Super Falcons forward Esther Okoronkwo wrote her name among the stars after her hat-trick powered AFC Toronto in the maiden final of the Northern Super League (NSL).
Her three goals gave AFC Toronto a 4-1 win over Montreal Roses, ensuring her side got to the final 6-1 on aggregate.
AFC Toronto came with a 2-0 lead from the first leg of the encounter at the Stade Boreale in Montreal on November 1.
Nikayla Small and Kaylee Hunter were on the scoresheet in that match for the regular-season winners.
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The crown fits. Esther Okoronkwo with a first-half hat trick. pic.twitter.com/Mc3RPOyCqz
In the second leg on Monday, however, it was Okoronkwo who stole the headlines beginning from the seventh minute. The Super Falcon latched onto Hunter’s ball to score her first goal of the day.
The forward scored her second of the day, thirteen minutes later, from a free kick to give AFC Toronto a two-goal cushion.
Three minutes to the half-hour mark, the Nigerian drove past four defenders before beating the goalkeeper to score her hat-trick in a snow-covered semifinal at York Lions Stadium.
Tanya Boychuk scored the only goal for the Roses with 15 minutes left on the clock.
Though the game was as good as gone, Lauren Rowe fired in a volley into the top corner to hand AFC Toronto a 4-1 win, giving them passage into the NSL final.
The 28-year-old Nigerian, who is one of the favourites to win the CAF Women’s Player of the Year, scored eight goals and eight assists in the regular season.
Monday’s match was moved from Sunday owing to inclement weather and heavy snowfall in Toronto.
Okoronkwo’s team will square off with Vancouver Rise in the NSF final at the BMO Field on Saturday.
Source: Channels TV
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