The last time the Blues men’s soccer team held an opening game at the Varsity Stadium was in 2021. This year, they did it again to kick-off the 2024–2025 Ontario University Athletics soccer season against Trent University Excalibur.

On Friday evening, while the sky was still filled with the echoes of the Canadian International Air Show’s flight rehearsals, the Varsity Blues men’s soccer team put on a spectacle for the audience. The Blues — who haven’t lost to Excalibur since 2008 — struck again, extending their record to at least 22 wins over the Peterborough locals.

What happened?

The first 45 minutes began with the Blues kicking off. The Excalibur applied early pressure, but it was quickly neutralized by the Blues, who effectively organized their defensive 5-4-1 formation. 

By the four-minute mark, the Blues already made an impact with an offside goal — though disallowed — by midfielder Shon Siegelwachs. Seconds later, the man of the night, Blues forward Andrea Schifano, fired a shot from the box straight into the hands of Excalibur’s goalkeeper, Owen Schultz. 

Eleven minutes into play, Siegelwachs left the field injured after a dangerous foul by an Excalibur player near the edge of the penalty box. Midfielder Ife Adenuga, a returning player from last year’s roster, came on as his substitute.

The Blues’ first goal of the season came around minute 16. In a brilliant move, Schifano executed a jaw-dropping bicycle kick, connecting with the ball midair and placing it into the left side of the net. With the score at 1–0, the stage was set for the rest of the match. 

Excalibur struggled to create opportunities in the first half, managing only four shots, with two saved by Blues goalkeeper Alex Lin. They also ended the period with two yellow cards, reflecting their attempts to prevent the Blues from advancing to the goal area.

 

The Blues celebrate Schifano’s super goal. COURTESY OF ARU DAS CC VARSITY BLUES MEDIA

The second half of the game began with Excalibur putting significant pressure on the Blues. Just a minute and a half after coming on as a substitute, Excalibur’s forward Oliver Parratt equalized, making it 1–1 within the first 10 minutes of the second half. 

The Blues’ head coach, Ilya Orlov, didn’t let that setback affect the team. He quickly substituted midfielder Russell Stewart with Niklas Hallam. Hallam, who joined this year’s roster as a midfielder, was named soccer MVP and male athlete of the year during his senior high school season. 

Drama unfolded in minute 70 of the match, when Excalibur’s defender Anthony D’Souza committed a violent foul against Blues’ forward Kingsley Belele, resulting in a red card. 

The Blues capitalized on this space left by Excalibur’s missing player just four minutes later. From a corner kick, Schifano assisted Naseeb Bains, who restored the Blues lead with a goal, making it 2–1. Yet the game — and Schifano’s influence — were far from over. 

A minute later, another foul from Excalibur against the unstoppable Schifano — this time inside the penalty area — awarded the Blues a penalty kick. Team captain Mehdi Essoussi converted the penalty into a goal, extending the lead 3–1. 

The cherry on top was when, at the end of the game, Schifano dribbled past two Excalibur defenders from the left side of the field and crossed the ball to forward Jacob Prested. Positioned perfectly in front of the goal, Prested slammed the ball into the net for the team’s fourth goal. The Blues finished the game with a 4–1 victory, marking a memorable home opener. 

What happened?

Orlov said in a recent interview, “We have a good mix of older experienced players and new recruits that will add to the team from last year.” These words resonated strongly throughout that evening.

The team’s head coach’s statement was validated once again on August 31 at the Varsity Stadium. In that match, Hallam’s hat-trick led the Blues to an impressive 8–0 victory over the Royal Military College of Canada.