The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's and women's soccer teams host the Trent Excalibur and UOIT Ridgebacks in their 2018 season openers this weekend (Aug. 25-26) at Varsity Stadium.
 
The women start the action at 1 p.m., with the men to follow at 3:15 p.m., on both days. All four matches are free and open to the public.
 
The Varsity Blues women are coming off a 7-7-2 record in 2017 and first round playoff exit. U of T will look to secure a berth to the OUA Final Four under the veteran leadership of Chelsea Cheung, Natasha Klasios and Daniella Cipriano.
 
Toronto heads into Week 1 of OUA action with three exhibition games under their belts. The Blues dropped a narrow 4-3 decision to the Guelph Gryphons last Thursday night, before going 1-1 at the annual Old Four Tournament in Kingston. Toronto topped the Western Mustangs 1-0 on Day 1, before falling 1-0 to the host Queen's Gaels on Sunday. Klasios scored all four of U of T's pre-season goals.
 
Toronto's men went 10-2-4, good for second place in the OUA East division, 2017. The Blues post season came to an early end after a 1-0 quarter-final loss in penalty kicks to the Ryerson Rams.
 
With the graduation of seven starters off their 2017 roster, head coach Anthony Capotosto will turn to veterans Koosha Nazemi, Kenny Lioutas, Jack Wadden and Nikola Stakic to steer the ship.
 
Wadden scored two goals in three pre-season games this past week. After the Blues fellow 1-0 to Guelph on Thursday night, U of T went 0-1-1 at the Old Four Tournament, including a 5-2 loss to Western and a 1-1 draw with McGill.
 
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