TORONTO – The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's hockey team continued to show progress but ultimately fell to the No. 5-ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-2 on Saturday.

With the defeat, TMU dropped to 1-6 on the season. It was the Bold's fourth one-goal loss of the year.

Both teams began the night playing at breakneck speed. The frenetic back-and-forth action favoured the Bold, who controlled possession for the majority of the first ten minutes of the period. TMU pestered the University of Toronto defenders with an aggressive forecheck and dominated puck battles behind the net. Despite the Bold dictating the pace, they weren't able to generate meaningful offensive chances. 

Entering the contest, the Bold and Varsity Blues had nearly identical issues on the power play, with both squads scoring once in 21 opportunities with the player advantage. Neither team found success in the opening frame, but the Bold managed to add two more killed penalties to their season total of 24. TMU began the game as the fourth-best penalty-killing team, having thwarted 90.5 per cent of the power plays they had faced. 

Bold goalie Sydney Pyburn was stellar between the pipes and she needed to be to help offset the offensive onslaught from the Varsity Blues. The University of Toronto outshot TMU 13-4 by the end of the period. At one point, Pyburn made three spectacular saves within 10 seconds to keep the score even.

Unfortunately, with 13 seconds before the first intermission, Emma Elders would beat Pyburn short side on the break to put the Varsity Blues up 1-0. 

The Bold's power play unit finally stumbled on the breakthrough they've been searching for this season by scoring two goals in the second period. With just over a minute into play, Bold forward Eden Dusome took advantage of miscommunication by the Varsity Blues defence and suddenly found herself in open ice with only the goalie to beat. With a great move, Dusome put TMU on the scoreboard to tie the game.

Less than three minutes later, Gaby Gareau threw a puck on net from a seemingly harmless angle to give TMU the 2-1 lead. Both Dusome and Gareau's goals were their first of the season. 

The University of Toronto later levelled the game when Kalie Chan managed to get one past Pyburn from the blue line. 

Bold defender Maddy Collins also made a tremendous play by diving with an outstretched stick to prevent a potential goal and keep the score tied at the second intermission. 

In the third period, it was the Varsity Blues' turn to quell their power play woes when Elders scored for the second time in the contest. The University of Toronto threatened with an insurance goal during a three-on-one rush, but assistant captain Lauren McEachen made an amazing play to block the shot. 

The Varsity Blues kept the door open for the Bold to make a comeback by committing four straight penalties, with the stretch including a five-on-three power play. But TMU's earlier success with the player advantage escaped them in the third period. Their best chance came when the puck took a funky bounce off the back wall before materializing on the opposite side of the net, but the Bold weren't able to capitalize with the game-tying goal.

The Bold return home for their next game against the Brock Badgers on Nov. 6. The contest is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. and can be viewed on OUA.tv.