The Montréal Roses had to settle for a 2-2 draw with AFC Toronto on Thursday night at Stade Boréale, after leading by two goals with 11 minutes to play. Hailey Whitaker and Amandine Pierre-Louis scored for Montreal, the latter registering her first goal with the Roses. The result moves Montreal to 11-4-5, good for 38 points and first place in the Northern Super League. Next up: Saturday, September 19, in Vancouver.

Hailey Whitaker opened the scoring in the 18th minute off a corner kick. It was her second goal of the season.

For a long stretch the match looked to be heading Montreal’s way. On as a substitute in the 71st minute, Amandine Pierre-Louis doubled the lead eight minutes later, her first goal since arriving in Montreal in July.

Everything turned in the space of nine minutes. Lauren Rowe pulled one back in the 82nd, and Nikayla Small levelled in the 88th, in a finish where Toronto pushed relentlessly.

MATCH STATISTICS

• Possession: Toronto 58% – Montreal 42%
• Shots: 9 for Toronto (2 on target) – 12 for Montreal (3 on target)
• Completed passes: 460 for Toronto – 342 for Montreal
• Corners: 3 for Toronto – 4 for Montreal
• Yellow cards: 2 for Toronto – 1 for Montreal

Venue: Stade Boréale

Referee: Sebastian Noshinravani

Assistant Referees: André Pickler, Stéphanie Fortin

"Leading 2-0 and finishing 2-2 leaves a bitter taste. But with a little perspective, we led by two goals against a very good Toronto team, and I’m extremely pleased with the way the players carried out the game plan, both offensively and defensively. We dominated much of the match, and that says a lot about our ambitions and about what this group can become in the coming weeks. These are also valuable experiences, the kind that will serve us in the playoffs." — Maryse Bard-Martel, Montréal Roses Interim Head Coach

The Roses return to action on Saturday, September 19, in Vancouver. Tickets for home matches are on sale now from $28 at en.rosesmtl.ca/tickets.