By Sebastian Zucchet
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s soccer team prevailed 1-0 over the Carleton Ravens in a nerve-wracking match at a windy Downsview Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Bold improved their record to 5-2-1 with the victory, their first against the Ravens since 2019.
“These are wins that the program needs to get a little momentum going and change for the future,” said Bold interim head coach John Yacou.
With the result, the Bold currently sit fourth in the Ontario University Sports (OUA) standings, while the Ravens sit two places behind in sixth place. The Bold came into the match looking to put last weekend’s 4-1 defeat at the hands of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees behind them.
The Ravens came into the match winless in two, tying against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 2-2 and losing 1-0 against the University of Queen’s Gaels. The loss means their winless streak continues heading into the last two weeks of the regular season
Yacou reflected on transitioning from last week’s result and preparing for this game.
“We always say, ‘the result of a game, dwell on it for that time.’ Is it 24 hours? Is it 10 hours? Whatever it is, once we move on, the next day we’re back where we need to be,” said Yacou.
The Bold lined up to start the game in an unfamiliar formation but quickly changed to their usual 4-3-3 once the game got going. The first ten minutes of the match were even between both sides with no real significant chances or opportunities to separate the teams.
The first real chance of the match came from third-year forward Aalayah Lully, but her shot was stopped by fourth-year Ravens goalkeeper Chloé Lachance-Soulard.
Unfortunate news for the Bold came in the 18th minute when third-year defender Taliyah Walker went off injured and was replaced by first-year defender Vanessa Foglia.
The first caution of the game came in the 25th minute to fourth-year defender Emily Porteous. After she went in for a late tackle, the experienced defender was shown a yellow card.
The visitors started to take control as the half went on, creating more opportunities to try and take the lead. The Ravens’ best opportunity, however, fell in the 27th minute when third-year forward Salena Devellis took a shot from inside the box. It was guarded successfully by second-year Bold goalkeeper Elisa Paolucci.
While the chances kept coming for the Ravens, there was a noticeable lack of attacking threat from the Bold in the first half.
The visitors eventually came close in the 31st minute during a corner kick. The ball fell from an in-swinging cross to fourth-year Ravens defender Taylor Saunders who tried to convert but Paolucci was there once again.
As the half came to a close, there was seemingly work to do for the Bold to pose a threat against Carleton.
The Bold had a bit more life in them during the second half. Their first shot on target of the game for the Bold came from third-year midfielder Jazz Dev in the 55th minute, which opened the game up.
Just a minute later, the Bold mounted an attack with Dev playing a ball through to Lully, who slid it across to first-year midfielder Lisamarie Arangio. She slotted it home for her first OUA goal to put the Bold up 1-0, earning a gleeful cheer from Bold fans. The team came together to celebrate, as they had taken the lead against the run of play.
“In that moment, I was like ‘I need to score,’” said Arangio. “We’re tied but we need this win to be comfortable and to be in the playoffs. So yeah, I felt amazing.”
After the goal, the Bold bolted down and solidified their backline to try and preserve the win and a clean sheet. They allowed Carleton to control offensive possession as they seemed comfortable, knowing they could trust themselves and Paolucci between the posts.
“I think doing my part and showing up was just really important to have everybody be able to relax and settle into the game and continue to push and trust in each other,” said Paolucci.
The end of the game was a nail-biter for everyone involved. The Ravens piled on the chances but just could not get by Paolucci, who was locked in.
The Ravens had a late chance in the 89th minute off the post, providing a scare to all Bold fans around Downsview Park.
Deep into added time, second-year Ravens midfielder Ava Mills had a golden opportunity as she fired a shot from close range to tie the game late and break Bold hearts. Yet once again, Paolucci flew across the front of the goal to save the day again.
Bold fans erupted as the final whistle blew and the blue-and-gold came away with a hard fought 1-0 win.
“When you do all the right things and you stick to what the plan is, eventually things will turn, eventually you’ll start to see results and I’m just glad it’s coming a lot quicker than we were expecting,” said Yacou.
UP NEXT: The Bold travel to Kingston, Ont. on Saturday, Oct. 5 to take on the Queens Gaels. Kick-off is set at 1 p.m.
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