By Keiran Gorsky
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s soccer team are looking for a fresh start.
Culminating in a quarter-final defeat to the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, the 2023 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season was one marred by difficulty and delay. The Bold forfeited their first two games of the year amid an investigation into alleged “serious and concerning behaviour,” as previously reported by The Eyeopener.
“The six points that we had to start without set us up for a turbulent road,” said Bold head coach Filip Prostran. “Without that, we probably would’ve been playing at home. Without that, we wouldn’t have been playing [Ontario Tech].”
Fourth-year defender Colin Gander—who brings important experience to the squad having won an OUA title, played in the National College Athletic Association and been drafted to the Canadian Premier League —said the team’s trajectory is more concrete this year.
“We have a better vision going forward,” he said.
In the 10 regular season matches they actually appeared in, TMU posted an impressive 8-1-1 record before their untimely exit in Oshawa, Ont.. After a frenetic affair that saw a combined nine yellow cards issued, the home team came out on top.
Though the Bold handily outshot their opponents, the match clawed its way to penalty shootouts where the Ridgebacks didn’t miss a single spot kick.
“When you let it go to penalty kicks, when you don’t take your chances, it’s a bit of a coin flip,” said Prostran.
That defeat only served to motivate third-year defender Luca Porfiris. “It lights a fire under our butt to come out even stronger.”
“A top team doesn’t just rebuild, but reloads.”
The team is hoping for a strong start to the season to elevate them to the top of the OUA. Gander emphasized the importance of getting as much rest as possible before the quarter-finals.
“OUA is tough,” he said. “If you don’t get that bye, playing that extra game is really hard. The game we had to play against Nipissing was only three days before. It beats you up.”
The bye straight to the quarter-finals is awarded to the top two teams in each division, so the Bold will have to be a force in the OUA East.
“You have to finish first or second to even have a chance of winning OUA. Our main goal this year is winning every single game and finishing first,” Gander added.
In a twist of fate, Ontario Tech’s Vaso’s Field will host this year’s national championship, meaning only one other OUA team can qualify in 2024—the Bold would have to win it all or lose to Ontario Tech in the OUA Championship.
In preparation for a gruelling road to the big tournament, the Bold kicked off their pre-season against two of the top teams in Quebec: the Université de Montréal Carabins and the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes.
“I always thought road trips were one of the best ways to come closer as a group,” said Porfiris. “The results didn’t go exactly the way we wanted it, but I think a positive that came out of it is the way we fought as a team.”
Prostran said some of his best memories as a player and coach have come during the pre-season.
“Guys get to know each other and know our system, get back in the groove, get healthy,” he said. “It’s a really special time.”
The Bold will also have to get by with a few significant departures. It won’t be as drastic as last season, which followed eight players’ OUA eligibility expiring, but 2023 OUA first-team all-star Kai Martin headlines the handful of athletes moving on. Also on that list is forward Mauro Lulli, who finished second on the team last year with five goals.
Following a crowded open tryout that saw some 100 hopefuls contend for a spot on the team, players and staff seem confident in their ability to adapt to the losses.
“A top team doesn’t just rebuild, but reloads,” Prostran said. “We’ve got some really good pieces coming in.”
Those names, however, are yet to be revealed. The team has not announced any signings to date.
“Our team’s looking really, really good,” Gander agreed. “Just as good, if not better, than last year.”
The men’s soccer team is somewhat unique at TMU in that expectations are mostly static from year-to-year. When it comes to what would make for an acceptable season, the answers are fairly uniform—the squad believe in themselves.
“Every year, we’re knocking on the door, making nationals, making finals,” Prostran said. “I think we’ve got the pieces and the experience to qualify for the national tournament and hopefully raise a banner at the end.”
Is winning it all the only acceptable result then?
“I think so, yeah,” Porfiris replied. “We have the roster to do it. I think we’d all be very disappointed at the end of the season if we didn’t achieve that.”
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