Colby Barnett's early goal lifts AFC Toronto past Halifax Tides 1-0 in NSL
HALIFAX – Colby Barnett's sixth-minute goal held up as the winner for AFC Toronto in a 1-0 win over Halifax Tides FC on Saturday in the Northern Super League.
An unmarked Barnett calmly slotted a volley past Tides 'keeper Erin McLeod after a high cross from Nikayla Small to give Toronto (2-2-1) the early lead at Wanderers Grounds.
Toronto is now tied with second-place Ottawa Rapid FC and Vancouver Rise FC with seven points. Ottawa has played one less game.
Halifax (0-3-1) is last in the NSL standings and still seeking its first victory of the league's inaugural campaign.
Toronto held 51 per cent of possession with a 10-7 edge in shot attempts, including 4-2 on target.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
Next up, Halifax visits Vancouver on Wednesday, while Toronto travels to Montreal for a match against league-leading Roses FC on Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
34 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Seattle reunites Bilka with Knight in PWHL expansion draft; Vancouver opens by adding Ottawa D Bell
Forward Hannah Bilka was reunited in Seattle with former Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight in the PWHL's expansion draft Monday night. Seattle and fellow league newcomer Vancouver took distinct approaches in continuing to build their respective identities during the seven-round draft. Seattle general manager Meghan Turner split her picks in selecting three forwards and four defensemen. Meanwhile, Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey chose five forwards and two defensemen, starting with the opening selection of Ottawa blueliner Ashton Bell. The expansion draft followed the PWHL's five-day exclusive signing period in which both teams signed their allowed maximum of five players. The order of selection was determined by a ball drawing, with Vancouver winning and Gardner Morey choosing to select Bell first. Seattle then had the next two picks in choosing Ottawa defenseman Aneta Tejralova and then Bilka. Each team then followed with two selections apiece, with Seattle getting the 14th and final pick. Seattle focused on adding offensive forwards to join the already signed trio of Knight, Alex Carpenter and Danielle Serdachny. Aside from Bilka, Boston's first pick in the 2024 draft, Seattle drafted New York forward Jessie Eldridge, who finished tied for fifth in the league with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) last season, and Toronto forward Julia Gosling, the Sceptres first-round pick in last year's draft. On defense, Seattle also chose Toronto's Megan Carter, Boston's Emily Brown and Montreal's Anna Wilgren, who is reunited with Victoire blueliner Cayla Barnes, who was signed last week. Brown's selection was notable from a Seattle perspective. Brown captured the attention of former WNBA Seattle Storm star Sue Bird, who was in attendance during Boston's neutral-site game against Montreal at Seattle in January. Bird took a picture of Brown in the penalty box with the caption, 'Bad Girl.' Fleet players eventually had the picture printed on T-shirts. In Vancouver, Bell and Boston's Sydney Bard join a blueline group that already includes the Minnesota offensive-minded tandem of Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques. After selecting Bell, Vancouver went on a run of selecting five forwards, including Toronto's Izzy Daniel, who closed her senior season at Cornell in being selected the 2024 Patty Kazmaier award winner as women's hockey MVP. Daniel joins former Toronto teammate Sarah Nurse, who signed with Vancouver last week. Vancouver also selected the Minnesota forward tandem of Brooke McQuigge and Denisa Krizova, Montreal forward Abby Boreen and New York forward Gabby Rosenthal. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Both expansion franchises are working under the same salary-cap restrictions as the league's other six teams, though the PWHL does not reveal player salaries. And both enjoy an advantageous head start with the league limiting existing teams to initially protecting only three players, before allowed to add a fourth player to the list after a team loses two from its roster. Each of the existing teams lost four players apiece, with the rules favoring the expansion teams by allowing them to be competitive from the start of the PWHL's third season, expected to open in November. With each having 12-player rosters, the expansion teams now join the rest of the league in taking part in the PWHL draft on June 24 in Ottawa. ___ AP women's hockey:
Winnipeg Free Press
34 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bryan Reynolds' bases-loaded triple leads Pirates to season-high 4th straight win, 10-3 over Marlins
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Reynolds hit a bases-loaded triple to cap a four-run third inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the skidding Miami Marlins 10-3 on Monday night for their season-high fourth straight win. Reynolds put the Pirates ahead 4-1 with a line drive to the gap in right-center field off Eury Perez (0-1), who was making his first major league start since Sept. 20, 2023, after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Reynolds' hit came after Andrew McCutchen had an RBI infield single. All nine Pirates had hits, and McCutchen and Adam Frazier paced a 15-hit attack with three apiece. Brett Sullivan had two RBIs in his Pirates debut after being called up Saturday from Triple-A Indianapolis. Perez lasted just three innings and gave up four runs and four hits. He had five strikeouts and two walks while throwing 70 pitches as the Marlins lost for the eighth time in their last nine games. Despite missing so much time, Perez is still the youngest pitcher in the major leagues at 22 years, 55 days. The Pirates broke the game open with a four-run sixth that included two throwing errors by the Marlins on Ke'Bryan Hayes' bunt single. That put Pittsburgh ahead 8-2. The Marlins' Otto Lopez hit a leadoff home run in the second inning, his sixth, to open the scoring. Miami lost for the eighth time in nine games. Pirates rookie starter Mike Burrows allowed two runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks. Caleb Ferguson (2-0) pitched two perfect innings. The start of the game was delayed 41 minutes because of the threat of inclement weather. Key moment Reynolds' triple gave the Pirates all the runs they would need. Key stat Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The Pirates are 20-8 against NL East teams at home since the start of last season. Up next Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (2-7, 7.89 ERA) faces Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (1-8, 4.13) on Tuesday night in the middle game of the series. ___ AP MLB:
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Jets partner with community groups aiming to see city soar
Vulnerable people passed out and sleeping on sidewalks, in front of businesses and on park benches. Visible signs of addiction and mental illness at seemingly every turn. Desperate panhandlers teetering on concrete dividers hoping motorists will toss them some change. These were the scenes obvious to anyone in downtown Winnipeg on Monday afternoon — ones that Winnipeg Jets co-owner and chairman Mark Chipman experienced first-hand as he made his way into a Main Street building for an event much bigger and more important than any hockey game. 'I just don't know how we can look away from it,' Chipman told the Free Press during a candid, wide-ranging one-on-one chat. 'It never ends. Just driving over today … you can't drive a block without being reminded of somebody that is really suffering.' Ruth Bonneville / Free Press True North and United Way Winnipeg funding event is attended by (from left) Sheryl Blacksmith, Executive Director, Okichidah Pimahtisiwin Kiskinawmatowin (OPK), Connie Walker, President & CEO, United Way Winnipeg, Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman, True North Sports + Entertainment and Winnipeg Jets defenceman, Dylan DeMelo with a cheque for money raised during Winnipeg Whiteout Street Party events, Monday. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press True North and United Way Winnipeg funding event is attended by (from left) Sheryl Blacksmith, Executive Director, Okichidah Pimahtisiwin Kiskinawmatowin (OPK), Connie Walker, President & CEO, United Way Winnipeg, Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman, True North Sports + Entertainment and Winnipeg Jets defenceman, Dylan DeMelo with a cheque for money raised during Winnipeg Whiteout Street Party events, Monday. Chipman noted the stark contrast of how the inner-city was bursting with energy and excitement during the seven Jets home playoff dates earlier this spring, with more than 15,000 fans cheering inside Canada Life Centre and thousands more at the outdoor street parties. But what happens once the buzzer sounds, the game ends and the crowds head home? 'I just find it patently unacceptable,' Chipman said of the challenges facing so many citizens. The painstaking, often frustrating work to address what he calls a 'complex, multi-generational set of issues' continues, with days like Monday providing hope that progress is slowly being made. Chipman stood front and centre inside Okichidah Pimahtisiwin Kiskinawmatowin (OPK), with Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo at his side, presenting a cheque for $234,890 to the United Way which represents 50 per cent of the proceeds from the playoff events held earlier this spring. 'It never ends. Just driving over today … you can't drive a block without being reminded of somebody that is really suffering.'–Mark Chipman The funds will be shared equally among four grassroots organizations working to combat issues of addiction, homelessness and mental illness. 'It's just incredible,' said Connie Walker, the interim president and CEO of United Way who recently returned to the organization she had previously been with between 2008-2023. 'I didn't realize just how big the cheque was.' It's the biggest single playoff contribution since True North and United Way began partnering together in 2019 — and it comes just in the nick of time. 'I've been taken aback by the level of need in our community,' said Walker. 'Every day, any time of day, I can look out my window and see people struggling. More people than I have ever seen before. It's not right. I find it heartbreaking.' Chipman said it was a similar glance outside from his office back in 2014 that led to a personal awakening. A dishevelled, disoriented man was clearly in some distress. He watched as first responders, paramedics and police showed up to deal with him. Chipman had viewed similar scenes countless times over the years. But this one, he says, stuck with him. He had seen enough. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'I got really curious about what was happening to this soul. Where is this soul going?' Chipman said. 'That just took me down a path that I'm still very much on and have spent a lot of time trying to understand and offer solutions to.' OPK, which works with marginalized, at-risk Indigenous young adults, are one of the four recipients of this year's funds. 'It's been a tsunami of need,' said OPK Executive Director Sheryl Blacksmith. 'Helping our young people to realize their dreams, to realize their potential, to forgive themselves. Failure is a great teacher. Thank you so much for this amazing gift and how much it's going to change lives.' Blacksmith drew plenty of laughs when, looking directly at DeMelo, she admitted to being 'a little star-struck…Dylan, I'm your No. 1 fan. I was more nervous about being in your presence than anything else. Just know that you are our heroes.' DeMelo, an Ontario product who now lives year-round in Winnipeg with his family, embraced her with a hug. The other recipients this year are N'Dinawemak – Our Relatives' Place (an Indigenous-led resource offering 24-7 space for individuals experiencing homelessness), the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (which provides 24-7 non-emergency support, outreach and intervention) and Kã Ni Kãnichihk – Velma's House (a shelter for adult women). Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman, True North Sports + Entertainment speaks at the funding announcement, Monday. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman, True North Sports + Entertainment speaks at the funding announcement, Monday. 'The gravity of the situation is very serious. Having said that, I think in many ways I've never been more hopeful,' said Chipman, noting ongoing initiatives at both the provincial and municipal level which he and many other partners are involved with. 'Because I'm sensing a real willingness of all those interested parties to work together. We're at an intersection here, and we're going to go one way or the other here. I think we're really close now. Parts of it are finally coming together.' Whether it's on or off the ice, there's no question the Jets have always had a strong connection with the community, re-enforced by losing the NHL back in 1996 only to get a second chance in 2011. Chipman, who along with business partner David Thomson purchased the Atlanta Thrashers 14 years ago, believes this year's hockey club only solidified that bond. True North made a concerted effort to re-connect with old and new fans, due in part to a decrease in its season ticket base and overall attendance. They made significant progress on that front while overseeing a team that won the Presidents' Trophy, beat the St. Louis Blues in an epic seven-game series and then eventually fell to the Dallas Stars in six games. 'We were really a good team from start-to-finish. Getting past the first round, and the way it was done so dramatically, helped,' said Chipman. 'Every day, any time of day, I can look out my window and see people struggling. More people than I have ever seen before. It's not right. I find it heartbreaking.'–Connie Walker 'But when I think about our team, I think about the core of our team. It's that group of men that really represent us I think people connect with. They've watched them grow up. That maturation process revealed itself in some very difficult circumstances.' None greater than first-ever draft pick Mark Scheifele learning his father, Brad, had passed away just hours before a pivotal Game 6 in Dallas. Scheifele ultimately played in the game, scored the opening goal, then took a late penalty that led to the overtime winner by the Stars. Jets players and fans immediately rallied around him, and Chipman chartered a plane to take the group to the funeral several days later. 'The way our group rallied around Scheif left an impression on me. I can't tell you I'm surprised, because I've watched these guys grow into men together. But it still left an impression that I'll never forget,' said Chipman. 'It was just so authentic and genuine and real that I think people connected with it. Schief was everybody's son.' On the hockey side, Chipman said the ultimate goal remains delivering a Stanley Cup to Winnipeg. He believes this group is closer than ever to making that happen. 'It's been a work-in-progress. This group didn't all of a sudden just emerge into what they showed themselves to be. They've been becoming this group for many, many years now,' said Chipman. 'And what excites me is they're going to continue to be this group for the foreseeable future. I think that's what's really resonating with people.' And, as Monday showed, that can be a real win-win for everyone. 'It's one of the great privileges of being involved in this business of professional hockey,' said Chipman. 'That you can associate with organizations like this and try, in some incremental way every year, to make the community a little bit more healthy and stronger. Hopefully we can do this again next year and maybe the cheque is a little bit bigger because we go a little bit deeper.' X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg Mike McIntyreReporter Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike. Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
