The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's soccer team opens their 2014 regular season campaign this Saturday, August 30 as they host the Laurentian Voyageurs at Varsity Centre at 2:15 p.m.
The game is free and open to the public, and will also be streamed live on OUA.tv.
The Blues finished last season with a 5-4-5 record, in fifth place in the OUA East division. Toronto upset the Voyageurs in playoff action, before dropping a 3-2 extra time decision to the Ryerson Rams in the quarter-final round.
Head coach and manager of soccer operations Anthony Capotosto enters his eighth season at the helm.
"We're very happy to have our leaders back," said Capotosto. "We're looking like we are in a position to challenge for first or second place in the OUA East. From there we will see how things go. This is a process and our job is to prepare the team moving forward for the regular season and playoffs."
The leaders coach Capotosto refers to are fifth-year veteran midfielders Mario Kovacevic and Ezequiel Lubocki. Kovacevic (Woodbridge, Ont.) is a three-time OUA all-star and has led the team in scoring for the past three seasons. He has accumulated 29 goals in 48 regular season games as a Varsity Blue.
A native of Winnipeg, Lubocki is a four-time OUA all-star and has been the key to Toronto's midfield since being name the OUA East rookie of the year in 2010. The duo will look to guide incoming student-athlete Oladapo Afolayan, who plays with the Toronto FC Academy.
Striker Kilian Elkinson (Toronto) returns for his fifth and final season as a Varsity Blue. Elkinson made the move from defender to striker last season and was instrumental in U of T's attack in 2013.
Toronto's defensive corps is back and stronger than ever. Jason Cordeiro, Devon Bowyer, Dakar Charles and Justin Liendo helped Toronto to only 18 goals against in 14 games last season, while Western Mustangs transfer Andrew Chan will also be in the mix.
Rab Bruce-Lockhart returns for his third season as the Blues netminder. The Victoria, B.C., native will be backed up by TFC Academy keeper Mark Rogal.
For the first time in OUA history, the OUA Soccer Final Fours will be played at a pre-determined site, with both the men's and women's events sharing the same venue on the same weekend. The OUA will take over Tim Hortons Field on Saturday, November 1st, with the men's semifinals going at 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Championship Sunday will see the men's bronze-medal game at 12:30 p.m. and gold-medal game at 5:30 p.m.
In addition to the OUA title, the teams who compete in their respective gold medal games automatically earn a berth into the 2014 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national championship events held November 6-9 in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
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