By Jonathan Reynoso and Victoria Cha

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s soccer team continues to surge through the regular season. They captured their third consecutive win of their five-game homestand against the Nipissing Lakers at Downsview Park on Sept. 28.

TMU continued their focused play on the pitch with their ball protection and their ability to control possession of the game.  

Both teams came out in defensive-oriented formations, which made it difficult for either team to gain an advantage.

In the ninth minute, first-year defender Gianni Bordieri provided the first and only real chance for Nipissing, with an opportunity to score on the edge of TMU’s box. The shot attempt was partially blocked due to a diving effort by second-year defender Luc Ihama.

Retaliation came quickly for the Bold as a strong drive into the Lakers’ half by second-year midfielder Alexander Santillan, who found himself just outside Nipissing’s box, and launched a left-footed strike that was promptly saved by third-year goalkeeper Dante Emmanuel.

For the remainder of the half, the Bold never let up on possession of the ball, essentially freezing the Lakers’ offence. 

With neither team able to gain a clear advantage, the match was locked at 0-0 heading into the second period of play.

At the very start of the second half, Nipissing received a foul after third-year defender Benjamin Dunn was shoved to the ground.

On the penalty kick, fifth-year midfielder Justin Santos managed to strike the ball past Emmanuel and straight into the bottom centre of the net, breaking the ice. 

TMU would continue dominating the field, finding chances to propel their lead. However, their attempts fell short, with them unable to capitalize.

The Lakers attempted to equalize in the 65th minute through an interception that landed the ball at the feet of second-year forward Olutosin Ajakaiye. Weaving the ball through TMU defenders, Ajakaiye approached fourth-year goalkeeper Dante Ferraro’s net. His chance to bring an equalizer to the match failed to become anything more. 

The teams continued to go back and forth until the 80th minute, when the Bold struck again. First-year forward Cyrus Rollocks toed in the ball from first-year midfielder Jamie Benayon-Abraham, bringing the score to 2-0.

No amount of determination was able to push the Lakers past the Bold’s defence. The final minutes of the game were scoreless, with the Bold maintaining their two-goal lead and securing another home victory.

UP NEXT: The Bold will play the fourth game of their homestand on Oct. 4 in a match-up against the Laurentian University Voyageurs. Kick-off is set for 2:15 p.m. at Downsview Park.