TORONTO – Fans of the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men's hockey team got their first look at the 2024-25 squad on Thursday night, as the Bold secured a 3-2 victory over the Brock Badgers in front of a sold-out homecoming crowd. The Bold were led offensively by Connor Bowie and Daniil Grigorev while Ryan Dugas recorded 27 saves in the victory. 

The Bold, who bested the Badgers in last year's thrilling three-game OUA semifinal, opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game, off a well-placed Connor Bowie shot from the slot. Bowie, a breakout star on last year's squad, added a second just two minutes later which brought the Mattamy Athletic Centre to its feet.

"It's a lot of fun (when the home crowd is there). A lot of guys feed off it, sort of like a sixth attacker," said head coach Johnny Duco.

After a scoreless end to the first, the Badgers cut the TMU lead in half just one minute into the second period. Just as quickly as Brock scored however, TMU replied. It came during a power play, off an impressive single-handed effort from Daniil Grigorev, the hero in last year's semi-final clincher. The Bold, who graduated many of their special teams contributors from last season, generated a multitude of high-danger changes with the man advantage, a result of the developed chemistry from this year's squad.

"More than anything (a successful powerplay) is about being comfortable with one another," added Duco. "There's a lot of new faces but those guys have some chemistry, and with the leadership group, they've got pretty good chemistry that's already built in."

The physicality and chippiness ratcheted up following the Badgers' goal, with both teams combining for ten minor penalties in the second period. Despite the chances, neither team was able to take full advantage of the parade to the penalty box as the second came to a close.

"There were two or three penalties today that I'd like to have back, but that's the learning curve with a young group and new guys," Duco said. "But we're also really fortunate with the leadership we have."

As play began in the third period, the physicality continued. Each whistle was punctuated by a scrap. The badgers found a goal with just three minutes remaining, setting up a frantic finish.

Several key blocked shots by the defensive pair of Joe Rupoli and Liam Ross were pivotal in keeping the Badgers off the board after they pulled their goalie. Moments like those are why unsung heroes from last year's team have earned the most trust in the early part of this season.

"Obviously Rosser was one of our top guys last year, and Joe's been a beast for us his entire career here. They're certainly a great pair for us to start, now it's about continuing to find where other guys fit," said Duco.

The Bold begin their quest for OUA gold with the regular-season opener on the road against Carleton on Oct. 4. Their home opener is set for Oct. 9 against crosstown rivals, the University of Toronto. Students receive free admission with their OneCard, and all regular-season games can be streamed on OUA.tv.