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THE OFFICIAL HOME OF TMU Bold
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The starting 11 players for TMU lineup on the field ahead of a game.
Photo by Josh Kim

Soccer (M) Christina Flores-Chan

'Winning the fight' a focus for the Bold heading into playoffs

TORONTO - 'Win the fight' is the expression that the Bold men's soccer team uses while they gear up for every game. The saying, according to defender Tristan Marshall, means to play your hardest throughout the entire 90 minutes, regardless of the score.

"Winning the fight is working until your legs fall off, never giving up and believing in your team no matter who you're up against or whether you're winning or losing," Marshall says.

The Bold will have that sentiment in mind as they prepare to take on the Carleton Ravens this Saturday in the OUA quarter-finals, along with a few other strategies.

"The number one priority going into playoffs is making sure the team is healthy," head coach Filip Prostran says. "After that, it's about being extra organized and efficient in training so there's not a second wasted." 

Prostran adds that the focus leading up to playoffs is on refining the team's strengths and polishing up what needs to be improved.

"We've developed our chemistry a lot throughout the season, as a younger group with some veteran presence," midfielder Justin Santos says. Santos is the Bold's top goal scorer, only in his second year of school and U SPORTS. 

"Now that we've had more experience playing against tougher teams, everyone can put in a shift whether you're in the starting lineup or on the bench," Santos adds. "We're looking forward to taking that to the playoffs."

The Ravens and the Bold have a history of familiar rivalry over the past decade, involving the two teams battling it out for the OUA East division title year after year. 

This season, the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks earned that distinction, while TMU locked in second place with a 9-3 record, earning themselves a bye straight to the second round of playoffs. The Ravens finished the regular season in third, and had to beat Queen's in the opening round to get to Saturday's contest.

Both teams rank highly on the attack, with TMU leading the league in shooting percentage (.354) while Carleton ranks first in goals (41). 

The Bold, who have lost to the Ravens in both their games this season, will need to be alert on both ends of the pitch this weekend.

"We have a lot of respect for Carleton's coaches, team and program, so it'll be a lot of fun," Prostran says. 

Come support the team at Downsview Park this Saturday, admission is free for everyone. You can also tune in to OUA.tv to watch the live stream. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Justin Santos

#11 Justin Santos

MF
5' 10"
2
Tristan Marshall

#17 Tristan Marshall

D
6' 1"
2

Players Mentioned

Justin Santos

#11 Justin Santos

5' 10"
2
MF
Tristan Marshall

#17 Tristan Marshall

6' 1"
2
D