The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's soccer team's season came to a close Saturday afternoon with a second-half comeback win at the 2022 U SPORTS national championship consolation final.
Following the team's 2-1 victory against the Université du Québec à Trois Rivières Patriotes, TMU has secured fifth place in the country.
Despite a loss in the quarter-finals, the team's back-to-back wins at nationals also makes program history, as the first ever team to win a game at the U SPORTS national championship.
"I'm really proud of the guys bouncing back and winning the last two games," head coach Filip Prostran said. "It's so difficult to win this tournament, but the fight and commitment our guys showed was really impressive."
He added that coming to nationals for the first time with the group, and to win two games, is a stepping stone for the coming years.
"We'll take the wins, the lessons and experience and hopefully we'll be back finishing the job," Prostran said.
The Bold looked dominant throughout most of the first half, finding opportunities at the net and keeping control of the ball down the pitch but remained unable to get on the board. In the 44th minute, the Patriotes managed to knock a goal in.
TMU focused on finishing in the second half. Striker Zak Abdi opened the remainder of the match by finding the equalizer early in the 48th minute and netted another goal in the 73rd.
"We left our all on the pitch today, and I think that's all we could ask for of each other. We've tasted what it's like to come all this way to nationals, and we're hungrier for it," Abdi said. "We'll be back."
