GUELPH, Ont. — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's hockey team lost 3-1 against the Guelph Gryphons in a physical road matchup.

The Bold were unable to start on the right foot in the opening frame. Less than a minute into play, the Gryphons gained possession of the puck and capitalized on an odd-man rush to open the scoring.

With the Gryphons initially dictating the pace, the Bold worked to match their intensity. As the game grew physical, the Bold began to respond with speed and power. The first big opportunity came on a breakaway chance from Chase Lefebvre, but Lefebvre was unable to score.

TMU generated many quality chances throughout the period, using stretch passes to enable players to spring strong offensive plays. Ian Martin led one of the better attacks as the Bold began to find their rhythm.

The momentum paid off midway through the frame.

After a Guelph turnover, Marko Djordjevic skated away with the puck alongside Will Portokalis, creating a two-on-one against Gryphons goaltender Olivier Ciarlo. Djordjevic slid a short pass across to Portokalis, who maneuvered around Ciarlo and scored on the backhand to tie the game.

The remainder of the period stayed physical, with the Bold delivering strong hits while netminder Kai Edmonds stood tall, warding off shots, including a key one-on-one opportunity.

The first period ended tied 1-1, with TMU holding a slight edge in shots on goal, 10-8.

In the middle frame, neither team held back.

The Bold received their first power-play opportunity of the night, but despite a strong look from Gavin Grudner, they were unable to convert.

TMU continued to push the pace with urgency, generating dangerous plays in front of the net. In the final minute, Djordjevic fired a hard shot that was blocked by a Gryphons defenceman in a crucial moment.

The middle frame closed with 4-on-4 play after matching penalties, leaving the game deadlocked at 1-1.

The third period turned into a battle to the finish. The Bold steadily widened the shot gap, but the Gryphons applied pressure in response, creating a tense game that could go either way.

Both Edmonds and Ciarlo were sharp, stopping a series of chances as shots came in.

Midway through the frame, Guelph broke through to take the lead.

TMU pushed hard in response and, in the final two minutes, pulled Edmonds for an extra attacker in a final effort to tie the game. The Bold generated offensive pressure but were unable to find the equalizer, and Guelph sealed the deal with an empty-net goal.

The Bold lost the contest 3-1, despite being ahead in shots on goal, 32-25.

Next up, the Bold will face the York Lions on home ice on Friday, Feb. 6. Puck drop is at 6:15 p.m., and students can attend the game for free with their OneCard.