TORONTO — The No. 6 ranked Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold fell 1-0 to the No. 5 University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues in a fast-paced matchup, taking their first loss of the season.

Entering the matchup with a 3-0-2 record, the Bold hoped to keep their unbeaten streak alive. Despite the setback, Head Coach Filip Prostran emphasized that this is the beginning of the season and teams are still working out all the kinks.

"I think all teams are still in the phase where they are figuring out who they have and what works for them," said Prostran. "A couple losses, a little adversity doesn't hurt you."

In the first 10 minutes of the match, U of T captured possession early, dictating the pace of the game. The Bold had to step up defensively in order to ward off the onslaught of offensive pressure from the Varsity Blues.

The first scoring chance came for the Bold with a play from Cyrus Rollocks and Justin Santos. In the 18-yard box, Rollocks sent a pass to Santos who came close to scoring as his shot rang off the post and deflected giving the Bold a rebound chance they couldn't convert.

With possession back in the hands of the Varsity Blues, TMU went back on the defence 
Throughout the first halff, goaltender Dante Ferraro demonstrated why he is a force to be reckoned with. Ferraro saved a particularly dangerous shot that had him leaping up to stave off a potential top corner goal, tipping the ball up and over the net defending his keep. 

"He made some big saves," said Head Coach Filip Prostran. "Dante's a fifth year senior captain that you actually expect him to have good games, he's that good."

The next chance for the Bold came on a one-on-one with the Varsity Blues keeper, however Santos couldn't quite find his footing to get the goal.

In a rush down the pitch, the dynamic duo of Santos and Rollocks showed their eagerness to score, however Rollocks was called offside.

Both Santos and Rollocks have made great contributions to the team this season. Through five games Santos has had three goals and two assists, while Rollocks has had four goals and together they continue to be a combination threat offensively.

The first half ended in a 0-0 deadlock.

The second half commenced with the Bold hoping to pull ahead of the Varsity Blues. Ferraro and the rest of the defence continued to stand strong while the offence pushed to capture the first goal of the game.

Despite the pressure, the Varsity Blues scored the first goal of the game in the 63rd minute.

In the last three minutes of regulation, the Bold had their final big scoring chance with Santos firing the balle towards the net and in a cruel repeat of history, a sense of deja-vu, the ball rang off the crossbar.

Going forward, the Bold will look to bounce back quickly and correct the errors while keeping their eyes on their future goal: the playoffs.

"We have to forget about this one, have a short memory and not overreact either way," said Prostran. "[We'll] look at the video, try and get better and be ready for playoffs and be healthy and that's it."

Next up, the Bold will play the Trent University Excalibur at Downsview Park on Sunday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. and can be viewed on OUA.tv.