By Evan Davis
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold had considerable success across all eight varsity sports teams during the 2023-24 season. With rising rookies and dynamic veterans achieving new heights, teams prospered on the court, rink and pitch. Some athletes stood out above the others, leading the team on or off the court and even setting records.
As teams get set for the 2024-25 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season, they’re learning who on their rosters might stand out this time around. While some teams have had high turnover with players graduating, a few recognizable names remain to lead the charge.
We’ve already broken down everything you need to know about TMU sports and Fall’ ‘s must-watch games. Now, with the 2024-25 season upon us, it’s time to introduce some key players to look out for.
Men’s Hockey – Kevin Gursoy
Because many key players graduated from the men’s hockey team after finishing fourth place at the U Cup last year, forward Kevin Gursoy enters his fourth year with the Bold carrying a massive responsibility on his shoulders. Despite graduating with a Bachelor’s of Commerce in June, he returned to TMU to do his Masters of Business Administration and play out his OUA eligibility.
It will be up to Gursoy—along with fourth-year forward and captain Chris Playfair—to carry the load as the squad looks to head back to the playoffs. Coming off a season in which he had a career-high 30 points in 28 games, Gursoy will look to make an even bigger difference this season.
Women’s Hockey – Gaby Gareau
Entering her third season with the Bold, Gaby Gareau is looking to continue to build her offensive prowess after a career-high 15 points in 28 games last season—a performance good for third on the team in points and tied for second in assists.
After a slow start to the season for her and the team, Gareau and her improved production were a major factor in the team winning four of their last five games. She and the Bold will look to carry that momentum into this season as the squad looks to head back to the post-season after a subpar result last year.
Men’s Basketball – Gabriel Gutsmore
Given the abundance of players who graduated from the team last year, second-year point guard Gabriel Gutsmore will most likely have the opportunity to start games this year. Appearing in 23 games during the regular season and starting in two of them, Gutsmore averaged 8.5 points per game and finished tied for second on the team in steals.
A dynamic playmaker, Gutsmore was one of five Bold players to accumulate more than 40 assists during the regular season. Now, he appears set to take on an even bigger role on a team looking to make some noise after losing in the first round of the playoffs last year.
Women’s Basketball – Hailey Franco-DeRyck
With so much firepower highlighted by veterans Kaillie Hall and Jayme Foreman, Hailey Franco-DeRyck flew under the radar last year. Starting the season off the bench and then progressing into a full-time starter in her first year, Franco-DeRyck broke the single-season rebound record with 248 boards, including 79 offensive rebounds. She ranked fourth in the OUA in rebounds per game and was often counted on in big moments to grab a rebound and kick it out to a shooter.
Now entering her second season with the Bold, the sky’s the limit for Franco-DeRyck as she becomes a prominent piece on head coach Carly Clarke’s young squad.
Men’s Volleyball – Jacob Walker
Despite missing half of the season, outside hitter Jacob Walker finished second on the team in kills with 131 last year. Now, Walker will seek to continue his dominance as he heads into his fourth year with the team. Even with right-side hitter Alex King returning as a graduate student and fourth-year outside hitter Kai Higuchi looking to build on his own strong year, Walker will look to take on an even bigger role as the team aims to right the wrongs of a 5-15 season in 2023-24.
Women’s Volleyball – Scarlett Gingera
Entering her fourth year with the TMU Bold, Scarlett Gingera is an outside hitter with a ton of power. Her 205 kills, 237 points and 3.29 points-per-set each ranked second on the team in 2023-24, only trailing behind now graduated student Lauren Veltman.
After making a mark on a team amongst now-graduated hitting talents like Veltman, Ashley Ditchfield and Julie Gordon, Gingera will have to be a go-to for head coach Dustin Reid’s squad this year. The Bold—who made the second round of the OUA playoffs last year—will look to embark on another dominant regular season and another post-season appearance with Gingera as a key part of their plans.
Men’s Soccer – Chris Campoli
A Master of Business Administration student at TMU, Chris Campoli has already continued to build off his excellence from last season. After being named an OUA first-team all-star thanks to recording an OUA-best 12 goals in nine regular season games with the Bold in 2023, he has scored six goals in four games to open the 2024 campaign.
The attacking midfielder has already shown off his powerful kick this season—scoring a hat trick against the Queen’s Gaels in the season opener—and is on pace to set a new career high in goals. The men’s soccer team is looking for their first championship after numerous runs to the final four and Campoli looks to play a massive role in the side’s quest for glory.
Women’s Soccer – Aalayah Lully
Aalayah Lully is in her third season with the Bold and has made a big impact on the pitch, scoring a goal in three of the team’s first four games so far. The forward appeared in eight games last season for the team—starting in five of them—and now looks to carry that momentum through this season.
The team’s three wins so far have already matched last season’s win total and are a sign of growth alongside that of players such as Lully. Now, she looks to keep her squad in front as they work towards their first championship in program history.
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