On Sunday, October 13, the Varsity Stadium turf witnessed a historic qualification for the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s soccer playoffs as the Varsity Blues dominated the Laurentian University Voyageurs with an unprecedented 11–1 victory.
The team’s momentum was evident, coming off a comfortable 3–0 win over Nipissing University just a day earlier. Under Head Coach Ilya Orlov, the Blues have had their most successful season since 2016 by win percentage, advancing to this year’s playoffs with an impressive record of 48 goals scored and nine wins in 12 matches.
What happened?
Toronto opened the scoring just over two minutes into the match when Blues forward Andrea Schifano volleyed the ball into the net from the penalty box after midfielder Oliver Barta’s shot struck the crossbar. Shortly after, forward Jacob Prested’s play on the left allowed Schifano to extend the lead to 2–0.
The teamwork was evident from the start, with defender Thomas Tome making crucial stops to keep Voyageurs striker Jaiden Santo far from the box during the few chances the visitors had. His efforts helped the Blues maintain their dominance in the game.
Approaching the 14-minute mark, Schifano broke through the Voyageurs’ defense once again, firing a shot that found the back of the net — completing his hat-trick and pushing Toronto’s lead to 3–0. Just two minutes later, Prested delivered a precise cross from the left side, allowing Schifano to head the ball into the opposite corner, extending the lead to 4–0.
The Blues offense ran riot in an action-packed game. COURTESY OF ARU DAS CC VARSITY BLUES MEDIA
The Voyageurs managed to score their only goal at the 23-minute mark when Nicolas Patenaude curled a free kick from outside the penalty area directly into the net, reducing the deficit to 4–1.
Captain Mehdi Essoussi took a corner that found Tome’s head, converting it into a goal to make the game 5–1. Just two minutes later, forward Kingsley Belele launched a shot from outside the box that found the corner of the net, extending the lead to 6–1.
Like clockwork, the Varsity Stadium erupted in cheers again just another two minutes later when forward Bruno Sullivan assisted midfielder Oliver Barta, who scored to make it 7–1.
The Blues’ dominance made it difficult for the Voyageurs. In an attempt to stop the Blues’ offensive, Laurentian’s Sam Oduwole committed a foul inside the penalty area, awarding the Blues a penalty kick that Belele converted — bringing the score to 8–1.
Toronto continued to move the ball beautifully around the pitch. When Laurentian lost possession at midfield, Barta seized the opportunity, dribbling past defenders to score his second goal of the match, making it 9–1.
While having one player score a hat-trick is remarkable, two are extraordinary. At the 74-minute mark, Belele scored his third goal, sealing the score at 10–1 for Toronto.
As the match progressed, the Voyageurs struggled to cross the halfway line, appearing resigned to their defeat by the end. The Blues capped off their historic win with a final goal from midfielder Russell Stewart, who struck the ball from 40 yards out, finding the net and rounding out an 11–1 victory.
This win marks the largest margin of victory for the Blues in the OUA men’s soccer history over the past 10 years; the previous record was 9–0 against the Royal Military College of Canada in 2022.
Midfield Russel Stewart scored the eleventh goal of the game. COURTESY OF ARU DAS CC VARSITY BLUES MEDIA
What is next?
Orlov, in his sixth season as head of the team, told The Varsity in an interview, “2010 was the first time that U of T’s won the division, so just by that… I’d say, it is the most successful [season] in the last 15 years.” For him, the key to this success is the entire team.
“I think the key for us from day one, [is] the importance of the whole squad… so everyone contributing to the team.”
Regarding upcoming challenges, Orlov noted, “None of these players have played in a whole playoff game, so we have to make sure that the nerves and the occasion are not too much for the team.” With confidence, the coach concluded, “No matter who we play in the playoffs, it’s gonna be a tough match. We know [that] in soccer, in one-off games, anything can happen. We are just going to focus on preparing ourselves to make sure that we… play well as a team and [that] everybody helps each other out.”
The regular season performance has secured the Blues the top spot in the OUA East standings, allowing them to play their first playoff game on October 23.
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