By Noah Curitti

With the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs approaching, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s and women’s soccer teams are entering the final stretch of their regular season, which ends on Oct. 18. 

With four matches remaining, both teams have little room for error as they look to rank sixth or higher in the East division to qualify for the playoffs. 

“The regular season serves as a platform to iron out the kinks, to see who can do what, try different combinations, look at your team’s deficiencies, and try to be best prepared,” said Bold head coach Filip Prostran.

The men’s team currently leads the OUA East division with a 6-1-1 record, scoring 19 goals while only conceding eight.

Five of the team’s 19 goals are credited to third-year midfielder Taha Ilyass, a seasoned newcomer who scored a hat trick in a 4-1 win against the Queen’s University Gaels on Sept. 13. Bringing a wealth of experience from his time at Hamilton United and Forge FC, Ilyass has found his place on the team as a natural leader.

“Going into the changeroom, I had to get a message across that we didn’t come three or four hours of a drive to lose…Being one of the older guys on the team with a good amount of playing experience, I’ve been in situations like those before. I knew I had to step up and come out of the second half strong,” said Ilyass. 

Six days later, the Trent University Excalibur handed the Bold their first loss of the season. But TMU had not soon forgotten its perseverance. Stepping back onto their opponent’s field a week later, they responded with a resounding 3-2 victory.

“The Trent game was tough. They are a well-coached, hard-working team, and we didn’t match the same desire they had to win. But in the return game, I felt we played very strongly in the chances we created and the things we implemented,” said Prostran. 

Third-year defender Noah Pickering was at the centre of the comeback, scoring a brace in the process. 

“We had a chip on our shoulder going into the game…We definitely went into it almost with the mindset that it was a playoff game and that we had to be perfect,” said Pickering. 

Pickering, who is usually favoured as a centre-back, has recently flourished on the attacking line, scoring three goals in his last five matches. 

The stat ranks him tied for second on the team behind Ilyass, who leads the team with five goals. 

Ilyass, like Pickering, has also had to step up offensively as injuries have reshuffled the roster. Nevertheless, he welcomes the responsibility. 

“I am willing to play, wherever is needed to get the results,” said Ilyass. 

“The higher the level gets, it’s more about the small details, and that’s what really makes a difference. Our objective right now is to win the OUA and to go to Nationals.”

For Prostran, the team’s ability to remain mentally focused and adaptable will be key to fulfilling this goal as the regular season winds down. 

“There will be moments when you need to look at each other and galvanize the team to get over the hump…The team that is ready for that adversity and ready to embrace it and respond to it appropriately will get out the other end better,” said Prostran.  

Last year, one of the biggest challenges during the playoffs was the Carleton University Ravens, who eliminated the Bold in the quarterfinals. 

“We’re coming into this one wanting blood. They like to attack just as much as we do, so we need to be ready for a back-and-forth game,” said Pickering. 

As for the women’s team, they enter the final stretch as a young and ambitious squad, welcoming 10 first-years to the roster. 

“I think [the first-years] have been extremely willing to learn and willing to work hard and do what’s needed for the team,” said fourth-year goalie Elisa Paolucci.

At 3-3-2, the Bold currently sit sixth in the OUA East, having scored 10 goals while conceding 13 throughout eight games. 

“We had a great start to the season. Our record doesn’t truly display how well we’ve been doing. It’s a very tight race in the standings, and we have a team that’s willing to fight and compete in every single game,” said Paolucci. 

Just a week prior, the team faced their toughest task of the season against the No. 1-ranked Ottawa University Gee-Gees, who defeated them 5-0 on Sept. 27. 

The loss followed a stretch in which TMU had earned points in three consecutive games, including a 2-1 win against the Nipissing University Lakers, a 1-1 draw against the Queen’s University Gaels and a 1-0 win over Trent. 

Responding to a first-round loss in last year’s playoffs, the win over the Lakers showed character from the team. 

“From the outside looking in, it didn’t look like a match we would be successful in, but it was a true display of what our team is capable of,”said Paolucci, adding that “I think we played our true sense of soccer.”

Offensively, fourth-year midfielder Rebecca Bartosh has been one of the team’s biggest contributors in her first season with the Bold. 

“It has been one of the easiest transitions I’ve had. The girls were so welcoming and have helped me settle in. It has been a really competitive atmosphere to continue developing as a player,” said Bartosh. 

With playing time from Kansas State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Guam National Team, she brings an optimistic outlook towards the team’s playoff push.  

“We’re confident. We had a setback against Ottawa, but every good season has a game that acts as a catalyst for change. We’re taking it in stride,” said Bartosh.

“The most important play is the next play. We’re taking it one game at a time and focusing on each opponent as they come.”

For the women, creating more offensive opportunities and limiting defensive breakdowns will be important as they approach the next fixtures with a motivated mentality, determined to rise in the standings. 

“Why not us? We have shown we belong here and I know we can make a deep run. The sky is the limit for us,” said Paolucci. 

With four fixtures remaining on the calendar, the squads have two weeks and four matches each to solidify the form, identity and momentum they hope to carry into the playoffs.