TORONTO — When Ivymae Perez found out she was going pro, it was a dream come true, "I didn't know it was going to ever come into reality, signing with AFC Toronto was an incredible moment for me."

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's soccer alum never expected a professional career for herself, as she didn't want to leave her family and friends to play overseas — that was before she found out about the Northern Super League (NSL).

Perez has signed a one-year contract with AFC Toronto for the inaugural season of the NSL. The NSL is Canada's first professional women's soccer league. Co-founded by former Canadian Women's National Team midfielder Diana Matheson, the league is breaking barriers, opening a new stage for female athletes in Canada.

Perez started playing soccer at age 10, when she moved to Canada from the Philippines in 2009. She said she hadn't known about soccer or played at all before moving to Canada, and was first introduced to the sport at school.

"When I came here, I remember playing soccer during recess with a bunch of my friends, and it was the first time I had ever touched the ball like that. I've honestly just enjoyed it ever since," said Perez.

Perez then went on to have an impressive soccer career before making her way to TMU, beginning her career with Glen Shields Football Club before securing a commitment to the University of South Florida and playing with the NCAA Division I school for the 2019 season. 

In 2021, Perez signed with TMU, taking her talents back to Toronto. She went on to play three seasons with the Bold.

"It was a great experience, you know, both as a student and as an athlete. As a student, I love being downtown. There was always something happening, so the energy was constant, which made it a fun place to study and live," said Perez.

She shared special moments with teammates, like brunch trips to Eggspectation by the MAC, chatting for hours.

During Perez's time at TMU she appeared in 26 games and scored 10 goals. 

Pushing through several injury setbacks, she found a way to gain perspective, "I will definitely take away from my time at TMU because it created resilience out of me. That mental toughness has taught me, you know, there were moments when it felt tough to keep going, but I learned how important it is to stay strong and mentally keep pushing myself to get better even when things aren't going my way."

She hopes to bring her resilience into the NSL with her, knowing how to bounce back and stay focused on the bigger picture.

Perez knows the Sporting Director for AFC Toronto, Billy Wilson, having spent time playing club soccer at North Toronto Soccer Club where Wilson was the coach.

In the summer of 2024, Wilson shared with the players on the North Toronto team the possibility of playing professionally. Initially wanting to focus on her policing career, Perez never thought about the possibility. When Wilson called her in the fall of 2024, that's when her professional career was set in motion.

Perez will not only be joining AFC Toronto alongside not one, but two familiar faces as TMU men's soccer assistant coach Marko Milanovic will be taking on the role of Head Coach of AFC Toronto.

Perez looks forward to working directly with him. "I've seen the impact he's had on players, and I've heard nothing but great things about him, and the success he has speaks to his coaching ability, and he has a great reputation in the soccer community, especially with TMU and [North Toronto]."

Noticing the sports growing momentum, Perez is thrilled to see women's soccer getting the recognition it deserves on the national stage. 

"It's inspiring to see the hard work and dedication some of these athletes go through and now they're getting to be put on a big stage and getting a platform here, right at home. It just shows that they're being celebrated."

She also shared why fans should tune in to the new Canadian league, "It's going to be an exciting chapter for women's soccer and women's sports in general in Canada."

As the inaugural NSL season approaches, Perez looks to continue growing as a player with AFC Toronto, pushing herself to be better everyday.

"I want to bring my best in every training session and every game and make a positive impact on and off the field. Personally, I'm just focused on developing and learning from my teammates and my coaches."