TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's hockey team earned a crucial 4-2 win over the Brock Badgers on Thursday night.

The evening also marked senior night, with the Bold honouring their graduating seniors before the game in an emotional ceremony. 

"We take a lot of pride in trying to build a family atmosphere where, when you get to these big moments late in the year, they want to go through a wall for one another, and do whatever it takes for one another to make sure that they're all collectively successful," said Head Coach Johnny Duco. "We've got to a point where it's certainly like a brotherhood, and they care a lot for one another."

Kai Edmonds was among the seniors who were recognized before the game. He made 27 saves in the victory and earned his 18th win of the season, breaking the TMU single-season wins record of 17 set by Garrett Forrest in 2019-20. 

The first period started off slow, with both teams holding possession and trading only a few shots. Just over halfway through the frame, the Bold were called for interference, putting them at a disadvantage. TMU's penalty kill was strong, holding the Badgers to a mere three shots on goal. 

As both teams continued to pass back and forth, the period ended in a 0-0 tie.

Entering the second, the Bold were hungry to make this a memorable senior night. Less than two minutes into the frame, Ryan Cooper sent a quick pass to Chase Lefebvre, fooling Brock's netminder and allowing Lefebvre to open the scoring. 

From there, TMU grabbed hold of the momentum and did not let go.

Three minutes later, Jaden Raad fired a one-timer towards Brock's goaltender. The shot hit off of Ian Martin, who tipped it past the goal line to double the Bold's lead.

The Badgers weren't going down without a fight. Although TMU had established a comfortable 2-0 lead early in the second, Brock came storming back to make it a one-goal game. 

Not wanting to relinquish their lead, TMU began to increase the pressure on Brock. The Bold were persistent, spending the majority of the frame in Badger territory and taking turns firing shots. 

With four minutes remaining in the second, Brock was called for slashing, giving TMU a window to restore their two-goal lead. Just 33 seconds into the power play, Gavin Grundner did just that with a toe-drag snipe into the top corner off a great pass from Will Portokalis. 

As the second intermission buzzer rang, the Bold stepped off the ice with a 3-1 lead. 

Similar to the first, the third period saw a more even matchup between the teams. After trading penalties early in the frame, Kai Edmonds was able to make several key saves and important plays that kept the Badgers from scoring. 

The back-and-forth nature of the period continued until late into the frame, when TMU was called for tripping. Brock had pulled their goalie only seconds earlier to give them the extra attacker, and just four seconds into the power play, the Badgers scored to cut the lead to 3-2. 

The Bold, however, were able to find a quick response. After a brief stint on the ice, Brock pulled their goaltender again in hopes of tying the game. Just four seconds later, Martin scored on an empty net, ending the game with a 4-2 victory.

Martin, who has been a part of the program since 2022, has appeared in more than 60 games over three seasons. 

"That was a do-or-die for us," Martin said. "It was nice for me, personally, to get back on the board, playing with two great players, [Will Portokalis] and [Grundner] definitely helped me out there." 

The Bold hit the road for one last regular-season game, facing the Waterloo Warriors in Waterloo, Ont. on Saturday, Feb. 14. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m., and fans can watch the game on OUA.tv.