By Noah Curitti

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s soccer team lost their season opener 2-1 against the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues on Saturday at Varsity Stadium. 

A physical and fiery competition transpired for 90 minutes, but it was the Blues whose late equalizer would decide the win. The Bold entered the season with a new head coach, John Yacou.

“It’s a very young team, and we preach family. I think we work well and we back each other up, and we show we are a true family at the end of the day. So I think that’s what’s going to take us really far this season,” said third-year TMU midfielder Mera Saleh. 

The match began with the Blues repeatedly testing the TMU defence, while the Bold struggled to find space in the attacking third. Fourth-year TMU goalkeeper Elisa Paolucci was called into action early, making several key stops to keep her side in the game.

“I’m really happy with how I was able to stay composed and be there to support my team. If anything, they were there for me so many times, so the least I can do is be there for them in those moments. If I can keep it out of the net for them at the back, then I’m happy with it,” said Paolucci. 

The Blues finally broke through in the 13th minute. After Paolucci made two excellent saves, they capitalized on the rebound, with third-year U of T midfielder Emilija Lucic finding the back of the net to make it 1-0.

TMU continued to struggle against U of T’s defence and physicality. A series of collisions saw multiple players receive attention, including TMU third-year defender Isabella Langeli, who was eventually forced off. Langeli eventually returned to the game in the second half. 

“They gave it to us, we gave it right back, and we didn’t shy away from anything. Especially with the first-years coming in today, I’m so proud of them because they were some of the most aggressive players on the field. I think we really matched their football,” said Paolucci. 

The Bold found their equalizer in the 28th minute. TMU third-year captain Natalie Moynihan sent a dangerous cross into the box, and after the initial effort was saved, third-year midfielder Mera Saleh pounced on the loose ball to level the match at 1–1.

“The team’s been working hard all week. We all worked very hard for that goal,” said Saleh. 

TMU enjoyed its strongest spell of possession late in the first half. While U of T nearly retook the lead in the final moments, TMU produced a goal-line clearance to keep the score level. U of T appealed the play, but the referee waved play on before speaking with both captains as tempers flared.

“U of T is always a very big battle, they’re our cross-town rivals, and there’s a lot of emotion that goes into these games. I think all of us love playing U of T, even though it’s one of the biggest challenges for us,” said Paolucci.

A hard-fought 45 minutes saw the Bold and the Blues head into halftime tied 1–1, with the Blues controlling much of the early attacking play.

However, TMU came out of the break with urgency, looking to find an equalizer. The physicality continued, with Saleh forced off after a head-to-head collision. 

“We expected them to potentially have the ball more than we will. So we knew we would be under some type of pressure, but I thought the girls did a great job managing that pressure for the majority of the game,” said Yacou.

The match settled into a back-and-forth battle, highlighted by a promising TMU odd-man rush, but U of T’s defence recovered well to snuff out the opportunity.

With 10 minutes remaining, U of T’s third-year midfielder Kimee Liu found herself wide open in the box with an opportunity, but she sent her effort over the bar. Another save from Paolucci  kept the game tied. 

The deadlock was finally broken in the 89th minute. With U of T winning a corner, third-year forward Naomi Atem rose to head the ball beyond Paolucci, giving the Blues a 2–1 lead.

TMU desperately pushed for an equalizer during five minutes of added time, but U of T held firm to secure the 2–1 victory.

“We had a really good week of training this week. I feel like we were more than prepared for this game. There’s a lot of positives to take out of it today and … we have a team that’s full of fighters and a lot of heart,” said Paolucci.

“It’s going to be tough to turn it around in 24 hours,” said Yacou. “They put up a lot of running and a lot of fighting, so energy is going to be key for tomorrow. But you know, the confidence should be there because they just went toe-to-toe with the OUA champions,” said Yacou. 

UP NEXT: The Bold will play against Ontario Tech on Aug. 30 at Vaso’s Field in Oshawa, Ont. at 4:30 p.m.