The UTM varsity men’s indoor soccer team competed for the provincial championships on March 23 at Redeemer College. The men fared well against the tough competition, ending off the tournament with a 1-1-2 record.
The Eagles fought hard against the Fanshawe College Falcons in their first match of the tournament. The beginning of the game saw opportunities on both sides, but both teams couldn’t find the back of the net after the first 45 minutes. In the second half, UTM scored their first goal of the tournament, but the lead was short-lived as Fanshawe found a way to climb back into the contest, scoring two quick goals. Fanshawe would eventually win 2-1.
Shortly after the Eagles played again, but this time against the host school Redeemer College Royals. The Eagles scored the first goal of the game again, but they couldn’t keep the short lead for long. After halftime, the Royals came together and rallied for the game-tying goal. Though UTM didn’t win the contest, they didn’t manage to give up the lead to Fanshawe ending up in a tie, 1-1.
The beginning of the second day of competition on March 24 saw the Eagles sitting tied for last in their Men’s Pool B. They trailed behind Fanshawe and Mohawk, who were the only winning teams so far. UTM shared the same record with Redeemer and St. Clair with 0-1-1 records.
In their third game of the OCAA provincial’s tournament, the Eagles battled hard against St. Clair College. Right away, St. Clair scored twice, taking the 2-0 lead going into halftime. The Eagles weren’t able to commit to a solid attack or defend the speedy St. Clair forwards. UTM saw two more goals hit the back of their mesh before the final whistle. St Clair took the decisive 4-0 win.
The Eagles’ fourth and final game against the Mohawk Mountaineers saw the best results. With nothing to lose, the men seemed more relaxed and crisp committing to a competition style of play. The Eagles scored two goals in the first half and managed to come out of the break with the same competitive edge, scoring the third goal in the second half. Mohawk managed to put one past UTM Eagles goalkeeper Aaron Peters, but couldn’t find the net again. The Eagles finished off the tournament on a high note with a win.
The OCAA championship game saw George Brown and St. Clair battle it out. George Brown proved they were the best team at the tournament, taking the gold medal with the 1-0 victory.
It was the last game of the indoor season for the men, who now look forward to the outdoor season beginning next September. The men will try to get back on track next year where they left off a couple of seasons ago, when they made the playoffs in their inaugural season.
