TORONTO—In a dramatic finish, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's soccer team won against the Carleton Ravens 2-1 via penalties in the OUA quarterfinal round on Saturday night.
A rematch of last season's OUA quarterfinal, the No. 5 nationally ranked Bold entered the match looking to settle the score against the Ravens, whom they had lost to 1-0 in overtime during the 2025 playoffs.
With such a fiery matchup on deck, the key mantra guiding players and coaching staff throughout this game was: "relax."
"No one wants to make a mistake," said Bold head coach Filip Prostran. "Emotions are high, and this game means so much to [the players].
From the opening kickoff, both teams demonstrated good offensive and defensive tactics. The ball remained in midfield in the early minutes but the Bold capitalized on Ravens defensive miscues and pushed into their half.
Heading down the field, the physicality that has fuelled this rivalry reared its head early. Carleton winger Anthony Domanico went down early, giving the Ravens an opportunity for a corner kick, but the defence was strong for the Bold. The kick was denied and the ball was sent downfield once again with a good boot from defender Hazim Kadib. Amidst the chaos, midfielder Aidan Hugo was pushed down by the Ravens.
Trading blows, Carleton's netminder went down, grabbing his foot. In a subsequent move, defender Luca Porfiris was issued a yellow card.
Now with possession, the Ravens crowded the Bold's six-yard box, hoping to make something happen.
Despite the pressure, netminder Dante Ferraro was able to make the save, getting low to the bottom left corner of the net. Ferraro threw the ball downfield, and it was picked up by midfielder Darius Kerr-Cooper. Kerr-Cooper was a force throughout tonight's game, making several key stops and containing the ball within Carleton's half.
Hugo was shoved down once more, prompting Bold players and the coaching staff to call for a yellow card. Ultimately, the call went unnoticed but the Bold were awarded a corner kick.
A great kick by TMU, matched by an incredible header from midfielder Ivan Nechyporuk, sent the ball off the goalpost.
Once the dust had settled, both teams returned to their solid defensive form, with plenty of action in the midfield.
For the third time in less than 10 minutes, Hugo was shoved down again. This time, coaches were concerned about a head injury, once again with no call.
A few plays later, the ball soared over TMU's net and out of play. Forward Tyler Yasaka, who was not yet in the game but warming up, went to get the ball as play was beginning. Yasaka was issued a yellow card in the 33rd minute.
With Carleton on the attack, Kadib slid to make the stop as Ravens midfielder Gabriel Pietrobon was charging toward the ball. The two collided, and Kadib went down, grabbing his leg. The second-year player got up with a bit of help from his teammates and limped off the pitch. Midfielder Alexander Santillan came in as a substitute.
Due to a dominant display of defence and goaltending, both teams retreated back to their respective locker rooms tied at zero.
The physicality only grew in the second half, as Carleton center back Luke Harrop went down just minutes after kickoff. No cards were issued to TMU and play resumed.
With the momentum beginning to shift in the Ravens' favour, chaos erupted in the Bold's half as Carleton rushed the ball up the field. When the whistle was finally blown, defender Luc Ihama was issued a yellow card.
Carleton later drove the ball downfield, completing passes and making a flurry of moves to overwhelm TMU defenders. The Ravens would then strike first, sending the ball just past Ferraro to make it a 1-0 game.
Kerr-Cooper was knocked down by two Carleton players, sending the home crowd into madness. Ravens' midfielder Yusuf Oman was issued a yellow card, just what the Bold needed to turn the tide.
With TMU growing in confidence, the physicality picked up again in the final minutes of regulation. Two Carleton midfielders, Caden Tomy and Adrijan Vranjkovic, both went down after colliding with Bold players.
After a flurry of substitutions, Carleton's netminder, Nathan Frans, bumped into another Bold player while trying to clear the ball. Frans also went down, causing pandemonium on the pitch.
In the 95th minute, the ball was played up to midfielder Taha Ilyass. Ilyass passed the ball to forward Exosse Kadiebue. When Kadibue lined up to shoot, he fell over a Carleton defender, who was low to the ground in hopes of stopping the play.
TMU was awarded a penalty shot and a chance to even this game up with just four minutes to go in stoppage time.
Hugo lined up to take the penalty kick, rushed the net, and sent the ball hurling past the hand of Carleton's netminder, tying the score at 1-1 and single-handedly saving TMU's postseason.
With play now reverting to the midfield, the whistle blew just a minute later, sending these two teams into overtime for the second straight year.
The Bold looked like a completely different team from this point onward. TMU had all the control, going in and out of Carleton's half, not being afraid to retreat to midfield when needed.
Hugo, the hero, made a great boot to bring the ball downfield, where it was picked up by Kadiebue. Moving with speed and agility, Kadiebue made a play for the net, but got caught up with a Ravens defender and their goalkeeper.
A nail-biting first overtime came to an end, seemingly almost as quickly as it began.
During last year's matchup, TMU's downfall came in the 117th minute. This time, the script had officially been flipped. The haunting 117th minute came and went, giving the Bold even more reason to play harder.
Minutes later, Carleton would take a corner kick. Curving the ball inward, the Ravens were right on the doorstep, but Ferraro dropped to make an incredible save, keeping the game alive.
Ferraro would throw it downfield, where TMU would pick it up. As the Bold continued to pressure within Carleton's half, things got a little more physical. This prompted TMU to return to its guiding mantra: relax.
With one additional minute of overtime, Hugo made a humongous stop in his own end to prevent the Ravens from setting up a shot. As the whistle blew to end overtime, the game would move to penalties, where it was all or nothing.
As Carleton lined up to take its first shot, Ferraro charged the ball and kicked it away. The move, seemingly to get into the heads of the Ravens, resulted in the goalkeeper being issued a yellow card.
Down by one, midfielder Sebastian Castello stunned Carleton's netminder, getting chippy with him after celebrating his goal. Castello was also issued a yellow card.
Carleton scored again, putting the penalties at 2-1. Hugo, who had already made so many big moments in tonight's game, would take the third shot. The ball sailed over the hands of Carleton's keeper, evening the score.
Ferraro, with a chance to keep things even, matched the next Ravens' kicker perfectly. As he made the save, the ball hit off the post, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Castello again, this time with a chance to put TMU ahead, hits a perfect arc into the net. Unfortunately, the Ravens would score immediately after, keeping things tied at 3-3.
Ilyass would be the next one up for the Bold. The midfielder's kick was saved by Carleton, putting all the pressure on Ferraro now to keep his team alive.
Sizing up the striker, Ferraro flung himself, stretching his arms and hands out as Carleton made the kick. The ball was deflected off Ferraro's hands, saving the shot and saving TMU's season. The crowd was going insane, and Ferraro was right there with them.
In the second round of penalties, Kadiebue was tabbed to kick first. With some fancy footwork, the ball was able to get through the Ravens' goalie and into the net. As Kadiebue celebrated, he hyped the crowd up even more.
Carleton would then score, toning some of the excitement down.
Santillian was up next, and he buried the ball in the top corner. The players, coaches, and crowd all knew what was next: if Ferraro made the next savesave, TMU would advance to the next round.
"There's a bunch of emotions that go through your brain, " said Ferraro. "Staying composed and just wanting to get the job done for the team, that was the main thing."
As Carleton stepped up to shoot, Ferraro mirrored the shot perfectly, grabbing the ball right at his chest. The save sent shock waves throughout Downsview Park. TMU fans stormed the field, celebrating with their team after a long, hard-fought victory.
"[It feels] so refreshing," said Ferraro. "Last year, I didn't get to play, so I didn't have any effect, but this year…it was all worth it. I'm so happy for the team, we did so well, great team effort."
A great team effort it was. Despite the game lasting three hours, Bold players showed hardly any signs of fatigue, demonstrating endurance and grit throughout the match.
"I'm just so proud of the resilience of the group," said Prostran. "For them to come back, against our greatest rival…what a team Carleton is, what a program they have. We're lucky to squeak into the next round."
Continuing their playoff push, the Bold will host the McMaster Marauders on October 31. Students can attend for free with their OneCards.
