TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's soccer team tied with the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues 3-3 in a high-pressure rivalry matchup.
The Bold were coming off an away win over the RMC Paladins with hopes of carrying the positive momentum into the showdown against the No. 8-ranked Varsity Blues.
"Overall we had an amazing game, something that wasn't considered a loss, but considered a win on our part to benefit towards the next game," said first-year forward
Taylor Fazzari.
TMU came on strong in the first 15 minutes of play. They pressed high up the pitch and kept their shape, capturing their first goal early in the game. In the seventh minute, off an assist from
Mera Saleh,
Taliyah Walker pounced on a loose ball and slotted it past U of T's Maria Godoy-Atrash
The Bold continued to dictate the tempo in the first half. They applied pressure defensively when needed and stayed strong in the attacking third.
In a show of athleticism,
Telaijah Folkes raced down the right side of the pitch, warding off the pressure from the Varsity Blues to send a well-placed cross right in front of the net to
Aalayah Lully. In the right place at the right time, Lully buried the ball into the bottom corner in the 42nd minute.
In response, U of T closed the gap in half a few minutes later when Anne Yeomans scored to make it a 2-1 game.
In a quick turnaround, in stoppage time of the first half, TMU's
Natalie Moynihan sent a long ball down the field and Fazzari drilled the ball into the corner of the net, extending the Bold lead to two right before the half.
"That goal felt absolutely amazing," said Fazzari. "I definitely thought that brought up our spirits very high, something that gave us a lot more confidence and a boost to go forward into our second half."
In the second half, the Varsity Blues brought the pressure. Bold defender
Vanessa Pianta made a strong impact defensively, making an outstanding slide tackle to prevent a chance for U of T near the TMU goal.
The Varsity Blues scored two goals in stoppage time to even the match at 3-3.
After the match, TMU Interim Head Coach
John Yacou was asked about what the team must do to finish games and secure three points.
"They've got to continue to believe", said Yacou. "They've got to continue playing for each other, supporting each other and just keep grinding."
For the Bold, the 3-3 result represents significant progress from a year ago. The last time the two teams matched up was in last year's playoffs when U of T secured a 1-0 victory.
The Bold have a lot of new players this year, and Lully believes that played a part in today's outcome. "We have a really new team, and the mentality is a lot different now. We're stepping towards that family title that we all have. We wear our family on our shirts, and it's represented on the field as well."
Next up, the Bold are back in action Friday, Sept. 19, in a rematch against the Varsity Blues at Varsity Stadium in downtown Toronto. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. and can be viewed on OUA.tv.
