By Francesco Cautillo

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s soccer team dropped their winning streak after a 1-0 loss to the Trent University Excalibur at Downsview Park on Saturday.

The Bold entered this game undefeated through four weeks of the regular season, proving worthy of their No. 4 national ranking. After scoring eight goals in their last two games, TMU hoped to keep their x-factor offence ongoing in their first of two consecutive matches against Trent.

The Excalibur came out of the gates firing, with electric runs down the sidelines and the right wing.

However, the Bold quickly collected themselves, pressing up the pitch with confident passing plays. They attempted multiple chances inside the box throughout the first 20 minutes. But Trent’s defenders deflected multiple crosses, extinguishing the Bold’s unsuccessful attacks.

The two sides exchanged opportunities, fouls and possession, making for a heated first-half battle, with both teams pleading their cases to the referee. Despite all this, neither could find the back of the net to break the deadlock, leaving the scoreboard at 0-0 heading into half-time.

As the match headed into the 60-minute mark, the fouls only intensified. This time the referee returned with sterner calls to keep heads cool.

Too caught up in the rush, both TMU and Trent failed to break through and create key chances behind the opposing defence.

TMU focused more on their wide play, hoping one of their speedy players like third-year defender Luc Ihama or second-year forward Tyler Yasaka, would puncture past the Trent fullbacks. However, they could not find an opening.

Time quickly ticked down and only ten minutes remained on the clock. The deadlock remained. Though a tie would benefit neither team’s divisional push, it seemed as though the Bold and Excalibur had run out of ideas. Execution faltered on both ends, leaving frustration building across the pitch.

That was until the 86th minute, when Trent’s first-time shot was saved by TMU’s fifth-year keeper Dante Ferraro and pushed out to the Bold sideline. After being recovered by Excalibur, the ball was swung in with a cross and met by the leaping foot of fourth-year forward Leo Frans, whose extraordinary bicycle kick shot sailed past Ferraro and into the net.

With minutes to play, the Bold’s undefeated season began to slip away, and they resorted to blasting the ball upward in desperation.

In the end, the late shock from Trent would be enough to sink the nationally-ranked Bold, as Frans picked up the game-winner and a potential goal of the season for the 1-0 Excalibur win.

UP NEXT: TMU rematches Trent for an away game in Peterborough, Ont. at Justin Chiu Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.