By Mitchell Fox
On the heels of a groundbreaking 2022 and having bolstered their lineup in the off-season, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s soccer team have their sights set on championships in 2023.
Last season, the Bold lost in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) final to the McMaster Marauders and finished fifth at the U Sports national tournament in their first appearance at the event since 2013. With a new season on the horizon, the team believes they can finish what they started.
Bold head coach Filip Prostran says he enters each season with the belief the team can win it all.
“Our sights are always set on the highest mountains—the OUA banner and the national banner,” Prostran said. “My mindset and the way we recruit and coach, we’re trying to win every game, every moment, every banner we can.”
The pre-season will allow him and his coaching staff to see how the team has progressed, with many new players entering the fold and familiar faces seeking greater results.
“I’m really excited to see what we can do”
“I think it’s only normal for us to hope to build on that big step forward last year,” the bench boss added.
Prostran said it felt like the team was meant to go to nationals last season, so the successes brought more relief than overjoy. As time has passed, they have been able to look back and be proud of their accomplishments.
However, the off-season presented a challenge: change. Eight Bold players saw their OUA eligibility end in 2022, while striker Ameer Kinani moved on to a contract with Vancouver Football Club of the Canadian Premier League.
“Not only did we lose a lot of good people and good players, we lost a lot of experience,” Prostran explained.
Fifth-year back Kai Martin says the team feels that void is being filled, as the new recruits have impressed over the summer.
“We’re confident with the new players and their abilities to fill the gap,” said Martin.
To help achieve their lofty goals, the Bold have brought in a recruiting class full of established OUA veterans, acclaimed League1 and high school players. Among the recruits are reigning U Sports Player of the Year Christopher Campoli, former OUA champion Colin Gander and former Toronto Football Club Academy striker Mauro Lulli.
Campoli, who has been to the OUA playoffs three times, says he hopes to bring experience as well as goal-scoring and creativity to a team that feels they can win it all.
“I’ve been there, done that. I’m just missing an OUA championship now and a national championship. I’m just looking to use my skill set to best benefit the team and help us win,” said the former Ontario Tech Ridgeback. “They’re climbing the mountain and I felt that I could help try and push them over the top.”
Many of the recruits have strong connections to the team, having played with members of the Bold squad. Many have played for North Toronto Nitros of League1 Ontario, where Prostran coaches and Bold assistant coach Marko Milanovic is the head coach of the U21 Team.
“They’re climbing the mountain and I felt that I could help try and push them over the top”
Campoli joked that in the past he liked scoring against TMU. However, he complimented the possession-focused and hard-working brand of football the team plays with Prostran and Milanovic coaching.
The Bold’s blue-collar style of play is encouraged by Prostran. He says he tells the players to play for their stakeholders–their parents.
“They always say, ‘Our parents came here with nothing. They’re hardworking, didn’t make excuses, but they’re family-first,’…and I said, ‘When they come to watch our games, I think they want to see an example of that, of who they are,’” Prostran said.
Much as the team used their early season losses in 2022 as learning opportunities en route to a successful season, they will hope to excel this year having learned from their defeats in both the OUA final and national championship quarter-final.
“I think getting over the hump of OUA final four last year and making nationals, there’s more of a hunger in the team to go to nationals again,” Martin said. “I’m really excited to see what we can do.”
Achieving that goal will require hitting the ground running early and often in what Prostran calls a “sprint” season. This may be possible with a team already set to gel.
The Bold kick off their season on the road with a matchup against the Laurentian Voyageurs in Sudbury, Ont. on Sept. 2. Their first home game will take place Sept. 9 against the Nipissing Lakers.
“I feel we’re gonna come out flying right out of the gates,” Campoli added. “The sky is the limit for the group of guys we have this year.”
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