GUELPH, Ont. – The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's hockey team fell to the No. 4-ranked Guelph Gryphons 5-0 on Saturday. 

Entering the contest, TMU knew it would face stiff competition in a Guelph team that sat atop the OUA West standings. With the result, the Gryphons improved their record to 9-1 and became the first team in the OUA to reach nine wins. 

Guelph scored 29 seconds into the game when its leading scorer, Maeve Sutherland-Case, recorded her sixth goal of the season. It was Sutherland-Case's third goal in three games, keeping her in the top three for goals in the OUA. 

With impressive play in the neutral zone, the Gryphons expertly controlled the tempo early in the match.

Bold goaltender Sydney Pyburn did an admirable job of keeping the team within reach. She stonewalled Gryphons forward Jaydn Calder who snuck behind the defence. Later in the period, Pyburn flashed her reflexes when she kicked her leg out to stop a deflection. 

TMU's Lauren McEachen was also a standout on defence. The fourth-year defender was responsible for defusing numerous Guelph scoring opportunities.

The Bold found themselves on the wrong end of an emotional rollercoaster in the closing minutes of the frame. It started when forward Riley Del Monte skillfully received a pass before spinning into the Gryphon's zone with only one defender to beat. Del Monte attempted a toe drag but was stopped. Soon after, Guelph raced into the Bold's end. That's when Deija Houston stretched her stick out to deflect the puck up high past Pyburn to extend Guelph's lead to 2-0. 

TMU emerged from the locker room with renewed vigour and it immediately showed on the ice. After being outshot 13-6 in the first period, the Bold equalled the Gryphons 10-10 in the second. 

Midway through the second frame, McEachen floated a puck on net from the blue line. Gryphons goalie Sophie Helfenstein bobbled the shot in her glove and covered it up before the Bold swarmed around the crease.

With seven minutes remaining in the period, the Bold found themselves in a rare two-on-one rush, but Gaby Gareau couldn't get the puck past the defender. 

Later in the frame, a shot from the blue line hit Bold forward Alizee LeBlanc in front of the net. The puck died once it hit the ice and both LeBlanc and Del Monte swung at it but couldn't beat Helfenstein. 

Unfortunately for TMU, Guelph closed out the period by adding two more goals to their tally. Katherine Heard, who leads the Gryphons in points (8), went top right corner to beat Pyburn on an odd-player rush. Guelph's Olivia Knuff later scored her first goal of the year to make it 4-0. Guelph later added a fifth goal late in the third period. 

TMU's next game, against the Nippising Lakers on Nov. 14, is as important a matchup as can be during the middle of the season. Despite the Bold falling to 2-7, they remain within arm's reach of the final East playoff spot, mainly because the Lakers lost their previous game on Friday.

Watch the action unfold on OUA.tv with puck drop scheduled for 5:00 p.m..