Vancouver Rise FC Battle Hard in 3-2 Loss to AFC Toronto in Front of Sold-Out Crowd
NSL Vancouver Rise FC

Vancouver Rise FC Battle Hard in 3-2 Loss to AFC Toronto in Front of Sold-Out Crowd

Published on April 24, 2026 under Northern Super League (NSL)
Vancouver Rise FC News Release


BURNABY, BC - It was a raucous evening on Friday as Vancouver Rise FC hosted AFC Toronto in front of a sold out Swangard Stadium, falling to a 3-2 loss.

Rise FC had their first sold out game at Swangard Stadium tonight with 4,723.

Camila Reyes, Sura Yekka and Maithé Lopéz made their Rise FC debuts, with the former two starting the match and the latter coming in as a sub.

Lacey Kindel, 16, made her first appearance for Rise FC after signing a youth permit, coming on as a sub to make her the youngest player to feature in an NSL match.

Reyes scored her first goal for Rise FC in the 18th minute, becoming the third Rise FC player to score on her debut (Quinn penalty vs Calgary Wild - April 16th, 2025; Latifah Abdu brace vs Calgary Wild - September 6th, 2025)

Latifah Abdu scored her first goal of the season and her sixth for Rise FC overall.

The match began with AFC Toronto testing Rise FC early on. Morgan McAslan made a great reaction save inside the first five minutes after an Esther Okoronkwo shot got deflected into her path. Toronto then opened the scoring in the eighth minute, after Sarah Stratigakis found Zoe Burns at the back post to sweep it in.

Despite going behind early, Rise FC did not falter and kept fighting, earning themselves an equalizer 10 minutes later. Jessika Cowart lofted a ball into the box, for Anna Bout to fight for. The ball then bounced off a Toronto defender and fell perfectly for Camila Reyes to fire off the crossbar and past the goal line for her first goal for Rise FC.

Both teams kept battling after that equalizer, with Rise FC taking more control of the ball while Toronto looked waiting to attack off the counter. Toronto nearly got the lead back after Stratigakis was played in behind for a one-on-one, but McAslan made a huge save to deny the midfielder. Latifah Abdu then got a chance at the half-hour mark for Rise FC to score a second after the ball fell kindly to her on the edge of the box, but her shot went over the bar. McAslan was at it again minutes later to stop a tap-in at the back post from Nikayla Small.

Rise FC then took the lead right before halftime through an incredible solo run from Abdu. The striker won the ball back high up and drove towards goal. Inside the box, she pushed her marker off and blasted a shot with her left foot, proving to have too much power for Toronto 'keeper Sierra Cota-Yarde as she could only palm it in.

With the lead now in hand, Rise FC stayed strong as Toronto looked for an equalizer, and did so all the way until the halftime whistle.

The second half saw Toronto coming in hot, putting Rise FC back under pressure in the opening moments. After weathering the early storm, Rise FC got control back of the ball and began working their way into Toronto's half. Toronto then had a free kick opportunity in the 61st minute, in which Esther Okoronkwo crossed the ball for Stratigakis to equalize and make it 2-2. Rise FC almost got the lead back in the 69th minute after Abdu drove into the box down the right-hand side. She cut it back for Jessica De Filippo at the edge of the six-yard box, but her shot was blocked near the line and rebounded off the forward and out of bounds.

Toronto then got their third of the match in the 72nd minute, after a deflected shot fell for Okoronkwo in the box and she swept it in.

Yuka Okamoto came close to equalizing again in the 78th minute, as the ball fell for her right on the edge of the box and the fullback's half-volleyed effort smashed off the post and out.

Anna Bout found some space minutes later after a clever ball in behind from Maithé Lopéz, but a Toronto defender blocked her shot before it could reach its target. Lopéz was at the heart of it again right at the death, running down the left side and cutting it back for an onrushing Nikki Stanton, but Toronto managed to make a last gasp tackle to deny the goal.

As the clock ticked on, Rise FC kept pushing to find that equalizer until the very end but were unable to turn it around as Toronto came away as 3-2 winners.

Rise FC are back in action on Saturday, May 2 as they travel to Montreal to face Montreal Roses FC at 4 p.m. PT. They then travel to Ottawa and Halifax before coming back home to Swangard to face AFC Toronto once again on Saturday, May 23. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. PT. For tickets, visit vanrisefc.com/single-match-tickets.

MATCH DETAILS

Attendance: 4,723

Referee: Carly Shaw-Maclaren

Scoring Summary

8' - TOR - Zoe Burns (Sarah Stratigakis)

18' - VAN - Camila Reyes

42' - VAN - Latifah Abdu

61' - TOR - Sarah Stratigakis (Esther Okoronkwo)

72' - TOR - Esther Okoronkwo

Statistics

Possession: VAN 48% - TOR 52%

Shots: VAN 9 - TOR 16

Shots on Goal: VAN 3 - TOR 7

Saves: VAN 4 - TOR 1

Fouls: VAN 18 - TOR 7

Offsides: VAN 1 - TOR 3

Corners: VAN 2 - TOR 7

Cautions

45'+1 - VAN - Camila Reyes

64' - VAN - Nikki Stanton

65' - TOR - Sarah Stratigakis

79' - VAN - Jaylyn Wright

Vancouver Rise FC

13.Morgan McAslan; 12.Jaylyn Wright, 3.Jessika Cowart, 4. Sura Yekka, 18.Yuka Okamoto; 5.Quinn©Ã¯Â¸Â, 10.Camila Reyes (23.Maithé Lopéz HT), 11.Jessica De Filippo (39.Lacey Kindel 86'); 9.Mariah Lee (7.Nikki Stanton 58'), 99.Latifah Abdu, 14.Anna Bout

Substitutes not used

1.Kirstin Tynan, 31.Jessica Wulf, 24.Josie Longhurst, 26.Anais Oularbi, 28.Jaime Perrault, 38.Chloe Taylor

AFC Toronto

13.Sierra Cota-Yarde; 94.Victoria Pickett, 14.Sarah Rollins, 19.Ashley Cathro; 12.Zoe Burns (17.Nyota Katembo 84'), 10.Sarah Stratigakis, 4.Nikayla Small, 16.Olivia Chisholm (77.Lauren Rowe 61'), 31.Colby Barnett (2.April Montaigne 90'); 11.Kaylee Hunter, 9.Esther Okoronkwo (7.Kaila Novak 84')

Substitutes not used

1.Sofia Manner, 33.Danielle Krzyzaniak, 5.Croix Soto, 21.Mia Fontana, 22.Cloey Uddenberg

QUOTE SHEET

VANCOUVER RISE FC vs. AFC TORONTO APRIL 24, 2026, AT SWANGARD STADIUM

VANCOUVER RISE FC HEAD COACH ANJA HEINER-MØLLER

On tonight's performance:

"First of all, I'm really proud of the team sticking together. Getting behind early - I know we addressed that last year - but we faced that, and the team came back really, really good. I think we see a team that is trying their best to stick together and figure out the solutions. We p roduced chances throughout the game, of course we were also struggling, but for me that's a team that pretty early in the season still shows that strength, and I'm really happy about that."

On the rhythm of the game:

"We had fewer periods than normal where we were on the ball, where we could keep the ball with possession. We want to do that better next game. I think the switches through the middle, where we go from one side to the opposite side, that's where we produce the chances. I know that we've seen the team in preseason that can do that."

DEFENDER SURA YEKKA

On her debut and what stood out coming back to Canada:

"The energy of the stadium and the intensity of the match. I thought it was really high intensity and I love that, and I'm excited for the rest of the season. The atmosphere was amazing. I'm so happy to be playing in front of these amazing fans, and I'm excited to see the other stadiums across Canada."

On trying to get back into the Canadian national team:

"I'm the kind of person that believes that if something's meant to be, it will happen. I try not to psyche myself out about those things, I just try to play the best that I can and do the best for my team, and whatever opportunities that may come, will come. At the end of the day, I try to focus on the here and now."

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Northern Super League Stories from April 24, 2026


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