The Ryerson Rams face a heartbreaking end to the season
TORONTO, Ontario — The Ryerson Rams had their OUA postseason cut short after their 3-2 loss against the York University Lions men’s soccer team in the semifinals this past Saturday.
The Rams found the Lions’ offense to be too much for them as the Lions put themselves in a position to score in the opening minute. While the Lions missed the open goal, they eventually made up by scoring in the 11th minute, when York attacker Omar Marzouk scored a header off a corner kick.
Following the goal, the Rams attempted to create chances of their own with little success. Shot after shot went nowhere as the Rams tried creating offensive opportunities. Eventually, York attacker Soji Olatoye put another one away for the team in the 44th minute to give the Lions a 2-0 lead going into halftime.
After halftime, Rams brought themselves back in the game after midfielder Christian Westlaken scored a goal off a challenging corner kick. Rams centre Brandon Barone tied the game near the end of regulation by scoring a header for his first OUA goal.
With the game tied and heading into extra time, both teams played fiercely, trying to get a goal against each other. Finally, after a seemingly never-ending back-and-forth period of play, Lions midfielder Niko Sigur scored an impressive goal to seal a 3-2 victory for York in the 117th minute.
Despite the loss, the Rams played with character and certainly gave the Lions their biggest challenge so far in the OUA season. Rams head coach Filip Prostran was proud of his team. Following the match, Prostran said his team showed “incredible character” throughout a match filled with “gritty efforts.”
It has been a successful year for the Rams, who found a win against the Waterloo Warriors on Nov. 3 to earn a spot in the OUA semifinals. It was a dominant victory for the Rams, who won by four goals. The game marked the first time that midfielder Westlaken scored a goal during his tenure with the team.
“His calming presence and ability to find a way to win are invaluable to the team,” Prostran said regarding Westlaken’s leadership during the game. The coach went on to say that he was focused on enhancing his team’s game plan instead of worrying about their opponent for this playoff game.
The Rams had an OUA finals appearance under their belt when they faced the York Lions back in 2013. In a game that was a one-sided affair, the Rams fell short against the Lions 1-0.
“Games like this, it’s going to come down to one chance,” Prostran said after that game.
Like most organizations, the Rams had their 2020-21 season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rams players found the transition difficult emotionally.
“It’s been hard on us, hard on me especially,” midfielder and team captain Abdallah El Chanti said when asked how the pandemic was treating the team.
The team played their first home games since March 2020 at Toronto’s Downsview Park on Oct. 2.
“The heartbreak only makes us stronger,” Prostran said after Saturday’s bitter loss. “Doesn’t seem like today but as long as I’m at Ryerson, one day we’re going to win the national title.”
The Rams now head into the offseason and will look to climb the rankings to compete in OUA again next fall.
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