TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's hockey team saw its seven-game win streak come to an end, losing 2-0 to the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues.

"I thought we played hard and I thought we played well," said head coach Johnny Duco. "We did a lot of good things, but it just comes down to executing."

In the first period, it was fast and intense on both sides, but it was U of T who pushed the pace and struck first. Three minutes into the period, the Varsity Blues capitalized on a chance in the Bold's defensive zone, slipping a backhand shot past Kai Edmonds to take an early lead.

TMU responded with pressure of their own when Carter MacAdams came close to tying the game, finding himself in a one-on-one with U of T goaltender Nick Surzycia, but was unable to finish.

Despite the deficit, the Bold dictated much of the play, taking the lead in shots on goal, bringing on offensive pressure with an intense forecheck and playing a strategically physical game without drawing any penalties.

Still, the Varsity Blues kept their 1-0 lead going into the intermission.

The Bold continued to push into the second period but suffered a similar fate as in the first. They led in shot attempts, but couldn't convert.

The next close goal came from Gavin Grundner, who generated back-to-back chances halfway through the period, but Surzycia preserved the lead.

"When you get to big games and playoff hockey, and even second-semester OUA hockey, the margin for error is essentially zero and hopefully that was a learning lesson for this group tonight, that you have to be pretty close to perfect," said Duco.

The second period ended scoreless on both sides, leaving the score 1-0, but with the Bold up in shots on goal 25-17.

With one last chance to turn things around in the final period, the Bold upped their pace and continued with an onslaught of shots. However, a breakdown at the net between a TMU defenceman and goaltender allowed U of T to pounce on the loose puck and extend their lead to 2-0.

Down two goals with eight minutes remaining, the Bold pressed hard, eventually pulling their goaltender for an extra attacker in the final minutes, but they remained fruitless.

"For us, a higher level of execution and really bearing down when you get chances around the net and being mindful of where he's potentially weak or where it's an optimal place to shoot," said Duco. "We just weren't sharp today."

The Bold lost the matchup 2-0, despite outshooting the Varsity Blues 39-24.

In spite of the loss, the Bold are not going to let this dictate the rest of the season.

"We're certainly not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater," said Duco. "It's a long season, this is a bump in the road and we knew it wasn't going to be a straight line from here to the Queen's Cup. We'll get back to work, watch some video and see where we can improve."

The Bold return to action on the road against the University of Windsor Lancers on Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Fans can watch the game on OUA.tv.