-ever NSL final.
AFC Toronto finished third in the league standings in 2026 with a 10-9-6 record, also leading the NSL in shots on target (149) and total shots (327).
Toronto’s offence is propelled by 18-year-old Kaylee Hunter, who is leading the league with 15 goals in 24 contests.
The Calgary native, who scored 16 total goals in her rookie campaign last year as a 17-year-old, has four goals over Toronto’s two playoff games this fall, an 8-2 aggregate drubbing of the Ottawa Rapid.
Hunter opened the scoring for Toronto in last year’s NSL final before falling to Vancouver.