Coming off back-to-back wins over nationally-ranked opponents, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's hockey team are ready for the 2024-25 OUA McCaw Cup Playoffs.

The Bold will begin their playoff run against the Queen's Gaels this Friday in Kingston, Ontario at 7:30 p.m. The Gaels and the Bold ended the regular season relatively evenly matched, with the Gaels leading with 33 points to the Bold's 31. 

Head Coach Lisa Haley hopes that her team will carry over the momentum from recent games.

"Enjoy this experience, we're the lower seed, we're the underdogs, we're gonna enjoy the opportunity and play the game," said Haley.

The Bold have done a good job recording eight of their wins in regulation time, as they have strived to play a clean 60 minutes each game. 

Captain Emily Baxter explained how the Bold have been moving on an uphill trajectory, and by ending the regular season with two big wins, the Bold are moving into the playoffs with a new level of confidence. 

The Bolds' main point of success this season has been their focus on applying pressure in the offensive zone as much as possible. Because of this pressure, the forwards have been quick to generate chances. 

The Bold have spent a lot of time in practice focusing on their special teams, which has helped them excel on the power play.

Baxter has led the team in points this regular season with 23, tied for the most in a single season in TMU history. She has also recorded four powerplay goals and five assists and currently ranks eighth in the OUA for points. 

Another force on the power play has been fourth-year forward Cailey Davis, who has seven assists on the power play and been a leader for the Bold this year.

Looking at TMU's defence strategy this season, they continued to improve each game as they figured out the best way to keep opponents out of their zone.

Senior defender Megan Breen has been a leading voice on the ice, as well as a strong defenseman to go up against. She finished the regular season with 21 points, leading the Bold with 15 assists which was sixth most in the OUA.

Head coach Lisa Haley has been consistent in her goaltending choice with Alexia Stratos starting the majority of games this season. Stratos has been successful in the net with a .909 save percentage and three big shutouts, and will likely be in net for the playoff game against Queen's.

The Bold have put together lines that excel on the chemistry they've built on and off the ice, which has helped them secure more points. 

Moving into the first round against the Gaels, the Bold need to continue playing a clean game, without taking too many penalties. The Bold have lost to the Gaels twice in the regular season and will look to change their fortune against them in Kingston on Friday.

"We have to go in making sure we have the confidence that we can do it and not be afraid about the fact that we haven't beat them yet," said Baxter. 

By continuing to race for the puck, and taking shots every time they are in the offensive zone, the Bold can pressure the Gaels.

For many of the seniors, this will be their final run with the Bold, and they hope to extend it all the way to the end. 

"This game is a do-or-die game, and that's big for me. I don't want my career as a Bold to end this weekend, so I'm going to try to do as much as I can, to do what needs to be done in order for us to win," said Baxter.

Friday night's game from the Kingston Memorial Centre can be viewed on OUA.tv.