For those who have yet to meet
Taylor Fazzari, she can be sort of an enigma.
She's mentally engineered like other great athletes, driven by an obsession with their craft. It's why Fazzari was named the 2025 OUA East Division Rookie of the Year on Wednesday, the fourth player to earn the distinction in the history of the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) women's soccer program, and the first since 2017.
But within minutes of meeting Fazzari, it soon becomes clear that she's not like most athletes who are celebrated for their accomplishments. Instead, she is also a beacon for those who might question their own potential, not because of their abilities, but due to a self-inflicted failure to launch.
Fazzari's seven regular-season goals led all rookies and tied her for sixth most in the league. It ultimately became a relentless certainty that every time Fazzari took the pitch, she would end up being one of the best players in the match, subsequently making it difficult to believe that her historic season almost never happened.
And yet that was the case.
Before Fazzari was recruited by TMU this past summer, she had recently finished a challenging year playing soccer. Something wasn't right about the environment she was in and it was draining Fazzari's joy for the game.
"It kind of made me think that maybe this sport isn't for me anymore," said Fazzari. "I was second-guessing if I should even come and play the sport again."
Luckily for TMU, as Fazzari stood before the pivotal crossroad in her soccer journey, there was a gravitational pull that convinced her to choose a path she would later conquer. The allure behind joining TMU begins with family and the comfort that comes with being a part of a close-knit community.
Fazzari's sister had graduated from TMU and that served as the initial spark of interest. But as she continued to learn more about the program and her potential teammates, the idea of playing with the Bold was too enticing to turn down.
"It truly drew me in that it wasn't just a team," said Fazzari. "They built it as a family and that is so rare in sports."
Fazzari is a creature of habit. Before any season begins, she sets a list of personal goals to hit throughout the year. Winning Rookie of the Year honours wasn't on the list. In Fazzari's personal search for something to reignite her love for the game, it only made sense to start from the ground up.
"For me, this year was just about earning the opportunity to step on the field," said Fazzari.
Not only did Fazzari's cleats get well acquainted with every pitch TMU visited, but she also started in 11 of 13 games, tied for second most on the team.
"I'm genuinely so thankful that my team and my coach saw the potential in me to start throughout the whole season basically," said Fazzari. "That's not something a lot of people have the opportunity to do and I'm grateful for it."
Armed with a budding confidence and undeniable talent, Fazzari looked the part of a standout player. But it took additional time for the on-field results to catch up with her growing belief. Part of the reason could be attributed to Fazzari's unfamiliarity with the OUA. Navigating through the league's treacherous waters over the course of a season is daunting for most veterans. For first-year players, it can be especially tricky.
"It was a lot different than I expected," said Fazzari. "I didn't feel as prepared as I thought I would be."
Even though Fazzari hadn't met her early expectations, it didn't take long to score her first goal in a Bold jersey. During a match against the Trent University Excalibur on Aug. 31, Fazzari was called on for a penalty kick in the 16th minute. She repaid her teammates and coaches for placing trust in her with a no-doubter to extend TMU's lead to 2-0. The Bold later defeated the Excalibur 4-2 for their first win of the season.
"It took three or four games to fully understand my role and figure out how I could put myself in a position to succeed," said Fazzari. "That was eventually figured out and it came from trusting the team."
Fazzari's self-assessment has truth to it. She recorded one goal in her first four games, but scored six in the next eight matches.
Her breakthrough moment arguably came during a mini home-and-home series against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. The Varsity Blues finished the season 9-2-1 as the number one seed in the East Division, and are slated to play in the OUA championship on Nov. 1 against the Guelph Gryphons.
Despite the Varsity Blues being a formidable opponent, the Bold went undefeated (1-0-1) in their two regular-season matches, with Fazzari scoring three goals during this stretch. The 2-1 road victory against the University of Toronto is Fazzari's favourite moment of the season, and it wasn't because of the two goals she netted.
"That game will live in my mind forever," said Fazzari. "Seeing the joy, passion, and commitment from everyone, it was a whole team effort."
It's not a surprise that an away game is something Fazzari fondly looks back on. While she hails from Aurora, Ont., Fazzari believes home is more about the people rather than a singular place. There's a palpable feeling that can be derived from a community that simultaneously pushes you to greatness while anchoring you to a mental space free of worry.
Three of her first four goals may have come on the road, but Fazzari believes it's the moments in between those matches that are irreplaceable.
"Being able to travel with a group of girls who take it as seriously as I do," said Fazzari. "Having team dinners or celebrating birthdays with people who couldn't be with their families because they were travelling with us."
"I think those are the moments that I'll look back on and be grateful for," said Fazzari.
As this past season neared its end, Fazzari became a lightning rod for scoring opportunities. With a playoff spot within reach, the Bold went 2-0-1 from Sept. 28 to Oct. 6 and scored seven total goals. Fazzari found the back of the net in each of those games.
Doubt still occasionally visits Fazzari, but that comes with the territory for any talented individual who doesn't take anything for granted. But these days, the difference is that Fazzari no longer challenges doubt one-on-one.
"I needed to understand that I have ten other girls on that field with me, and another ten on the bench that are looking at me, knowing that I'm doing my best no matter what," said Fazzari.
Fazzari continues to do the best she can, even after her first season with the Bold has concluded. After an emotionally-charged loss in the playoffs, Fazzari and the rest of the team made the long journey back from North Bay to Toronto to mentally unpack their season. Less than eight hours later, she hopped on a call to conduct a scheduled interview.
She's asked about the playoff matchup from the night before, her thoughts on the season, and other questions that the average competitive athlete doesn't want to answer after a season-ending defeat. Despite her mental and physical fatigue, Fazzari puts an impressive amount of thought and care into her responses.
And as soon as Fazzari is asked about a potential Rookie of the Year award, she makes one thing abundantly clear:
"Without the support of my team, I would not have accomplished anything I did throughout the season."
Fazzari joins an exclusive group of past TMU East Rookie of the Year winners that includes Victoria Watson (2017), Andrea Raso (2007), and Tessa Dimitrakopoulos (2006).
Not too long ago, it all nearly ended. And now, she's just getting started. For Fazzari, this award embodies the work and the people in between those two crucial moments.
"I'm proud that I trusted my gut," said Fazzari. "I'm not done with this sport and I can do better."
