By Aisha Shabeese
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s hockey team won 2-1 in shootout over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in their second pre-season game at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Friday night.
The game presented the first matchup between the two teams in the 2024-25 pre-season and the chance for the Bold to make a statement before they enter their regular season next month.
The battle saw some thrilling give-or-take action, plenty of shot attempts and familiar faces helping reach the summit. A ten-shot shootout saw just one goal—a dagger for Bold captain and graduate student Emily Baxter.
The Bold and the Golden Hawks each entered having lost their first pre-season game, with the Bold losing to Bishop’s University Gaiters and the Golden Hawks to the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues.
The first period saw a constant shift in momentum, as both teams battled for the possession of the puck on both ends of the ice. Seven minutes into the period, Bold’s second-year defender Jayden Fox got the first penalty. However, that didn’t stop the Bold from pushing through to get their first goal of the night.
With less than five minutes left on the clock, third-year forward Gaby Gareau attempted a shot in the crease but it bounced backwards, allowing third-year defender Ahalya Julien-Medeiros the opportunity to flick the puck over Laurier’s goalie and give the Bold a 1-0 lead.
At that point, the Golden Hawks picked up the energy in search of their tally. By the end of the first period, they led 11-9 in shots on goal.
The momentum began to change in the second period. The Golden Hawks took off only a minute into the period, with second-year defender Rylee Crego scoring a power-play goal.
The midpoint of the period led to more back-and-forth efforts, though the Bold struggled to keep up with the Golden Hawks and their high shot count. However, that didn’t stop TMU’s third-year goalie Lauren Griffin from making impressive saves throughout the period.
Towards the final minutes of the period, both teams conceded a round of penalties. A too-many-players penalty was called against the Bold while a tripping penalty sent second-year forward Ella Jackson to the box for the Golden Hawks, leaving the Bold to open the third period with a 27-second power play.
In the third period, a couple of early tripping penalties and multiple scrambles at the crease left the Bold unable to regain their lead. It wasn’t for lack of trying, though, as they increased their attempts to shoot more at Golden Hawks’ third-year goalie Kayla Renaud.
Halfway through the third, the Bold were given a 5-on-3 power play, presenting an opportunity to push the sturdy Golden Hawks. After scoring in Wednesday’s pre-season game, Baxter attempted a top-shelf goal but ultimately sent the puck over the Renaud’s shoulder and toward the boards.
Regulation ended with a tied game at 1-1. With the Golden Hawks leading 35-33 in shots on goal, the game headed to overtime.
The sudden death period began with a Golden Hawks power play but a minute later fourth-year forward Eryn Wolfe went to the box for a holding penalty. The rest of the period was categorized by dominant puck movement by the Golden Hawks, but the Bold held on to send the already tight game to a shootout.
After eight combined attempts stopped by Griffin and Renaud, it was Baxter who with immense speed flicked a backhanded shot past the Golden Hawks’ netminder to break the deadlock. Griffin then held down the fort with a glove stop on first-year defender Kayla O’Toole, securing TMU’s first win of the season.
UP NEXT: The TMU Bold women’s hockey team continues their pre-season action against the McGill Redbirds today at the MAC at 1 p.m.
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