By Keirsten Spade
After a 15-0 win against the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins on Saturday where they set a record for most goals in a game in Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men’s soccer history, the team was eagerly looking for another win on Sunday at Downsview Park against a strong opponent in the Queen’s Gaels. And they got just that.
The highlight of TMU’s 7-1 victory on Sunday was a hat trick from second-year midfielder Justin Santos.
“It definitely feels special, put it behind us now and go to the next,” said Santos. “University of Toronto is going to be a big game…[we] just have to play again and get the results”
TMU held possession of the ball in the early minutes of the match, applying pressure in the opposition’s end. Great technical passing and strikes from a distance made tough for the Gaels’ goalkeeper.
The Gaels were unable to stop the dominant pressure in their own half, becoming frustrated and they could be heard talking from afar. One of the Gaels players shouted to his own team “guys come on” and “wake up.” The Bold used that frustration to their own advantage by keeping the opposition on their heels at all times.
With continued possession in the opponent’s end, first-year right back Tristan Marshall struck the back of the net in the eighth minute of the match, giving the Bold a one-goal advantage.
A strong feed from Bold forward Luca Di Marco found Santos speeding behind the defenders to give them a 2-0 lead. It became clear that Santos wasn’t content with scoring just one goal.
He continued his momentum with two more great strikes that found the back of the net past the Gaels goaltender in the first half.
The Bold held possession throughout the first 45 minutes, maintaining their lead. A few mishandled possessions in their own zone led to one goal for the Gaels near the end of the first half. The Bold were looking to carry its strong momentum into the second half.
With a few early missed opportunities, the Bold maintained their possession in the opposition’s end with strong technical passing and found open teammates to break through the Gaels’ defence. Marshall doubled his tally to two goals in the 57th minute to make it a 5-1 lead.
The Gaels players weren’t able to stop the Bold’s attacks and kept the ball away from their own defensive end. The Bold’s command of the game was overwhelming and defender Brandon Barone increased the Bold’s lead to 6-1
Midfielder Sean Fafinski scored his sixth goal of the weekend when a beautiful corner kick found the top left corner of the net, beating the Gaels goaltender to make it a 7-1 Bold lead.
“I mean the guys came ready to play today, really focused,” said head coach Filip Prostran.“When I called the fight of the game, we really won that and brought that this weekend, we finished our chances and it was a group effort.”
UP NEXT: Following back-to-back wins, the team looks to continue its success next weekend during a crosstown Toronto showdown against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Kickoff starts at 7:15 p.m. at Downsview Park on Oct. 6.
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