By Natasha Pinto
In sports, photos have the potential to not only capture a bone-chilling moment but tell a story of players and teams, rivalries and friendships, victory and defeat. They can freeze the excitement, action and experience from a play in one shot. Taken by sports photographers at The Eyeopener, these frames paint a picture, preserving the moments that could define the game or season.
Here are some of the best-featured snapshots of the year, caught on camera:
All or nothing
Intensity was high at the Mattamy Athletic Centre during the last regular game of the season, where the men’s volleyball team took on the York Lions. In addition to Seniors Night, the team needed to clinch a win for a spot in the playoffs.
One word encapsulated the evening’s events: Pressure.
“There’s emotion in the photo when you see Lucas [Yang] on the ground and then Ben [Davey] trying to dive for the ball,” said photographer Clara Vicencio. “Photos like that, in a win-lose situation, are important in my head. I wanted to capture that [moment], especially since it was [the seniors’] last game too.”
With a 3-1 loss to the Lions, the Bold missed out on a playoff run, bidding adieu to six seniors after the game.
Total impact
Taking on the Waterloo Warriors, the women’s volleyball team fought to rally after being down two sets. Indented into the ball was a powerful hit from second-year outside hitter Darcie Buchanan that turned this play into a morale booster for the team.
“You can tell it was a very hard hit. She meant it. She meant every ounce of that hit,” said Eunice Soriano, who was holding down the shutter button while directing her camera to Buchanan’s hand.
The Warriors took the game 3-0, but the Bold took pride—leaving it all on the court.
Into the future
During the Metro Hoops Classic games, Toronto Tempo President Teresa Resch and the team’s head of marketing cheered on the Bold’s women’s basketball team. The Bold secured a 51-33 win against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.
Having the city’s future Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team present showcased the continued support of the sport outside of university athletics boundaries.
“[It was about] being able to capture the next step to where not just Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) players, but any Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women’s basketball athlete [can go] having the Toronto Tempo at the game,” said photographer Pierre-Philipe Wanya-Tambwe.
Perfect Placement
Looking to continue their strong start to the season, the women’s soccer team took on the Royal Military College Paladins on a Saturday afternoon in September 2024. Third-year forward Taliyah Walker scored a penalty kick to open the scoring just before halftime, ending the Bold’s misfortunes as they had missed all of their penalties before this goal.
Photographer Maggie Stemp-Turner pointed out, “The expression on [Walker’s] face—and amongst that—her entire team coming around to celebrate. You see the emotion on the players’ faces and some personality as well.”
The goal drove momentum for the rest of the game, resulting in the Bold coming out on top with a 3-0 win.
Family First
As the women’s hockey team hit the ice for Winter Homecoming against the Carleton Ravens, the crowd’s energy was evident. Among the sea of supporters, one fan stood out: a young boy with a Do it For Daron-themed Bold shirt cheering enthusiastically for his sister, third-year defender and forward Ahalya Julien-Medeiros.
“I love that he’s wearing one of her jerseys. He is a huge supporter of the team and her, and we get to see, in a quick moment, their relationship,” remarked Stemp-Turner.
Zero Distractions
In the hopes of extending their playoff run, the women’s basketball team faced the Brock Badgers. Blurring out the noise, TMU dominated the last half of the game, putting up 40 points in a comeback. Third-year guard Kait Nichols aided her team with six defensive rebounds and a relentless mindset.
“[I] was trying to find those moments of pure emotion—get their full face in the shot, their full body as much as [I could]. That’s going to tell the story,” said photographer Ava Whelpley.
TMU beat the Brock Badgers 72-53, advancing to the OUA semi-finals.
Revenge on Ice
Revenge is best served cold, and in this case, on ice. Taking on the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes, the men’s hockey team had an opportunity for revenge against the team that took the Queen’s Cup out of their hands during the 2023-24 season.
Played at home on Nov. 16, 2024, TMU came away with the 5-2 win, with three goals scored in the second and two in the third period.
“[I] wanted to show the goal and the goalie on the ground, [looking at] two different sides of the game, split down the middle,” said photographer Oliver Ulster.
Triple Threat
The Bold men’s basketball team started their regular season with two wins, followed by a loss to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. An 80-50 win over the Guelph Gryphons followed, giving the squad the energy and determination to their strong start of the season. As 15 points came from three-pointers, the team was fueled by supportive energy from the bench.
For photographer Lazar Mihajlovic, it was about “getting that shot of the bench, celebrating the bucket going in, [it] showed the togetherness that they have, where if one person gets a bucket, the whole team gets a bucket.”
Once the buzzer rang, TMU ended the game with a 30-point advantage, 80-50.