By Daniel Carrero
In their first home game of the season, Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Bold women’s soccer team lost 5-2 against the Nipissing Lakers in a high-pressure and direct style of game at Downsview Park on Saturday afternoon.
The referees extended the wait for kick-off by approximately 41 minutes as they were delayed in arriving at Downsview Park.
After experiencing a 6-0 defeat against Nipissing just a week ago, TMU improved their style of play. Still, it was not enough to match Nipissing’s structure.
TMU went into an intense pressing game for the first 10 minutes of the game while Nipissing observed the type of game TMU was developing. Under the 20-minute mark, Nipissing structured themselves with a solid 4-4-2 spread across the pitch that invalidated any of TMU’s attempts.
In the 26th minute, Nipissing placed a cross towards striker Cassidy Brooks and with an easy header, TMU went 1-0 down. Brooks had two goals in the game, adding to three goals last week against the Bold for an impressive five goals in two games to start the season. She had eight goals in the 2022-23 season.
The Bold tried recovering from this goal, with a 4-4-1-1 combined with intense pressure and fifth-year midfielder Maria Poveda as the lead striker. However, it was not enough. In the 36th minute, a goal from Nipissing surprised TMU with a cross that moved the defence out of position, setting up an easy tap-in to double their lead.
In the second half, head coach Natalie Bukovec changed the tactics to fix the dynamic of the game.
“The coaching decision was to play three at the back system and risk it,” said Bukovec.
This change in tactics showed a completely different team. In the first two minutes of the second half, TMU was awarded a penalty that fourth-year midfielder Ivymae Perez missed. Yet just two minutes later, first-year midfielder Vanessa Pianta scored her first goal for TMU.
“It was good having [the team] cheer me on and boost my confidence. [It] really helped me to score,” said Pianta.
Nipissing reacted instantly to this goal, as they took advantage of the lack of midfielders at the back and scored a goal from outside the box to make it 3-1.
In the 68th minute, Poveda managed to score a goal after a round of rebounds in Nipissing’s box. TMU’s spirit was at an all-time high and the coach knew it.
“For 20 minutes in there, we had a real opportunity for us to take it from there,” said Bukovec.
However, it was Nipissing who finalized their opportunities and scored two consecutive goals in the 80th and 85th minutes.
Nevertheless, TMU had some sparks of good link-up plays. For the coach and players, it is still very early in the season and there are a lot of new faces to work with.
“We just have to do what we have to do,” said third-year midfielder Emily Di Natale, thinking about the next few games TMU has in hand.
UP NEXT: The Bold play against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in their second game of the weekend on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Downsview Park. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.
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