By Dexter LeRuez
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s hockey team suffered a difficult loss to the Ontario Tech University Ridgebacks on Friday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
With Friday’s loss the Bold are now 0-3 to start the new year, a stark difference from the four-game winning streak the team went on to close out 2022.
“All ten regular season games that are left are now really important when you lose the first three,” said Bold head coach Lisa Haley.
However, for the first half of the game, it seemed the Bold would turn their woes around. It took TMU forward Gaby Gareau just 2:24 to put back a rebound and give the Bold a 1-0 lead.
After an impressive start on offence, TMU’s defence stepped up thirty seconds after Gareau’s goal, when she was sent to the penalty box for tripping.
In the second period, the Bold extended their lead when defender Abby DeCorby sent a long shot past Ontario Tech’s goalie’s shoulder to give the third-year her first goal of the season.
“I think that was huge for us,” said Haley. “Abby’s been working really hard and the game hasn’t come easy to her at some points earlier in the season but she’s really finding her groove.”
However, halfway through the second period, the Bold’s lead evaporated before their eyes.
The Bold’s downfall began when Tori Butler and Emily Baxter were sent to the box in quick succession, putting TMU in a three-on-five scenario.
The Bold killed the three-on-five advantage, but an overworked TMU penalty kill unit finally cracked giving the Ridgebacks their first goal of the game.
TMU struggled to keep five skaters on the ice Friday as seven penalties were committed by the Bold on the night.
It took the Ridgebacks a mere 37 seconds to catch the Bold sleeping after their first goal. It was Ontario Tech’s Melisa Ardanaz who put the puck past TMU first-year goalie Lauren Griffin to negate a two-goal lead.
Both sides of the Bold’s special teams units were put to work. In the dying minutes of the second frame, the Ridgebacks gave the Bold a similar five-on-three advantage. But TMU’s power play unit failed to score as the game was kept at two goals apiece heading into the third period.
Outside of DeCorby’s goal early in the second on the power play, the Bold failed to score on special teams.
“It’s any given night,” said Haley. “Last night we converted perfectly on our five-on-three and we had a goal in no time. And tonight we couldn’t just quite find that handle.”
Eventually, the Ridgebacks’ special team’s superiority won them the game as the Bold penalty kill gave up the game-winner after DeCorby was called for cross-checking.
“Obviously we gotta be more disciplined in the box,” said DeCorby. “When we are down 3-2 we can’t be giving up three penalties for sure.”
The Bold now face a critical point in their season. With just 10 games left, TMU will make the trip to Guelph, Ont. on Wednesday before a long bus ride to Windsor to face the Lancers the next day.
“It’s a tough road trip,” said Haley. “Obviously Guelph, big ice. And then a really long trip down to Windsor. So what we are doing off the ice is just as important in terms of recovery and handling the bus trip.”
“I don’t think either one of those games is gonna be easy, they’re top teams in the West and we gotta go through them and find some points,” she added.
UP NEXT: The Bold begin a back-to-back road trip against the Guelph Gryphons on Jan. 18. Puck-drop is set for 7:30 p.m.
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