January 23, 2025...AFC Toronto Sportlights Local Talent with Signing of North Toronto Soccer Trio (from AFC Toronto news release)

AFC Toronto Spotlights Local Talent with Signing of North Toronto Soccer Trio 
Ivymae Perez, Sarah Rollins and Sierra Cota-Yarde bolster club roster ahead of inaugural season

Toronto, ON (January 23, 2025) - AFC Toronto is thrilled to announce the signing of three 
talented local players ahead of the inaugural Northern Super League season. Midfielder
Ivymae Perez, defender Sarah Rollins and goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde each carry raw 
talent and budding potential to the club’s growing roster ahead of kickoff in 2025.

All three players hail from the Toronto area and developed their skills with North Toronto Soccer 
before furthering their athletic careers at leading post-secondary institutions across Canada and 
the United States. This strategic triple signing emphasizes AFC Toronto’s commitment to 
championing local talent and providing a platform for female athletes from the Greater Toronto 
Area to reach new professional milestones.

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Image: Ivymae Perez captains Toronto Metropolitan University Bold (left), Sarah Rollins holds 
Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy as U Sports champion and Sierra Cota-Yarde trains with Portugal National Team. 
Credit: Photos provided.

“Recruiting local talent is important for us and we aim to sign high potential players ready to be 
a part of Canadian history,” said Billy Wilson, AFC Toronto Sporting Director. “Ivy, Sarah and 
Sierra are players we know very well from their time playing for North Toronto Soccer in 
League1 Ontario and fill us with a lot of confidence. We’re proud to provide a space where local 
players can confidently continue their careers and are excited to see them make the step into 
the professional game.”

“All of us at North Toronto Soccer are extremely proud of Ivy, Sarah and Sierra after signing 
with AFC Toronto,” added Marc Maunder, North Toronto Soccer Technical Director. “Our 
players were able to step to the next level and three young women now have the opportunity to
make a career of this in Canada. We’re very confident in their abilities, and in only a few 
months, all the young grassroots players will be able to see local role models in Toronto playing 
at the top level, which is really big for women’s soccer in this country.”

Midfielder Ivymae Perez (23) brings a versatile skillset and intelligent play to AFC Toronto that 
will help orchestrate attacks from midfield. For the past two years, Perez was a mainstay in the 
North Toronto Soccer midfield as the club competed at the top end of League1 Ontario’s 
Premier Division. Perez represented the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold for four seasons, 
where she was named MVP in 2022/23. She was also an active community leader as a coach 
within the North Toronto Soccer youth programs.

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Image: Ivymae Perez (left), Sarah Rollins and Sierra Cota-Yarde pictured for North Toronto Soccer. 
Credit: Photos provided.

“It was hard to say no to this opportunity. I never thought I’d be able to play for a pro team that’s 
right at home,” said Perez on joining the club. “I knew Billy and head coach Marko [Milanovic] 
from my time with North Toronto Soccer; I trust them with everything. Signing my contract was 
super emotional and I’m excited to hopefully be a positive role model for other local players.”

Defender Sarah Rollins (19) returns home as a two-time U Sports National Champion with the 
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. The promising centre-back’s dominant U Sports 
performances earned her the 2023 U Sport Rookie of the Year award while 2024 saw Rollins 
anchor a backline that went unbeaten en route to another national title. At club level, she joined 
North Toronto Soccer in 2018 and was a key player in League1, earning numerous individual 
awards including being named to the 2024 Team of the Year.

“AFC Toronto opened a whole other realm of opportunity for me to continue my career and I’m 
really excited to take this next step,” said Rollins. “I was born and raised in Toronto, so coming 
home and working with familiar staff like Billy and Marko is amazing. They helped me get to the 
level I am today and I’m excited to grow with the club.”

Goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde (21) is another product of North Toronto Soccer and the 
promising goalkeeper joins AFC Toronto from Southern Methodist University where she 
competed at the NCAA Division I level. Standing at 5-foot-11, Cota-Yarde has represented
Portugal at the U19, U23, and senior level, making her full national team debut in February 2024 
against South Korea.

“It’s exciting and enticing to start this new chapter, it’s always been a dream,” said Cota-Yarde.

“To be able to come back home is something I never thought I would have the opportunity to do. 
Being able to promote soccer to younger Canadian players is incredible; they now have 
something to work towards and I’m proud to be a part of this project.”
Additional signings will be announced in the coming weeks.

Additional photos:  

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Photo C: Ivymae Perez poses during media session for TMU Bold. Credit: Image provided by 
player.
Photo D: Ivymae Perez celebrates during a soccer game for TMU Bold. Credit: Image provided 
by player.
Photo E: Ivymae Perez keeps possession of the ball during a game for North Toronto Soccer. 
Credit: Image provided by player.

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Photo C: Sarah Rollins poses during media session for UBC Thunderbirds. Credit: Image 
provided by player.
Photo D: Sarah Rollins poses with her U Sports Championship ring during a media session with 
the UBC Thunderbirds. Credit: Image provided by player.
Photo E: Sarah Rollins runs on the pitch while representing the UBC Thunderbirds. Credit: 
Image provided by player.

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Photo C: Sierra Cota-Yarde catches the ball during a training session with the Portuguese 
national team. Credit: Image provided by player.
Photo D: Sierra Cota-Yarde attempts to kick the ball while representing Southern Methodist 
University in NCAA Division I. Credit: Image provided by player.
Photo E: Sierra Cota-Yarde attempts to kick the ball while representing Southern Methodist 
University in NCAA Division I. Credit: Image provided by player

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About AFC Toronto
AFC Toronto is a founding club in the new Canadian women's professional soccer league, the
Northern Super League. The club is gearing up to deliver a top-tier experience for players, staff, 
and supporters in spring 2025. AFC Toronto is committed to uniting the community and inspiring
young women and girls to lead, develop, and excel. The club’s purpose is to not just build a 
football club but to also create a platform for girls and women to achieve greatness on their 
terms.

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