NORTH BAY, Ont.—The Bold's playoff aspirations were cut short as they fell 5-2 against the No. 10 nationally ranked Nipissing Lakers in the opening round of the OUA playoffs.
The crisp autumn air greeted the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's soccer team as they stepped onto the pitch Wednesday evening in North Bay, Ont. They were ready to embrace the challenge of this high-stakes postseason battle.
The last time these two teams met, the match ended even. Tonight, that wasn't an option. One team was leaving a winner and continuing on their OUA playoff journey.
TMU came out strong at the start of the first half. Just two minutes in, Bold midfielder
Mera Saleh struck early to put the Bold ahead 1-0.
Responding to the Bold's early advancements, the Lakers attacked hard. Struggling to stop Nipissing's counterattack, the Lakers created some promising chances, but couldn't yet capitalize.
As the match grew more physical, tensions increased. A foul in the box presented the Lakers with a penalty kick, and before the ball was in play, an altercation led to TMU's Jaz Dev receiving a red card. This meant the Bold were down a player for the remainder of the match, creating an unexpected disadvantage.
When the kick was finally taken, Nipissing's Annika Nolte capitalized, evening the score in the 29th minute, 1-1.
Unshaken by the Lakers' upper hand on the pitch, Bold goalkeeper
Elisa Paolucci rose to the challenge, making saves to keep TMU in the match. The game remained tied at halftime, 1-1.
In the second half, the Lakers took command of the game. Less than a minute in, Nipissing's Tori Patterson scored, putting the Lakers ahead.
Playing shorthanded, the Bold struggled to keep pace with an energized Nipissing lineup. The Lakers used this edge, netting two more goals to pull further away from TMU.
Refusing to back down, Bold forward
Journey Lashley found the back of the net off an assist by
Aalayah Lully, closing the deficit to 4-2.
Lakers standout Nolte sealed the win with her second goal of the game in the 85th minute, closing the Bold's postseason chapter with a 5-2 loss.
TMU will now take time to build and reassess in the off-season. With a promising core of young talent and back-to-back playoff appearances, the Bold have continued to grow as an OUA women's soccer program.
