By Keiran Gorsky
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men’s hockey team picked up their first loss of the season on Saturday night in a 2-1 defeat to the University of Waterloo Warriors at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
The Bold struggled to close out the game, even against a tired Waterloo team coming off of a loss the night before.
“It was a good learning experience for our group,” said a disappointed Johnny Duco. “You can’t underestimate any opponents in the OUA West. Whether you’re playing a top team [or one] that’s 0-3, you’re gonna get a desperate hockey team.”
The home team started strong, forcing a flurry of turnovers in the Warriors zone sparking multiple on-man rush opportunities, with forward Kevin Gursoy pouncing on every loose puck. Waterloo goaltender Dan Murphy managed to turn the first one aside, but he couldn’t stop William Portokalis stuffing the puck into the net off a three-on-one just five minutes in.
Despite a relentless TMU forecheck, the Warriors perked up with some chances of their own. Bold goaltender Garrett Forrest turned away a Chase Campbell wrist shot, just after a heroic pokecheck from Kosta Manikis delayed what could’ve been a tap-in goal.
Waterloo came out flying in the second period, piercing through an overcommitted TMU cycle play. Forrest was tested time and again, first off a deflected puck twirling off a defender’s skate and then a locomotive-like rush from six-foot-six Waterloo’s Cole Fraser.
The Bold were frequently caught with their defensemen activated well below the goal line, leaving only Forrest’s heroics to preserve the lead through a blistering 40 minutes. Manikis seemed to set a bad omen for the final period when he was handed a game misconduct for throwing his stick over the glass.
It didn’t take the Warriors long after that to solve Forrest. A shot from the point tipped off Jacob Cascagnette and into the Bold net. With ten minutes left and the writing on the wall, Cascagnette sealed the deal with another, this time a clever flip past the TMU goaltender.
“If you don’t compete and bring your best for 60 minutes, you can lose to anybody,” said Duco.
UP NEXT: The Bold will get a chance to redeem themselves against Guelph University at Mattamy Athletic Centre on Wednesday. Puck-drop is set for 6 p.m.
Leave a Reply