By Daniel Carrero
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s soccer team won 3-0 against the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins in an action-packed game at Downsview Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Bold entered looking to continue their strong start of the season. A three-game road trip saw them pick up 2-1 and 1-0 wins against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and Trent Excalibur respectively, as well as a 0-0 draw against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks in Oshawa, Ont., last Sunday.
The Paladins arrived at the matchup aiming for high notes amidst their rough start of the season. RMC has lost all six games they’ve played so far this season, with their last win in the OUA regular season dating back to Oct. 7, 2018. They couldn’t end their six-year win drought on Saturday either.
“It’s always a battle against a team like that,” said third-year Bold defender Taliyah Walker. “Because there is really nothing to lose there and they want to show and prove [to] the OUA they are here for a reason.”
The Bold came out to the pitch with their usual 4-3-3 formation, this time with a couple of unusual starters and positions. First-year defender Vanessa Foglia started at centre back, while first-year midfielder Isabella Langeli took the role of first pivot and Walker as centre striker.
The team also welcomed back now-assistant coach Natalie Bukovec, who returned after being “ cleared to join us on a part-time basis.”
“We missed her on the bench and in training,” said assistant coach John Yacou. “It’s always good for an extra voice, a familiar one.”
In the opening thirty minutes of the game, TMU dominated possession but the chemistry between midfielders and strikers was ineffective. The Bold’s passes struggled to connect and most of them went out the pitch, handing RMC chances to recoup and attack.
The Paladins lined up with a 4-2-4 formation. Despite having four attackers up front, they posed little threat to TMU as they only had three shots on target in the first half.
It wasn’t until the very end of the half that Walker broke the deadlock. The repositioned striker received the ball on the edge of the box and ran straight into RMC’s line of defence. After bodying RMC third-year midfielder Alex Vinzenz, Walker placed a low-driven shot to the left side of the goal to secure the 1-0 lead just before the half-time whistle.
“Facing the goal, [Walker] is a threat because she can slip passes and dribble in,” said Yacou, adding it paid off with the goal. “She was excellent today.”
The momentum carried on into the second half when in the 49th minute, second-year defender Kennedy Pryce pressured into the box and forced a penalty in TMU’s favour. The Bold hadn’t scored from the penalty spot this season.
This time, Walker—who previously missed a penalty against the Trent Excalibur on Aug. 30—took the shot from the spot and placed it to the right-hand side of the net, catching RMC’s first-year goalkeeper Brianna West diving the wrong way.
“The curse is finally over,” said Walker. “I personally worked on it in training…It’s always about going up there with composure and believing that you can do it.”
After that goal, TMU released their foot off the gas and let the remaining time go by. Multiple substitutions allowed the team to rest their starters and give more minutes to the rest of the roster.
“I was pleased to have some of the first-years come in and get the job done,” said Yacou.
In the 92nd minute and already in injury time, first-year midfielder Ella Corzato, who was debuting for the Bold, scored the goal of the afternoon.
The midfielder grabbed the ball almost in the middle of the pitch and placed an incredible shot in the top left corner of the goal, securing the 3-0 win for the Bold.
“This is my OUA [debut], so I couldn’t have asked for a better start,” said Corzato. “I saw the goalie coming out a bit, so I just envisioned it and went for it.”
The team now looks forward to their next challenge, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. The Gee-Gees—who boast a 5-1 record—pose a major threat to the Bold’s current 4-1-1 record at the midway point of the season. Still, for Walker, the confidence is “great going into that game.”
“It’s just about how we adapt to their style and if we can show them the quality we have,” said Walker. “We are trying to show why we are here.”
UP NEXT: The Bold will face the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sunday, Sept. 22 in Ottawa, Ont. at Matt Anthony Field. Kick-off is set at 1 p.m.
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