OSHAWA, Ont. – The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's hockey team put together a strong third period but ultimately fell 2-1 to the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks on Saturday. 

The loss dropped the Bold to 0-5, which includes three games decided by one goal. 

TMU was the aggressor on both sides of the ice to begin the game. Captain Cailey Davis, who was playing in her 100th career OUA game, was called for a penalty when she prevented a Ridgeback skater from dangerously entering the Bold zone. After the Bold killed the power play, they unloaded an onslaught of shots on Ridgebacks goalie Zoe McGee. By the 8:12 mark of the first, TMU had recorded 10 shots on net. While the Bold only finished with two more shots before the intermission, they ultimately outshot the Ridgebacks 12-4 in the first period. The total matched a Bold season-high for shots in the opening 20 minutes. It was also the largest first-period shot discrepancy in favour of the Bold this year. 

The Bold nearly opened the scoring during a three-on-two rush when Maddy Collins dropped a pass off for Ava Caputo, who fired a wrist shot off the goaltender's blocker. After Ontario Tech was called for a holding penalty, TMU generated further scoring chances due to an impressively organized power play, but couldn't get one into the net. Near the end of the period, a backdoor pass narrowly skipped over the stick of Collins, who potentially had a clean look at the right side of the net. 

In the second period, the Bold's tenacity served as a double-edged sword. TMU committed five of their seven penalties in the period. The seven penalties were the most TMU had been whistled for this season. 

Ontario Tech was able to accomplish something no other team had done in the young season, which was beat TMU's elite penalty killing unit. Ridgebacks forward Robyn Storey rifled a shot through traffic that ended up in the right corner of the net to give her team the 1-0 lead. TMU had previously killed 14 consecutive power plays entering the contest. 

The Ridgebacks added an insurance goal after the Bold were called for back-to-back infractions. While on the five-on-three advantage, Ontario Tech's Emily Harrison swiped at a deflected puck past Bold goalie Sydney Pyburn. 

TMU didn't go away quietly and continued to scrap for loose pucks to begin the final twenty minutes. Abby Fletcher almost scored when the puck ricocheted off the Ridgebacks' goalie, but the rookie forward was denied by McGee, who stuck her right leg out at the last second.

Moments later, Collins received a point-to-point pass and maneuvered past opposing defenders before firing a shot and just missing the net. The Bold's persistence finally paid off late in the third period when Davis shovelled in a loose puck for her first goal of the season. It was also TMU's first power play goal of the year. 

The Bold threatened the Ridgebacks' defence again on a late three-on-two rush. When the Ontario Tech defender slipped, Bold rookie Riley Del Monte fired a slap shot but was denied.

With Pyburn pulled for the final minute, the Bold scrambled for the game-tying goal, but the Ridgebacks defence eventually shut the door for the last time. 

The Bold won't have to wait long to take the ice against the Ridgebacks. Both teams will take the next five days off to regroup before playing against each other in Toronto on Oct. 31. The scheduled puck drop is 4:15 p.m. TMU students can attend for free with their OneCards.