Brandon Frattaroli's late-game heroics snatched a podium finish from the TMU Bold on Sunday, scoring a pair of late goals to send TMU crashing out of the USPORTS National Championship.
The Bold took a 2-1 lead into the final six minutes of the third before suffering a late collapse to McGill to close out their tournament.
Frattaroli - who scored twice in a span of 4:35 - was named the consolation match's Player of The Game.
Head Coach of the Bold Johnny Duco believes the outcome was in the making for his side since the start of Sunday's second period, crediting the Bold's 21 turnovers as the tipping point that ultimately left the group empty-handed once the dust settled.
"It was kind of the way we've been playing despite trying to adjust and not do that," said Duco.
Everything ran smoothly for the Bold out of the gates however, with Elijah Roberts opening the scoring for the hosts just 2:30 into his second career bronze-medal contest.
The go-ahead goal stood as a bittersweet moment for the fourth-year versatility man, marking his first-ever tally on the National stage as well as his last as a graduating member of the Bold program.
"[Elijah's] one of the best people we've ever had at this program," mentioned Duco following the game.
TMU tacked on seven additional shots through the opening three minutes of play to emphasize their early domination over the Redbirds. The group would hit a snag later in the first before succumbing to McGill's late-period heroics with just 4.8 seconds remaining in the frame.
Stephan Houard provided the equalizer for the Redbirds to help get the Montreal-based side closer to their first podium finish in nearly a decade. The breakout rookie picked up the eventual game-winner against the Thunderbirds on Friday and has three points in his debut appearance at the U CUP.
Both the Bold and Redbird were unsuccessful in shifting the scoreboard throughout the second period, combining for a dozen shots that would be promptly denied by Kai Edmonds and Alexis Shank in goal.
Roberts' line - alongside Carson Gallagher and William Portokalis - shined for the Bold all throughout the team's three-week postseason run and quickly became the driving force behind TMU's offense on Sunday.
Between Gallagher's game-winning tally against the Dinos on Thursday, to Portokalis' outstretched pass to give the Bold their first lead in a Queen's Cup, the trio have made - and left - their mark on a team that would not be fighting for a podium finish without the help of their offensive production.
"We knew that if we were going to have success, we were going to have a third line that could contribute offensively and play a two-way game," mentioned Duco, who flipped his utility of Elijah shortly into the regular season.
Formerly playing alongside Connor Bowie and Chris Playfair, Roberts was happy to take on a leadership role with his Sunday linemates throughout the season. The fourth-year would go as far as to label the duo as the best line he's played on all throughout his industrious university career.
"Through the stretch of the playoffs and the end of the regular season we scored some pretty big goals," said Roberts.
"There is no other line across USPORTS that I would rather play with to end my career."
The Bold would finally find their elusive go-ahead goal 7:52 into the third courtesy of a powerful slap shot from the stick of Jackson Doherty.
Yet unlike their initial lead against the Redbirds that nearly stretched the entirety of the first frame, the Bold found themselves in another deadlock - and eventual deficit - with the visitors during the late stages of the third.
A pair of timely goals from Frattaroli catapulted McGill to a 3-2 lead - striking twice in a matter of minutes - to snatch bronze away from the Bold.
After posting their best-ever regular season in program history - one that catered to a Queen's Cup final debut for the Bold - Duco enters the offseason in search of replicating the team's successes and bettering the squad for the major postseason moments to come.
Having suffered a trio of demanding losses in the span of a week, Duco feels the team is much more mentally strong since starting the campaign back in September. He only hopes the group of returning players can take the team's shortcomings as a learning point amidst a season of overarching success.
"I really do feel privileged to have this group of seniors on our team and be able to set the stage moving forward - that this is the standard."
Despite the absence of a National medal, the Bold enter their offseason having already seen a lot, and with the understanding of how close the team is to what stands ahead.
