TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's soccer team defeated the Nipissing Lakers 2-1 in their home opener at Downsview Park on Saturday afternoon.
The win marked the Bold's first of the season after a close 2-1 loss against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and a 1-1 draw with the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. It was also Head Coach
John Yacou's first win as a full-time bench lead after being promoted from an interim position last week.
"Very good." Yacou said when asked about his feelings after the match, "The message was to the girls, 'Put your heads down and work, and the result hopefully takes care of itself."
TMU opened the scoring early with a sixth-minute goal from
Becca Bartosh. The Bold applied a high press, forcing an interception inside the Lakers' box to set Bartosh up for an easy chip-in.
"Great direction by the coaches, great pressure by our girls, and I just got a nice touch on it, stayed composed, found a good spot on the net, and placed it there," said Bartosh after the match.
The fourth-year midfielder and new transfer to the Bold this season boasts experience at both the NCAA Division I level (University of Pittsburgh and Kansas State University) and in international play for Guam's national team. She's made an immediate impact on the Bold this season, scoring two of the team's four goals through three games.
"[Bartosh] has been a great addition for us," praised Yacou. "She was a last-minute addition and it's helped us a lot. She brings a big maturity to the team…she's a very technical player and a very intelligent player as well."
Bartosh credited her teammates for her early success: "I have a lot of great players to play with…the girls are amazing. Great chemistry on and off the field, and we really support each other through the tough times and highs and lows in games. We're just so consistent."
That consistency showed itself throughout the match, as the Bold religiously attacked the Lakers' defence and created multiple open chances.
The match had a little extra importance to TMU's squad, as they fell to Nipissing 5-2 in the first round of the 2025 OUA playoffs. Despite the rosters differing between the two seasons, the Bold still entered the match looking for revenge.
Just like in 2025, both teams brought a ton of physicality into the matchup. Yacou encouraged his squad to lean into the intensity:
"When the moment becomes difficult–when push comes to shove–we've got to step up. Yeah, we'll play football and try to keep it clean, but don't shy away from [the physicality]."
The Bold's hard work paid off in the second half, when defender
Anna Ciumaciova found the back of the net with an impressive placement after a stray bounce from a free kick. The goal marked Ciumaciova's first OUA goal and increased TMU's lead to a comfortable 2-0.
While the Lakers managed to make it a one-goal match close to the 90-minute mark, Yacou's squad held strong on defence until the final whistle, succeeding in their quest for revenge and grabbing an important win in their home opener.
The Bold now have eight days of rest before travelling to Kingston to face the Queen's Gaels on September 13.
"Now we look past this game, and we start to prepare for Queen's; it's a little bit of a different game," Yacou explained. "The mentality is: every game, when the game starts, bring the same fight, bring the same mindset that you had in the last game."
The match is set to start at 1:00 p.m., and fans can tune in live on OUA.tv.
