TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's hockey team fell 2-1 to the Windsor Lancers in Game 1 of the OUA West Semifinals.

The first period set the tone for what would be a tight matchup between the West's top two seeds, with Windsor entering as the No. 1 seed and TMU close behind at No. 2. The teams were evenly matched early, reflected in the shots on goal as the Lancers trailed by just one shot throughout the period.

Windsor brought the physicality, which the Bold matched.

The first half of the opening frame saw both teams struggling to generate sustained pressure, leading to several dump-and-chase plays as they looked to establish control.

The first quality chance came from Chase Lefebvre, who pulled ahead of a Windsor defenceman and positioned himself in front of the crease for a shot. The attempt was stopped by Windsor goaltender Max Donoso, but Carter MacAdams was there to try and poke the rebound between Donoso's pads.

The remainder of the period turned into a back-and-forth battle, with both teams showcasing speed while racing to score the opening goal.

With eight minutes remaining, the Bold were sent to the penalty kill after Lefebvre was called for hooking. Continuing a trend from earlier in the postseason, TMU's penalty kill stood strong. Will Portokalis managed to steal the puck and send it to Hunter Donohoe to clear, while Bold goaltender Kai Edmonds made several key saves to keep the game scoreless.

Late chances from Joseph Ianniello and Daniil Grigorev gave TMU a couple of final looks before the intermission.

The period ended scoreless, with shots even at 9-9.

Windsor opened the second period with speed and gradually began to tilt things their way, increasing their shot total and putting pressure on the Bold. Five minutes into the frame, the Lancers scored the game's first goal.

Eight minutes into the period, TMU had managed just one shot on goal. However, three minutes later the Bold found the equalizer.

Off a faceoff, Portokalis moved the puck to Jaden Raad, who sent a cross-ice pass to Connor Bowie. Bowie with a backhand shot sent it past Donoso to tie the game at one.

The Bold continued to push offensively, trailing Windsor only slightly in shots at 20-18.

MacAdams generated another strong chance in front of the crease after receiving a puck off a Lancer defenceman, while a passing play from Grigorev to Marko Djordjevic along the goal line set up Bowie in the slot, though Donoso made both stops.

The second period ended tied 1-1.

Both teams entered the third period looking to capitalize on the next opportunity, with the pace picking up from both sides.

TMU returned to the penalty kill for the third time in the game, but still managed to create a shorthanded chance when Djordjevic received a breakaway attempt, releasing his shot just too late to convert.

On the defensive end, a scramble around Edmonds nearly resulted in a Windsor goal, but Portokalis located the puck on the goal line behind the sprawled goaltender and cleared it away. Edmonds followed with two more back-to-back saves to keep the game even.

With neither team able to find the winner in regulation, the game headed to overtime deadlocked 1-1.

In the first overtime period, the Bold were unable to convert on a power play, but successfully killed off a Windsor advantage shortly after.

The game eventually pushed into double overtime. TMU managed to outlast a double-minor high-sticking penalty given to Jaden Raad, but the Lancers were able to score with four minutes remaining in the period.

The final score was 2-1, with Windsor holding a 47-39 advantage in shots.

Up next, the Bold will travel to Windsor for Game 2 of the OUA West Semifinals on Saturday, Mar. 7. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m., and fans can watch the game on OUA.tv.