TORONTO — When Alizee LeBlanc passed the puck to teammate Kalysta Song at the front of the net, it finally looked like the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's hockey team would be rewarded for their 'never-give-up' mentality. 

Seconds before the sequence, LeBlanc turned on the jets to race a defender for a puck that was dumped from the opposite end of the rink. The Bold had skated hard all night. They beat numerous icing calls, stood their ground against a top-ranked offence, and countered physicality with a healthy dose of their own. 

But in the end, the TMU Bold's comeback attempt fell short in a 1-0 loss to the number three-ranked Laurier Golden Hawks. 

Despite the outcome, Bold Head Coach Lisa Haley was proud of the fight her team showed. 

"An identity that we take a lot of pride in is our compete level," said Haley. "It's a disappointment if we don't show up and compete." 

Laurier's Clara Chisholm added to the sparkling resume she has put together this season when she opened up the scoring. After TMU's Britni Yammine was called for slashing, it took Chisholm 11 seconds to score her seventh goal of the season. The goal increased her point total to 21, tying Queen's Gaels' Sophie Hudson for the OUA lead. It was also the Golden Hawks' 14th power-play goal of the season. They had entered the contest leading the OUA in power-play goals and percentage.

The Golden Hawks improved to 11-2 when they score first. 

TMU's Megan Bergmanis manufactured an early quality scoring opportunity when she showed off her speed to beat a defender in the Laurier zone. But when Bergmanis backhanded a centring pass, no one was there to chip in the puck that slowly glided through the crease. Bergmanis has three points in the last four games. 

"The last few games have been a big confidence boost," said Bergmanis. "I always knew I could create offence but proving it to myself makes me push even harder." 

With just over three minutes remaining in the opening frame, the Bold were awarded their own power play. Lauren McEachen produced TMU's best chances at an equalizer when she fired a pair of one-timers from the blue line. Unfortunately, both attempts were turned away by Laurier goaltender Sarah Howell. 

"We were one good shot away," said Haley. 

While the Bold played with admirable effort, they weren't able to solve Howell, who stopped all 23 shots she faced. It was the Golden Hawks' seventh shutout of the season, and their fourth in the last five games. 

After a tumultuous second period during which the Bold was outshot 14-5, the group played with increased urgency in the final period. Laurier still put more shots on net in the final frame (10-9) but there was a clear difference in the home team's presence on the ice. 

"We have a lot of strong physical girls," said Bergmanis. "We can battle…and we if we do that for a full sixty minutes, it'll pay off." 

The Bold's next game is against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Jan. 17. The puck drop is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. on OUA.tv.