Under the roof of the 100-year-old Varsity Stadium, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold fell to the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues 5-3 in a classic crosstown rivalry matchup.
Continuing their road trip a little closer to home, the Bold entered their third game of the season coming off a 4-1 loss to the Brock Badgers the previous weekend. It has been an up-and-down start to the season for TMU as they continue searching for the chemistry to bring them together as a cohesive unit.
"It's a young group," said head coach
Johnny Duco. "There's a lot of learning for us to continue to do and it's about really honing in on those moments and managing the puck. We got to do a better job as a group, playing a full 60 minutes and picking each other up."
The opening frame started with speed and physicality, featuring quick exchanges from both teams. Within the first minute, TMU goaltender
Mason Beaupit was tested twice by rapid U of T shots, followed shortly by an early penalty that put the Bold on the penalty kill.
TMU held strong on the kill, clearing the puck efficiently. A joint effort by
Jaden Raad and
Lachlan Wells pinched a Varsity Blue behind the net to shift play out of the defensive zone just as the team returned to full strength.
U of T maintained the upper hand in shots on goal for much of the period, including a breakaway opportunity that forced a sprawling, wide-reach glove save from Beaupit.
Despite a clean slap-shot chance from
Gavin Grundner, a long drive from the blue line by Ianniello, and a key block on a high-danger shot by
Spencer Shugrue, the Varsity Blues took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
The second period brought an immediate change in momentum. Just 50 seconds in, Bowie turned the tide by sweeping in from the right side and snapping a quick high danger shot. Shortly after, a broken U of T stick forced a Varsity Blues player to rush to the bench, and with one man down,
Brendan Tomilson intercepted a faulty pass and sent the loose puck flying past U of T netminder Jordan Fairlie.
Two minutes and 30 seconds later, the Bold surged ahead.
Marko Djordjevic carried the puck through the neutral zone and laid it off to
Jacob Strizzi on the right wing. Djordjevic kept his feet moving, picked up the rebound off Strizzi's shot, and tapped it home to tie the game.
Although the Bold controlled offensive play for most of the frame's first half, the Varsity Blues reclaimed the lead at the ten-minute mark before adding a power-play goal in the final two minutes of the period.
TMU took to the ice for the third determined to bridge the gap.
With 2:30 left in the closing frame, Beaupit was pulled for an extra attacker. The gamble paid off with just over a minute remaining when
Jack Rimmer scored off assists from
Gavin Grundner and Ianniello to make it a one-goal game.
However, hope for an equalizer was short-lived. The Varsity Blues sealed the game with an empty-net goal to bring the final score to 5-3.
Despite a relentless late push—including 17 shots in the third period alone and outshooting U of T 40 to 25 overall—the Bold couldn't complete the comeback.
"We outshoot our opponents, we do some really good things, but these turnovers and catastrophic mistakes are ending up in the back of our net," said Duco. "I think for us we need to take a deep breath, regroup and it's an opportunity to go on the road tomorrow, be together and find a way to win a hockey game."
Up next, the Bold will finish their road trip on Saturday Oct. 24, when they will face the Waterloo Warriors. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. and fans can watch the game on OUA.tv.Â
