TORONTO – The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's hockey team returned home on Saturday afternoon to take on the Waterloo Warriors and came out on top in a close 2-1 win.
The Bold were coming off a tough loss against the Toronto Varsity Blues and hoped to make up for it today. According to head coach
Johnny Duco, the team was expected to focus more on discipline today rather than taking costly penalties.
Halfway through the first period,
Jaden Condotta fired in the first goal for the Bold on the powerplay for his fifth of the season.
"He brings it offensively, he brings it defensively. He blocks shots and finishes checks. He's the ultimate 200-foot team player that does whatever we need him to do," said Duco on Condotta.
The Bold were up one heading into the second, but the Warriors did not back down. Halfway into the second frame, the Warriors netted the tying goal, and the Bold had to refocus on reaching the Warriors zone.
Each team recorded a few more penalty minutes, but neither side were able to capitalize on the powerplay opportunities.
The third period was a back-and-forth battle as the Bold were forced to rely heavily on
Kai Edmonds in the net.
Duco who picked
Connor Bowie as the player to watch today was correct once again. Bowie managed to break up the tie with a one-timer shot assisted by
Aleks Dimovski and
Evan Brand.
"We talked to him and tried him with some different linemates today, and we felt that he was due to have a big game," said Duco.
For the rest of the period, the Warriors tried to even up the score, but
Liam Ross and Condotta did a great job at shielding the net.
"It's been a lot of fun playing with him, he sees the ice very well, and he's able to give himself those opportunities to get into those chances to score," said Ross.
With the win, the Bold clinch a playoff spot for the 13th consecutive season.
The Bold will be back on the ice on Friday, February 14 to face the Nipissing Lakers. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Students can get in free with their OneCard.
