TORONTO — When history repeats itself enough times, it becomes tradition. 

For Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), the concept of tradition is understandably complex. There are pre-existing building blocks rich with lore that paved the way for today's athletes.

But since adopting the Bold moniker, TMU was granted the rare opportunity to write new stories on a blank canvas. 

The Bold men's hockey team authored the latest chapter in the pursuit of tradition in their 3-1 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Thursday night, marking their third straight season with a homecoming victory. 

Since the Bold held their first homecoming night in 2022, there has been a percolating sense of excitement and pride on campus around this time of the year—both on and off the ice. 

Students lined up eight hours before the game for exclusive wristbands granting entry to the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC). The anticipation carried over to the venue, where a sold-out crowd decked in blue and gold brought the early energy for a TMU team that has reached the OUA Queen's Cup Championship two years in a row. 

The Bold returned the favour by scoring the first goal of the night.

Fifteen minutes into the game, TMU forward Will Portokalis rifled a shot past the blocker of Toronto goalie Nick Surzycia, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Portokalis acquainted himself with the opposing defence last season after scoring the game-winning goal in game two of the OUA semifinals against the Varsity Blues. 

With the goal, TMU has scored first in the last three homecoming games. The Bold also scored the opening goal in both of their playoff victories against Toronto last season. 

"I think anytime you go onto another team's ice and they have a crowd like that, one that makes a lot of noise after they score, it's tough to come back and bounce back," said Portokalis. "So I think getting on the board early and putting them on their heels was pretty big for us." 

Despite the vigour coursing through the arena, the goal ended up being an outlier in the opening 20 minutes. 

When Toronto turned over possession in its own end, the puck found the stick of Bold forward Carter MacAdams in front of the net, who nearly scored just a minute into the game. 

After Varsity Blues defenceman Aiden Reeves was called for interference midway through the period, the Bold power play produced four quality opportunities, with three shots narrowly missing the target. 

TMU's defence also stepped up, highlighted by forward Spencer Shugrue blocking back-to-back shots. The period concluded with TMU preventing Toronto's Sean Clarke from scoring on a breakaway in the dying seconds. 

Although the second frame didn't add to the scoresheet, it leaned into the recent history between the two teams, elevating the exhibition matchup into a high-stakes spectacle.

All three games in last year's playoff series between the Bold and the Varsity Blues were decided by one goal. The familiarity between the two teams, despite roster turnover on both sides, was not lost on Bold head coach Johnny Duco.

"Being as familiar with our opponent as we are, I think we were able to dial into them to make sure that we were all on the page," said Duco. "After the playoff series we had last year, we knew it would be intense and heated at times."

Bold goalie Kai Edmonds embodied that intensity on a night that relentlessly demanded it. The six-foot-three netminder was in mid-season form as he patrolled his crease throughout the evening. Edmonds stopped four consecutive shots early in the period and tallied 20 of his game-high 32 saves by the second intermission. 

First-year forward Marko Djordjevic also nearly scored the second goal of the night later in the period when he deflected a pass just over the crossbar. 

An odd-man rush by the Bold resulted in end-of-period theatrics for the second time in the evening, setting the stage for a dramatic third frame. 

Six minutes into the third, MacAdams and Varsity Blues defenceman Owen Luik refused to back down from each other at centre ice, resulting in roughing penalties for the pair. 

While the scuffle encapsulated both teams' refusal to concede space in the back-and-forth affair, it only rejuvenated the Bold home crowd. TMU weaponized the growing hysteria in the building when defenceman Jaden Raad scored from the slot to extend the lead to 2-0. 

The Bold ended up relying on the insurance goal after Toronto's Zack Smith cut the deficit to one. With the game nearing its end, TMU secured the victory with an empty-netter from forward Slava Melikov, capping an electric night at the MAC.

"This is always such an awesome event and to have so many students to show the product that we work hard to put on the ice," said Duco.

The win is another notch under the belt for a TMU program that has produced a winning record at home in six of the last seven years, solidifying the team's reputation for defending home ice. 

For the Bold, it's also another reason to watch tradition unfold from the front row.

"Sometimes, as the coach, you kind of zone it out a little bit, but there were certainly moments where you can sit back and take it all in," Duco added. "It was a lot of fun."

Pre-season action continues for the Bold when they take the ice against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 20. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. 

TMU's regular season begins against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Oct. 2.