For the Queen’s men’s soccer team, Toronto left a bitter aftertaste.
The Gaels took on the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold last Thursday, before going across the city to face the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues on Sunday. They earned a 1-1 draw against the Bold but fell 2-1 to the Varsity Blues, finishing the weekend with just one of six possible points.
Entering the weekend as U Sports’ 21st ranked team, the Gaels can take pride in pushing third-ranked TMU and ninth-ranked U of T to the brink—but the narrow losses are sure to sting.
The action got off to a fast start, with just 11 minutes in, Nathan Baker, ArtSci ’29, won a crucial race to find Jacob Ball, ArtSci ’29, in front for his second goal of the season.
It seemed the Gaels were on the verge of upset until an added-time kick from Adam Al-Hbadi, Comm ’27, struck a Bold player high. The referees awarded TMU an indirect free kick just feet from the Gaels goal. Goaltender Connor Adams, ArtSci ’26, blocked the initial shot, but the rebound fell to Noah Bickford, who sealed the win in his TMU debut.
The Gaels had little time to regroup before facing the Varsity Blues on Sunday, where they kept the match tight in the first half, outshooting U of T 7-5.
A foul on defender Ian Ferguson, ArtSci ’26, gave U of T’s Michael Osorio a sharp-angle free kick, which he drove straight into the net to give the Varsity Blues a 22nd-minute lead. A penalty shot for first-year standout Ball evened the score just before halftime.
In added time, Ball and Baker pushed up the field for a last-second chance, but Baker’s final pass sailed just behind Ball, who stumbled as he tried to reach it.
The Varsity Blues countered, and through Ian Ferguson, ArtSci ’26, initially blocked their advance, a desperate cross from U of T’s Kingsley Belele found Niklas Hallam. Hallam squeezed a shot past Ferguson and freshman Bennett Lichti, ArtSci ’29, sending the ball past the goaltender. Moments later, the final whistle blew, leaving the Gaels with a heartbreaking loss.
After dominating the first half in shots, the Gaels were limited to just three attempts in the second while conceding twelve to Toronto.
The results mark a notable improvement for Head Coach Kasy Kiarash’s team, who fell 4-0 to TMU and 2-0 to U of T in last year’s season openers. Kiarash was unable to provide a comment to The Journal in time for publication.
The team will once again face the Varsity Blues, as the Gaels play host at Richardson Stadium on Sept. 13 at 3:15 p.m.
Tags
Connor Adams, Ian Ferguson, Jacob Ball, Men’s Soccer, Nathan Baker, tmu bold, Varsity Blues
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