On Wednesday October 16, the UTM Men’s varsity soccer team faced off against the Sheridan Bruins on our home field. The Eagles managed to pull through and end their regular season with a 2-1 win, and 7-2 record overall. The Bruins played a rough game from the very start and seemed to push the Eagles to their limit. The condition of the field didn’t help the team due to the rain from earlier in the day. The wet playing field caused many players to slip and fall, but despite all these factors, the Eagles came out on top and finished with a win. Their determination, teamwork, and communication throughout the whole game are what helped bring the team the win they deserved.
In the first half, goalkeeper Andrey Volkov (#0) showed a lot of leadership by communicating and directing players throughout the game. Not only did he show great leadership, he also made many good saves and wasn’t afraid to come out and challenge his opponents. This helped prevent any potential shots or goals on net and was especially effective in the second half. Players Martin Iyamabo (#12) and Jens Winkel (#19) made good challenges and played a strong, consistent game. They were always first to the ball and put pressure on the opposing team at all times which helped the Eagles regain possession of the ball.
It didn’t take long for the Eagles to score the first goal of the game by Mohammad Golmakani (#9). Securing this first goal set the game in motion for the boys. They began to string more passes together and maintained most of the possession in the first half. However, the Bruins didn’t make the game any easier for the Eagles. The game got more intense and a lot more aggressive. At the end of the first half, the score was 1-1.
In the second half, the game intensified. Each play was quick as both teams rushed to beat the clock in an attempt to score one last goal. The Eagles made it difficult for the Bruins as players Mark Barbuto (#2) and Prabdeep Singh (#23) stepped up their defense and blocked a lot of the shots made by the opposing team. This allowed the Eagles to push up their offensive lines where Faris Ammari (#4) opened up a lot of opportunities by making runs, great crosses, and shots on the net.
In the last two minutes of the game, Ammari’s determination paid off as he made a perfect cross to the middle of the penalty box where Jasjack Bhamra (#5) was able to get a foot on the ball and finish the play with the final goal of the game. This left the final score at the end of the game 2-1, a hard earned win for the Eagles.
The men’s varsity team played a great game and proudly finished their regular season with a win against the Bruins, a final score of 7-2, and a spot at the OCAA Provincial Championships. Throughout the season, the whole team played exceptionally well. They had great communication in every game which lead to great teamwork and, in most games, their passing was on point. With these skills, they were unstoppable. Even the determination of the entire team was very strong and it made the whole team work that much harder and better.
